Full description
Reform Schools
An Act to establish juvenile reformatories (30 Vic. Act No.4) - the Reformatory Schools Act of 1866 received assent on 12 September 1866. The Act came into operation on 15 January 1869 (1) and provided that any child under sixteen convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to fourteen or more days imprisonment could be sent to a reformatory school for one to five years instead of or in addition to going to gaol. The parents of a child sent to a reformatory wherever possible could be required to pay for the child’s upkeep whilst in the reformatory. There were to be separate reformatories for girls and boys. (2)
While a reformatory school for girls was proclaimed at Newcastle on 19 January 1867, (3) no similar institution for boys was established until 1894. The Industrial School-Ship the Vernon served as both as it took delinquent as well as destitute boys prior to the commencement of a reformatory. After the enactment of the State Children Relief Act of 1881 (44 Vic. Act No.24) most neglected boys were boarded out, but increasing numbers of boys with criminal charges were sent to the Vernon. (4)
The Carpenterian Reformatory for Boys (1894-1908), Brush Farm Home for Boys (1909-1912)
During the early 1890s discussions took place regarding the merits of having a "shore reformatory" as an alternative to the existing nautical school ships then being used as training schools for juvenile male offenders. (5) From 6 July 1894, land acquired by the Government at Brush Farm Estate, Eastwood was proclaimed a Reformatory School for Boys within the meaning of the Reformatory Schools Act of 1866 (30 Vic. Act No.4). It was called the Carpenterian Reformatory for Boys (6), named after Mary Carpenter, an English social reformer, and was officially opened on 1 September 1895, although boys had been sent there earlier than this date. The Carpenterian Reformatory was intended mainly for boys over the age of 13 who had committed offences. (7) Boys were trained in agriculture and general farming work, including garden and orchard work, the tending of cattle and horses, and milking. In addition they were given the opportunity to learn the trades of boot making, tailoring, tin smithing, carpentry, cabinet making, French polishing, painting, glazing, wood turning, jam making and fruit preserving. (8)
In 1909 the name of the institution was changed to Brush Farm Home for Boys. (9) When the Nautical School Ship Sobraon was closed in July 1911 the remaining boys from there were sent to Brush Farm Home temporarily, until a new site at Gosford could be prepared. It was considered that Brush Farm was no longer suitable as the site of a reformatory, as by this time Eastwood had become a residential suburb, rather than being situated in the country, as had been the case when the reformatory opened. (10) The function of Brush Farm Home for Boys was transferred to the Farm Home for Boys, Gosford in July 1912 with the initial complement of boys sent to assist in building the premises. The final group of boys left Brush Farm for Gosford in July 1912. (11)
The Farm Home for Boys, Gosford
Larger and more suitable premises were required by early in the twentieth century, and Crown Lands consisting of virgin rainforest were acquired at Penang Mountain, three miles from Gosford. By July 1912 some of the boys under trained direction began clearing and erecting a building for a new home. On 18 September, 1912 under the Crown Lands Act of 1884 the Gosford site of more than 681 acres was dedicated as a "site for (an) industrial school". (10) The buildings were completed in 1913 and by the end of that year, 74 boys had been admitted. (12), (13) The Farm Home for Boys, Gosford (14) was to be set up on the cottage home principle. (15) The purpose of the home was for the reception and treatment of the older juvenile offenders - boys aged 16 to 20. Facilities enabled boys to be classified and separated. Some boys between 16 and 18 were transferred there under licence from gaols to complete their sentences. (16)
Mount Penang Training School for Boys
From 31 July, 1946 the home was established and constituted in accordance with section 49 of the Child Welfare Act, 1939 as a school "for the reception, maintenance, discipline, education and training of children and persons committed to such institutions" to be known as The Mount Penang Training School for Boys (17)
By proclamation on 16 August, 1946 in pursuance of the provisions of section 49 of the Child Welfare Act, 1939 the institution was established and constituted as a school "for the reception, detention, maintenance, discipline, education and training of young persons committed to such institutions" and was to be known as "The Mt Penang Training School for Boys".(18)
* The name of the institution changed to Mt Penang Detention Centre by 30/ 06/1990 (AR Dept of Family and Community Services 1990) -and by September 1991 seems to have been referred to as "Mount Penang Juvenile Justice "
With the establishment of other training homes for boys in New South Wales the age range at Mount Penang was restricted to boys in the 14 to 18 age range. The Sub-Institution was no longer needed and in May, 1948 it was converted into a Privilege Cottage for boys who had responded to the training at Mount Penang. Here they were prepared to return to life in the community following their release. (19)
Annexes to the Gosford Farm Home
a) The Riverina Welfare Farm, Yanco
Large numbers of boys from the Gosford home were transferred to The Riverina Welfare Farm which was commenced operations at Yanco in 1928 and continued until March 1942. (20)
b) The Farm Home for Boys, Narara
31 specially selected boys were placed at a Department of Agriculture building at Narara, 10 miles from the Gosford home. Narara was proclaimed an Industrial School on 29 November, 1927 in pursuance of section 16 (b) of the Child Welfare Act, No. 21, 1923. The site, "hitherto known as the Forestry Training School, Narara (was) to be known as the Farm Home for Boys, Narara. "The purpose of the Home was the "reception, detention, and maintenance of children". (21) The farm consisted of five acres and the boys were engaged in land clearage, and vegetable cultivation for Nara and Gosford Homes and other homes in Sydney One party of boys clearing timber for the Forestry Commission. (22) .
Administratively Narara was an annex to the Gosford Home whose Superintendent was responsible for its organisation, supervision and administration although Narara had its own Officer-in-Charge.
In April 1934 all boys resident at Narara were transferred to the Gosford Farm Home, (23) and Narara was diverted for use as a home for male State Wards. (24)
A closed Sub-Institution for up to 20 unresponsive boys (absconders, incorrigibles and serious sexual cases) was built at Gosford c.1940. (25)
c) Daruk Training School, Windsor
In 1960 "Daruk" Training School at Windsor was opened and school age juvenile offenders were sent here leaving Mount Penang to train the older boys. From this time schooling was on a voluntary basis. (26)
d) Kariong Juvenile Justice Centre
Kariong Juvenile Justice Centre was opened in September, 1991. It was the first purpose-built secure unit in NSW designed for those who had proved difficult to manage in other centres and those with a history of escape. Some charged with very serious offences could spend their remand period in the centre for assessment purposes. (27)
Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.15, 22 January 1869, p.201.
2. Reformatory Schools Act of 1866 (30 Vic. Act No.4).
3. NSW Government Gazette No.15, 22 January 1869, p.201.
4. NSS Vernon Report for the year ended 30 April 1892, p.3 in NSW Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1892-93, Vol.3, p.1395.
5. State Children's Relief Department Report for the Year Ending 5 April 1893, p.2, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1893, Vol.2, p.686.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.458, 10 July 1894, p.4434.
7. Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for the Year 1906, p.45, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1907 2nd Session, Vol.1, p.935.
8. Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for the Year 1905, p.26, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1906, Vol.1, p.208.
9. Carpenterian Reformatory, Report for the year 1908, p.1 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1909 Vol.2, p.143; Education. Report of the Superintendent of the Brush Farm Home for Boys, for the year 1909, p.1 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1910 Second Session, Vol.1, p.297.
10. Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for the Year 1910, p.31, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1911, Vol.1, p.47.
11. Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for the Year 1913, p.29, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1914, Vol.1, p.137.
12. Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1913 p.322.
13. Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1914, p.201.
14. NSW Public Service Lists, 1914-1937.
15. NSW Parliamentary Papers, 3rd Session 1911-1912 Vol.2, p.435.
16. Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1914, p.660.
17. NSW Government Gazette No.90, 16 August 1946, p.1847.
18. Ibid.
19. Brian Boyle, The Child Welfare Schools: recollections of these unique schools and the men and women who taught in them often under considerable difficulty. Unpublished typescript, 1996 (held by State Records Library), p.202.
20. B. Boyle, op. cit., p.194 and Annual Report 1942 and 1943 of Minister for Public Instruction on Work of Child Welfare Department in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1945-46 Vol.1, p.97.
21. NSW Government Gazette, 1927 Vol.4, p.6004.
22. McCulloch Report, op. cit., p.65.
23. B. Boyle, op. cit., pp.194-195.
24. McCulloch Report, op. cit., p.65.
25. B. Boyle, op. cit., p.196.
26. B. Boyle, op. cit., p.204.
27. B. Boyle, op. cit., p.212.
User Contributed Tags
Login to tag this record with meaningful keywords to make it easier to discover
