Full description Background
Medical Establishment and Public Hospitals 1837-1854
The earliest manifestations of the public health function in Victoria occurred with the appointment of an Assistant Colonial Surgeon in 1837 and the establishment of the first public hospital in 1839. Between 1837 and 1854 the medical establishment grew considerably to comprise a Chief Medical Officer, district surgeons to the police and gaols, medical staff at Pentridge and at hospitals on the goldfields, a dispenser, and a health officer at Queenscliff. A temporary seven bed hospital and dispensary provided the only facilities until the establishment of a small general hospital in Melbourne in 1841. The hospital initially occupied a rented cottage until building was completed in Lonsdale Street in 1848. Hospitals were later established on the goldfields at Castlemaine, Sandhurst and Ballarat (The Australian Encyclopaedia, Volume V, p.2; see also Historical Records of Victoria, Volume 3).
The medical establishment and public hospitals were primarily concerned with providing medical services to Government employees (police, military, Gold Commissioners) as well as to people under Government care (such as immigrants, prisoners, lunatics). The Chief Medical Officers Health Report for the half year ending 30 June 1854 indicates that the medical establishment in Melbourne was responsible for immigrants from the time of their landing until they left the Immigration Depot and for the police and the officers and prisoners in the gaols and stockades. The immigrants were attended by the Chief Medical Officer and the more serious cases were taken to the Colonial Hospital at Batman's Hill. In the seaport towns the medical officers were responsible for the health of immigrants, police, military and prisoners and on the goldfields they were responsible for police, military, gold commission and prisoners (see Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council, Session 1854-5, Volume 2, p.89).
Concern for the prevention of infectious and contagious disease appears to have initially been handled by regulation of vessels entering Port Phillip (see the quarantine function).
Patrick Edward Cussen was appointed as Assistant Colonial Surgeon for Port Phillip in September 1837. By 1848 Cussen had been appointed Colonial Surgeon. Following separation from New South Wales in 1851, the civil establishment for the Medical Department, which was responsible to the Colonial Secretary (VRG 16), included the Colonial Surgeon, Melbourne who was also Surgeon to the Gaol and Surgeon to the Lunatic Asylum, the District Surgeon, Geelong, a Dispenser and the Superintendent and staff of the Lunatic Asylum (VA 2839). By 1852 following the discovery of gold, the civil establishment of the Medical Department had expanded to include the Colonial Surgeon, a Health Officer, Dispenser, Surgeon to Police and Watchhouses, three Assistant Colonial Surgeons in Melbourne and three others for Geelong, Williamstown and Ovens. Other staff were also located at Mt. Alexander, Bendigo and Ovens. By 1854 the civil establishment included a Chief Medical Officer, District Surgeons to Police and to Gaols and at Williamstown, Geelong, Portland, Belfast, Castlemaine, Sandhurst, Ballarat, Avoca, Beechworth, Kyneton and Kilmore and other staff based at Pentridge and at the hospitals established on the goldfields at Castlemaine, Sandhurst and Ballarat. There was also a Secretary to the Medical Board and Dispenser, a Medical Officer at Waranga and a Health Officer at Queenscliff.
Diverse Public Health Legislation 1854-1865
Control of Infectious Disease and Regulation of Noxious Trades
The Central Board of Health was established in 1854 under the provisions of An Act for Promoting Public Health in Populous Places in the Colony of Victoria (18 Vic., No.13). The Act also provided for the establishment of local boards of health which were to exercise joint responsibility for public health. The provisions were taken verbatim from an Imperial Act of 1848. The President and members of the Central Board were appointed on 21 February 1855. Under the Act the Central Board of Health and the local boards were required to make provision for the prevention, containment and treatment of infectious and contagious diseases; for the construction and maintenance of adequate drains and sewers; for the regulation of noxious trades; for the cleansing of streets and public ways and places and for the maintenance of adequate standards of sanitation and ventilation in both public and premises. No new hospital for the reception of patients suffering from a contagious or infectious disease was to be opened without the approval of the Central Board of Health and the appropriate local board and the Central Board could authorise the dispensing of medicines and the provision of medical aid to persons afflicted by or threatened by epidemic diseases. Local board officers were also empowered to seize unwholesome food from manufacturers and vendors and to bring the offenders before a Justice of the Peace.
Local boards were required to report every three months to the Central Board on the health, cleanliness and general sanitary state of the district for which they were responsible and each report was to be accompanied either by a certificate from the health officer stating that no epidemic, endemic or contagious disease had appeared or a report as to the progress or decrease of such a disease, including the number of deaths and the class of persons suffering from any particular disorder. The Central Board was required to make recommendations for the control of any epidemic disease and local boards were required to notify the Central Board immediately such a disease became evident.
Regulation of Common Lodging Houses
Under the provisions of An Act for the well ordering of Common Lodging Houses in the Colony of Victoria 1854 (18 Vic., No.8), local authorities were empowered to establish and enforce standards for the cleanliness, condition and conduct of common lodging houses. All such premises were to be registered with the local authority which was required to maintain a register. Under the provisions of the Public Health Act 1854, the Central Board of Health was empowered to regulate the number of inmates and occupants permissable in a lodging house or public building.
Vaccination
Compulsory vaccination of all children born after 1 January 1840 was required under the provisions of An Act to make compulsory the Practice of Vaccination 1854 (18 Vic., No.4). Medical Officers were to issue certificates affirming successful vaccination and parents were required to lodge the certificates with the local Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Registration of vaccination certificates later became a responsibility of the Registrar General (VA 2889). The Act required the Registrars to notify parents of the requirement to have their children vaccinated and parents who failed to do so could be fined. Medical Officers were not permitted to charge fees for the provision of this service.
Pollution of the River Yarra
From 1855, with the passing of An Act to prevent the further pollution of the waters of the river Yarra Yarra above the city of Melbourne 1854 (18 Vic., No.36), no new unwholesome trades or businesses could be established on the banks of the Yarra River above Melbourne.
Adulteration of Food or Drink
Requirements for the manufacture and sale of articles of food and drink which included medical drugs and items usually taken or sold as medicines became more stringent with the passing of An Act to prevent the Adulteration of Articles of Food or Drink 1863 (27 Vic., No.177).
Consolidation of Public Health Legislation 1865
In 1865, previous legislation regarding public health, vaccination, quarantine, pollution of the Yarra River, common lodging houses and the adulteration of food and drink was consolidated in the Public Health Statute 1865 (28 Vic., No.264). The Central Board of Health and the local boards continued to be responsible for the administration of all aspects of public health.
New Aspects of Public Health 1867 to 1890
Much of the subsequent legislation concerning public health simply increased or amended the powers of the Central Board of Health and the local authorities with regard to the administration of aspects of public health for which they had previously been responsible. However some of the legislation gave the boards responsibility for new aspects of public health.
Public Buildings
From 1867, under the provisions of the Public Health Amendment Act, (No.310) persons wishing to open or extend any hospital, public building or place of amusement were required to notify the Central Board of Health and the local board and to submit a plan showing the proposed mode of construction, drainage and ventilation. No such building could be built or opened without the written approval of the Central Board of Health. The officers of the boards were also empowered to inspect such premises and to order work to be undertaken to improve the ventilation, drainage, entrances and exits and appliances for the extinction of fires. These requirements and the definition of buildings subject to regulation by the Central Board of Health were extended under the provisions of the Public Health Amendment Act 1883 (No.782).
Hospitals
From 1876 under sections 18 and 19 of the Public Health Amendment Act (No.524) which were re-enactments of an 1875 Imperial Act (38 and 39 Vic., C55), local boards were empowered to provide hospitals for the reception of the sick. The boards could establish the hospitals alone or combine with other boards to do so. Alternatively they could contract the use of an existing hospital or enter into an agreement with the management of an existing hospital to provide the required services. Managers of hospitals receiving aid from the State could be required by the Central Board of Health to enter into such an agreement with a local board. The costs of treatment were to be recovered from the patient or from his/her estate. The Public Health Act 1889 empowered the central authorities to establish hospitals where local authorities failed to do so.
Infant Life Protection
With the proclamation of the Public Health Amendment Act 1883 No.782, part III of which was a re-enactment of an Imperial Act 36 and 36 Vic., c38, 1872, local boards became responsible for the registration of premises and persons, other than parents, relatives or guardians, who were responsible for the care of infants. The boards were to maintain a register of premises and persons approved and those responsible were to keep a register of infants in their care and to notify the coroner or a justice of the peace of the death of a child.
Under the provisions of the Infant Life Protection Act 1980 the Chief Commissioner of Police was vested in 1890 with reponsibility for the registration of homes used for the purpose of nursing, maintaining and adopting infants. In 1907 a subsequent Infant Life Protection Act 1907 transferred responsibility for this function to the Department for Neglected Children, later known as the Children's Welfare Department (VA 1467) in the Chief Secretary's Department (VA 475).
The powers and responsibilities of the Central Board of Health and the local boards were further amended by the Public Health Act 1888 (No.1101).
, M.D. was appointed President and Captain Clarke and Richard Youl M.D. were appointed as members of the Board. McCrea was the Chief Medical Office... truncated
Data time period: 1836 to 2013