St. Augustine's Orphanage, Highton

ABUSE AND MISTREATMENT: ST AUGUSTINE’S ORPHANAGE, HIGHTON, 1900-1950.

Lucy Fitzgerald

INTRODUCTION

From the beginning of the 20th century, the number of orphans in Homes had

dramatically increased in Victoria. The economic depression in the 1920s led to

an increased reliance on voluntary children’s welfare institutes. The number of

state wards rose in this time, and St. Augustine’s became full to capacity. This led

to a decrease in the quality of living conditions in the orphanage. The children in

the homes adhered to strict industrious habits to provide practical training that

would make them more employable. Punishment and abuse was also used to

instill fear in children as well as reminding them of their place in society. The

mistreatment and abuse happened on a daily basis for the boys in St. Augustine’s

Orphanage, Highton. This type of treatment would shape the lives of these boys

both physically and mentally as a result of their time in this institution.

CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING PLACEMENT IN HOMES

Life in early 20th century Australia had become increasingly difficult for families,

with many relying on Catholic Institutions and Homes for the care of their

children. The aftermath of World War I in Australia meant the loss of 60,000

young men and many more suffered disabilities.1 This meant many families were

now incomplete. Raising children could be financially difficult on a singe income. 1 J. Barnard and K. Twigg,, Holding On To Hope: a history of the founding agencies

After losing so many during the war, the economic crisis led to a dramatic

increase in the number of state wards being admitted voluntarily into care. 2

Neglect was the main reason children were taken away from their families and

placed into institutional care. The term ‘neglect’ was very broadly defined in

Children Welfare Acts, which gave all states comprehensive jurisdiction over the

behavior of both parents and children.3 Amendments of the Neglected Children’s

Act in 1933 only worsened the situation. Children could now be removed if they

were likely to lapse into crime, if they were under the guardianship of anyone

who was unfit in the court’s eyes to care for a child.4 This new amendment meant

that the court could easily remove children from homes or parents if they were

judged unfit. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the number of state

wards had dropped to 5,452 reflecting the low-‐birth rate of the depression.5

2 J. Barnard and K. Twigg,, Holding On To Hope, p. 123 3 J. Penglase, Orphans of the Living: Growing up in ‘care’ in twentieth century Australia (Fremantle: Fremantle Press, 2007), p. 53. 4 D. Jaggs, Neglected and Criminal: Foundations of Child Welfare Legislation in Victoria (Melbourne: Centre for Youth and Community Studies Phillip Institute of Technology, 1986), p. 138 5 ibid p. 140.

St. Augustine’s Orphanage, Highton, 1939. Source: Jill Barnard & Karen Twiggs, Holding On To Hope: A history of the founding

of MacKillop Family Services 1854-‐1997, 2004, p. 130.

Advertisement for St. Augustine’s Building Fund, 1938. Source: Jill Barnard & Karen Twiggs, Holding On To Hope: A history of the

founding of MacKillop Family Services 1854-‐1997, 2004, p. 129.

However, the demand for a new institution to house the increased number of

orphans and state wards at this time became increasingly high. St. Augustine’s

Orphanage, Highton first opened in 1939, after extensive financial difficulty to

finish the building. St. Augustine’s was a source of enormous pride for the

Victorian Catholic community and was run by the Christian Brothers.6

DECLINING HEALTH AND MEDICAL ATTENTION

Living conditions and health plays a major role in the traumatic experiences

orphans faced on a daily basis in St. Augustine’s Orphanage. Shared living spaces

and regulated medical treatments were also a major factor in the rapid decrease

in the health of the boys. A decrease in living standards and health of the boys

had become clear to the people in the community around the period of WWII.

The orphanage was full to capacity. Officials that visited the Orphanage during

the depression and war times were aware of the terrible conditions that the boys

had to live in. This was ignored as it was seen as better than many working class

children could expect in their own homes.7 In 1941 the Catholic Social Service

Bureau had began to receive complaints about St. Augustine’s. Parents

complained that boys had become thin and miserable shortly after admission.

This coincided with the insufficient number of staff to supervise the 350 boys in

residence.8 Many children in St. Augustine’s felt that their general physical

welfare was being neglected. They were forced to sleep in dormitory style

arrangements, with beds being closely placed together to maximize the space

used in each room. Dietary arrangements were inadequate along with a lack of 6 J. Barnard and K. Twigg, Holding On To Hope, p. 142. 7 ibid. 8 ibid.

heating and warm clothes.9 These living conditions led to an increase in the

likelihood of the rapid spread of diseases. An epidemic was inevitable in this

environment. The physical and mental trauma associated with food consumption

had lasting mental impacts on children.10 A combination of deprivation and

discipline meant the boys were left with an abiding sense of guilt associated with

eating. The time spent in St. Augustine’s orphanage would have a profound

impact on the boys physically and mentally for the rest of their lives.

9 ibid. 10 N. Musgrove, The Scars Remain: a long history of forgotten Australians and Children’s Institutions (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly, 2013), p. 123.

The baker assisted by two residents, bakehouse, St. Augustine’s, c. 1947 Source: Jill Barnard & Karen Twiggs, Holding On To Hope: A history of the


Boys with a load of hay, St. Augustine’s Farm, c. 1940s Source: Jill Barnard & Karen Twiggs, Holding On To Hope: A history of the


Brother Gerard O’Shea and a class at St. Augustine’s Junior Technical School, c. late 1940s

Source: Jill Barnard & Karen Twiggs, Holding On To Hope: A history of the founding of MacKillop Family Services 1854-‐1997, 2004, p. 147.

CHILDREN AS A COMMODITY

Labour was required as part of the daily running of the institute. The purpose

of the large amount of land surrounding St. Augustine’s was to provide a self-‐

sufficient institution. St. Augustine’s in Highton was built on surrounding

farmland totaling about 200 acres. The Brothers slaughtered their own meat,

had a dairy herd which provided milk, a large vegetable garden which yielded a

variety of vegetables, and over 600 hens that produced a plentiful supply of

eggs.11 In 1945, the introduction of more animals such as pigs and an expansion

of the dairy herd meant that the more land would be acquired to plant cops for

wheat and hay.12 The function of the farm has 2 purposes, one being to provide

produce for the orphanage, the second was to provide training in all-‐round

farming methods.13 Other trades were taught to the boys to better their chances

of getting a job when they left the orphanage. Building ‘hard workers’ and ‘solid

citizens’ were instilled in the everyday lives of the boys.14 In 1947, a Technical

School was established at St. Augustine’s Orphanage as a response to the

shortage of skilled labour after the war. The boys were seen as a commodity, of

which the institution could run without employing large groups of adults. As

long as farm employment was seen as a suitable career option for the boys,

work on the orphanage farm could be viewed as ‘training’ for their future.15 The

institutes main purpose was to keep at risk children from falling into a life of

crime. Institutes were being used as an all-‐purpose solution to the problems

11 J. Barnard and K. Twigg, Holding On To Hope, p. 148. 12 ibid. 13 St. Augustine’s Orphanage Appeal Committee, St. Augustine’s Orphanage Geelong Appeal, September 1931, The Mail Publishers. 14 N. Musgrove, The Scars Remain, p. 134. 15 J. Barnard and K. Twigg, Holding On To Hope, p. 149.

posed by delinquent, destitute and ill treated children.16 This treatment of

children was almost slave-‐like and had their childhood stolen.

DISCIPLINE, PUNISHENT AND ABUSE

The focus of St. Augustine’s was the discipline and ordering of children’s minds

and bodies. This was instilled in the boys everyday routine through violence and

abuse. The boys were victims of violent regimes they could not resist, which was

often carried out by gathering together to watch others receive punishment.17

Physical and emotional ties between staff and children were discouraged. They

were however, encouraged o be friendly towards the boys.18 The dehumanising

environment of the institute itself is the primary abuse.19 Children constantly felt

fear on a daily basis. This was mostly the intention as ruling by fear is effective

and can be destructive to a developing child.20 We trust that adults should be

able to care for children and not harm them. However, the reality is that hurting

children is within the capacity of a ‘normal’ adult.21 The boys at St. Augustine’s

Orphanage were subject to corporal punishments such as the strap for anything

from swearing to climbing trees.22 This was a way to maintain order and

discipline in the institution. Sexual abuse also played a large role in the lives of

selected boys. This is particularly difficult to trace as it wasn’t usually reported at

the time in official records. This was also a way of manipulating the body and

16 D. Jaggs, Neglected and Criminal, p. 140. 17 N. Musgrove, The Scars Remain, p. 125. 18 J. Barnard, ‘“A Secure Safeguard of the Children’s Morals”: Catholic Welfare in Nineteenth Century Victoria, Provenance, 4 (2005), p. 27. 19 J. Penglase, Orphans of the Living, p. 106. 20 ibid 21 ibid. p. 55. 22 N. Musgrove, The Scars Remain, p. 125.

attaining control over the children in the institute. Children in institutions such

as St. Augustine’s Orphanage had little privacy, no individuality and were not

entitled to dignity.23 Abuse became a part of the everyday lives of the boys living

in St. Augustine’s Orphanage. Whether it was physical, mental or sexual abuse

the trauma of these experiences shaped the lives of these children.

CONCLUSION

St. Augustine’s Orphanage is just one of the many institutes across Victoria which

housed orphans and wards of the state. The institution of children was very

common from the 19th century through to the 20th century. Neglected and at risk

children where often removed or voluntarily placed into institutional care to give

them a better life. St. Augustine’s Orphanage was a self-‐sufficient home. The boys

in the home were not well looked after, they received minimal medical attention,

and diseases spread Children learnt vital skills to make them employable, it was

also a cheap form of labour to assist in the running of the institute. The boys

would perform many vital tasks including milking a dairy herd and tending to

the vegetable garden. These were seen as a way to keep them out of trouble in

the future. Abuse was a part of the everyday routine of the boys lives. They were

both physically, mentally and sometimes sexually abused. This was associated

with maintaining control over the mind and body of the boys. Life in St.

Augustine’s was not easy for the children placed in the home for care. Not only

were they taken away from their families, but they were put into a system that

would ultimately traumatize them for the rest of their lives.

23 ibid. p. 115.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Barnard and K. Twigg, Holding On To Hope: a history of the founding agencies of MacKillop Family Services (Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd, 2004). J. Barnard, ‘“A Secure Safeguard of the Children’s Morals”: Catholic Welfare in Nineteenth Century Victoria, Provenance, 4 (2005), p. 19-‐30. D. Jaggs, Neglected and Criminal: Foundations of Child Welfare Legislation in Victoria (Melbourne: Centre for Youth and Community Studies Phillip Institute of Technology, 1986). N. Musgrove, The Scars Remain: a long history of forgotten Australians and Children’s Institutions (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly, 2013). J. Penglase, Orphans of the Living: Growing up in ‘care’ in twentieth century Australia (Fremantle: Fremantle Press, 2007). St. Augustine’s Orphanage Appeal Committee, St. Augustine’s Orphanage Geelong Appeal, September 1931, The Mail Publishers.

St. Augustine's Orphanage, Highton

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