Description

Refuge, Reform & Rescue is a major contribution and addition to both the history of Ballarat and the history of welfare in Victoria. This book presents new work showing the changes within institutional care from the gold rushes of the 1850s to the present day.

While histories of Nazareth House, St Joseph’s, and the Ballarat Children’s Home have been written, Refuge, Reform & Rescue presents the poignant stories of people who resided in less well-known Ballarat institutions. It highlights case histories and first-hand accounts from the Canadian Rescue Home, George Street Orphanage, Brookside Reformatory for Protestant Girls, and Mrs Nevett’s Homes.

It also extends work on the Ballarat Female Refuge and Alexandra Babies’ Home. The histories of little-known privately run ‘Homes’, presented in Refuge, Reform & Rescue, challenge the traditional one-dimensional accounts of historical welfare and ‘care’. The book provides new interpretations, depth, and a broader understanding of Ballarat’s goldfields history, and on a broader scale, the welfare history of Victoria. It shows both the rise and fall of ‘hidden’ institutions in Ballarat. Many changes took place. Those institutions that had a relatively long life changed their focus as a result of the impact of significant shifts in community attitudes to women and children, changes in government policy and funding, and, it should not be forgotten, a growing consciousness among young working-class women. Many of those young people described as ‘criminal and neglected’ or ‘wayward’ made a life for themselves and became valued members of society. Many single mothers proved themselves capable, determined and resilient, finding ways of overcoming the many physical, emotional and financial challenges.

Authors: Dr Dorothy Wickham and Dr Frank Golding
Type: Paperback – 392 pages
Year: 2024
ISBN: 1876478535,  9781876478537
Publisher: Ballarat Heritage Services