Confronted by Queensland Welfare

Karrala House

K.H. was a small maximum security prison for a dozen teenage girls which operated as a ward of Sandy Gallop Psychiatric Hospital at Ipswich with a male psychiatrist as its Administrator. An annual report stated 'The existence of this home acts as a deterrent to many of the girls in other homes' and its stated purpose was 'dealing with the more emotionally disturbed girl and those ... who are incorrigible and continually upsetting other inmates'. (Author's italics).

But in spite of having a psychiatrist as director there were no treatment programs. Solitary confinement was used as an enforcement tool although this was strictly against the law. Two social work students who wrote a journal article on Karrala found there were no education programs for those under school leaving age as required by law.

A political and academic war developed between trade unions and public servants connected with the institution on one hand, and professors of medicine, psychiatrists, lawyers, educationists, social workers and others, mainly university-based, on the other.

Like Westbrook, Karrala in this gaol-like form was closed.

INADEQUATE PENSIONS

A non-institutional social problem with drastic family consequences, known as 'Pensions For Deserted Wives', arose in the 1960s. The title itself was misleading because it implied that separation occurred because the wife was the innocent victim of 'desertion' by an irresponsible spouse, showing little understanding of marital complexities.

It was a special problem in Queensland because state financial support for lone mothers with dependent children was notoriously inadequate compared with other states so children had to be admitted to institutional care while mothers found work.

A large meeting of professional workers familiar with the 'Deserted Wife' syndrome set up an investigating committee to bring together the relevant facts. The Problems of Deserted Wives by Lawrie Hayes, social worker, Lifeline; Elizabeth Timms, sociologist, University of Queensland; and committee convener Harold Throssell, lecturer in social studies, UQ, was published in May 1967 by the Queensland Council of Social Service.

The authors expected Queensland Children's Officer, Charlie Clarke, to be disappointed, even angry at criticisms. He was not, commenting "That was a good report". The report was not only considered by the Queensland government, but federally with the result that the national law changed for these families.

In all these reforms there was an important process at work. People would tolerate poor conditions for years and would only complain when someone else protested.