Parramatta Girls Home

Parramatta Girls Home (PGH)

Also known as the Girls Industrial School Parramatta (GISP), Girls Training School (GTS) operated as a NSW State controlled child welfare institution for girls from 1887 until 1974 (1)

Located in Fleet Street, Parramatta the institution was established in the former premises of the Roman Catholic Orphan School in May 1887. Parramatta Girls Home was the third in a succession of institutions specifically established for the 'care and protection' of girls. Its  predecessors were the Newcastle Industrial School for Girls (1867 -71) and Biloela Industrial School for Girls (1871 - 1887).

Child Welfare institutions of this type were known as 'Training Schools' or 'Industrial Schools'  with the term School a legacy of their establishment when the Child Welfare Department was under the control of the Department of Public Instruction (later Education Department). This changed in 1956 when the NSW Child Welfare Department was established as a statutory authority in its own right.

Parramatta Girls Home was a place where girls charged under the Child Welfare Act or Crimes Act were committed for an indeterminate period usually 6-9 months but quite often longer or until they reached 18 years of age. The greater proportion of girls were charged as either 'neglected' or 'uncontrollable' and exposed to moral danger or as truants. A small percentage -less than 7% had committed a criminal offence most often stealing, however some had committed more heinous crimes including murder. In the early years girls as young as 6 were held at the institution but this changed to a lower age of 10 following the introduction of the Boarding out system in the late 1880s and later to 12 years with subsequent changes to the various Child Welfare Acts.

Throughout its years of operations calls were made for the establishment of a separate reformatory for girls who had committed criminal offences or who were a corrupting influence on others. This was never realised however attempts were made to separate girls into two broad classifications either as 'corrupt' or 'non corrupt'. 

How many?

Upwards and possibly more than 30,000 girls passed through this institution, many were indigenous (average of between 8 - 13%). Most girls were from poor single parent families; many had been in foster care,  other state homes or orphanages.  The maximum number of girls resident (committed) within the institution at one time was recorded in 1970 peaking at 307. Prior to 1966 girls on remand or awaiting trial were also kept at Parramatta as a transient population with an average turnover of around 500 girls per year in addition to the resident committed population averaging between 160 -220.

 Picture: Left PGH covered way view from main building to dining room Right: inner grounds main section

Description

The buildings of the Parramatta Girls Home remained much the same as they had when the institution operated as the Roman Catholic Orphan School. The first addition to the site was a 9 foot wall built around the perimeter of the site prior to occupation in 1887.

Later alterations and additions include a clinic (1927) building located behind what had formerly been the Orphanage Hospital (Bethel building). By 1936 dormitory wings were added to this building and   it was renamed Keller House. Parallel to this was built a seperate dining/recreation/utilities and basin room. A nearby cell block was converted into a classroom and the lavatory block converted to sewing and special cookery instruction rooms. An isolation block containing 6 cells was built near the main building and a playground shed along the boundary wall of the adjacent Parramatta Mental Hospital was converted to lavatories.

The site was divided into two sections, with the "Old Home" as it was sometimes called where most of the girls were kept. The Training Home or Admissions section (Bethel & Keller House) was for girls classified as privileged, or awaiting a court appearance, on remand, or receiving medical treatment. This was an attempt by the authorities to separate different types of girls.

Main Section -"Old Home"

This section was used for the resident inmate population, who were accommodated in one of the five dormitories located in the 'main' building. Each dormitory was fitted out with single toilet and wash basin and contained up to 34 beds. Showers were located in the basement.

Admissions (Keller House Bethel)

Until 1966 when Minda Shelter began operating, all girls sent to Parramatta were kept in the Admissions section until cleared for placement in other dormitory locations according to classification. Keller House contained "privileged" dormitories 6 & 7 and until 1966 one of these was used as a hospital ward for girls receiving medical treatment. The same applied to Bethel with one difference in that on the upper floor one room was set up with segregation cells. The Admissions section contained a number of ancilliary buildings among these was a recreation/multi purpose block a schoolroom and instructional rooms (sewing/cooking). The Schoolroom and instructional rooms were demolished in 1969 and replaced with a large instructional block. A basketball court and playing field was located outside the perimeter walls adjacent to the Admissions section.

Environment & Routine

Parramatta Girls Training School was a place where girls were exposed to an abnormal culture of fear and unworthiness. The environment was one of routine, discipline and control with girls considered to have behaviourial problems dosed with the anti psychotic drug Largactil or Valium.  Musters and body searches were part of the daily routine and all movement within the institution was controlled. There was no privacy; no doors on toilets or showers and no personal lockers. Visitors were restricted and all mail was censored. The environment and operations of the institution encouraged bullying with girls susceptible to bullying by officers and by other girls.

Assigned work duties included laundry work, kitchen, dining room, clothes room, furnance, maintenance, library or officers 'work girls'. Most girls were kept occupied in attending either sewing classes, cookery instruction or in the case of those 14 years and younger-school education. Some girls went out to work during the week whilst others attended technical college or other colleges.

Riots

Like earlier institutions, Parramatta was notorious for the number of riots that took place. The earliest of these occurred in 1887 then in 1890, 1898, 1899, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1954, 1958 and 1961. Evidence suggests that for every riot at least another dozen were quelled before they got out of hand.  Many of the riots started during mealtimes when most of the girls were together and according to accounts given, were terrifying events with some girls collapsing on the floor weeping hysterically while others rampantly destroyed every object and piece of furniture they could.

Punishment 

Punishments included standing still for hours, scrubbing hard surfaces with a brick or brush, isolation and segregation. A point system was used to classify the girls. The slightest misdemeanor or resistance could result in a period of time in isolation or segregation usually accompanied by a bashing from one of the male staff. The dungeon, isolation and segregation cells were used for solitary confinement and were unfurnished windowless rooms, secured with a solid bolted door.

Prior to the establishment of the Hay Girls Institution girls over 15 years of age were sent to Long Bay prison on the basis that they had infringed the rule, "Conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline".

Last Days

In 1973 activist Bessie Guthrie  led a campaign for reforms in the welfare system. Protests were held outside the institution in December 1973 and throughout the following months calls were made both inside and out of Parliament. Leading up to the protests ABC TV This Day Tonight put to air a program exposing the brutality of Parramatta and the Hay Girls Institutions in July 1973.

In April 1974 the Child Welfare Minister announced the closure of Parramatta however what he did not mention was that an alternative facility "Reiby" had been built at Campbelltown in the previous year. Girls committed to Parramatta during the changeover period remained  until the completion of their sentence.  see also Creating a Space: Bessie Guthrie: 28/10/07

Kamballa & Taldree

(1) In October 1974 the main section of the site was named Kamballa and on 7 March 1975 Parramatta Girls Home was officially renamed Kamballa (Girls) and Taldree (Boys) as a 'school for the reception, detention, maintenance, discipline, education and training of children and young persons committed to an institution'. Taldree operated until 1980 at which time the boys section was transferred to Werrington with the Kamballa section operating until 1983.

With Taldree's closure the main buildings were acquired by the Department of Corrective Services and established as the Norma Parker Detention Centre for Women.

Media coverage

ABC Stateline Reliving the Horror.30/5/03  More Victims of Parramatta Girls Home .. 6/6/03

ABC Stateline: The Reunion. 27/06/03  ABC Stateline. The Girls get together. 24/10/03 ABC Stateline: The ‘Girls’ Re unite. 7/11/03   Hay Girls Reunion: ABC radio national  Exposed to Moral Danger .

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