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Victoria - Event

Committee of inquiry into allegations of neglect and maltreatment of young children (1966 - 1969)

State of Victoria

From
1966
To
1969

The state government of Victoria established the inter departmental committee of inquiry into allegations of neglect and maltreatment of young children to investigate claims made in articles published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1966. The committee was set up in December 1966 and first reported in December 1967. A second report was delivered in 1969.

Details

The articles published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1966 were some of the earliest research into what became termed as 'child abuse'.

Dora Bialestock's research concerned babies admitted to Allambie Reception Centre, and Drs Robert and John Birrell reported on eight cases of 'maltreated' children coming to the notice of the police.

The committee's first report included a recommendation for a scheme for voluntary reporting of child maltreatment. It also recommended action on accommodation at Allambie nursery and the registration and training of child care workers.

In 1968, the Birrells published research into the cases of 42 maltreated children at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. This article led to the committee being reconvened and another report was delivered in 1969, which recommended the establishment of a pilot research centre at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Subsequently, the Victorian Department of Health established the Child Maltreatment Workshop in 1975.

Related Organisations

  • Allambie Reception Centre (1961 - 1990)

    The Committee of inquiry into allegations of neglect and maltreatment of young children was established in response to a medical journal article published in 1966 about neglected babies admitted to Allambie Reception Centre.

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Bialestock, D., 'Neglected babies: a study of 289 babies admitted consecutively to a reception centre', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1966, pp. 1129-1133. Details
  • Birrell, R. and J. Birrell, 'The Maltreatment Syndrome in Children', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1966, pp. 1134-1138. Details
  • Birrell, R. and J. Birrell, 'The Maltreatment Syndrome in Children: A Hospital Survey', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1968, pp. 1023-1029. Details

Reports

  • Report of the Child Maltreatment Workshop, Melbourne, 1976, Department of Health, Melbourne, 1976. Details

Online Resources

Sources used to compile this entry: Liddell, M., 'Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Children in Residential Institutions (submission no 313)', in Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care: Submissions received by the committee as at 17/3/05, February 2003, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist.

Prepared by: Cate O'Neill