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Western Australia - Organisation

King Edward Memorial Hospital (1916 - )

King Edward Memorial Hospital, 1965, by Illustrations Ltd., courtesy of State Library of Western Australia.
Details

From

1916

Categories

Adoption Agency, Government-run, Hospital and Maternity Home

Alternative Names

KEMH (acronym)

Website

https://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/About-us

King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) has been Western Australia's principal public maternity and gynaelogical hospital since 1916. Many young women in out of home care were admitted there, and many babies were adopted from KEMH.

In 1958, following overcrowding in the maternity wards of KEMH, the state government purchased Kensington House, at 91 Hensman Road. This was a former private maternity hospital which was converted into an annexe of KEMH known as Kensington Annexe. This was primarily used as a maternity facility, including as a place where women stayed prior to giving birth and their babies being adopted out.

In 2023, KEMH apologised for its role in past forced adoption practices, noting that "there has been a myriad of painful enduring conseqences...we are deply sorry for the trauma and heartbreak that resulted for all those who have been affected by this practice".

Events

1916 -: Location - King Edward Memorial Hospital was opened by the government, with the main entrance on Bagot Road, Subiaco.. Location: Subiaco

Holds

King Edward Memorial Hospital records (1916 - )

Related Archival Items

Related Contact Details

King Edward Memorial Hospital - Contact Details

Related Glossary Terms

Adoption (1896 - )

Related Organisations

The Alexandra Home for Mothers and Babies (Inc) and Mothercraft Training School (1950 - 1956)
Mothers and babies could be transferred to The Alexandra Home for Mothers and Babies (Inc) and Mothercraft Training School from King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Alexandra Home for Women (1916 - 1950)
From 1936 babies whose mothers were in the Alexandra Home were born at the King Edward Memorial Hospital, and mothers and babies went to the Alexandra Home afterwards.

Date: 1936 - 1950
Government Receiving Depot (1907 - 1935)
In 1916 the Government Receiving Depot relocated to West Perth and the Government Receiving Depot building became part of the King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Health Department, State of Western Australia (1984 - )
The Department of Health in Western Australia is responsible for all public hospital records created in WA. If you wish to find out if there is medical or personal information held about you from when you were a child, you must contact a Freedom of Information Officer.
Ngal-a Mothercraft Home and Training Centre Inc (1956 - 1989)
Ngal-a Mothercraft Home and Training Centre Inc. (Ngala) sent all resident expectant mothers to King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) for the birth of their babies in the years between 1956 and 1959. From 1959 to 1980 some women still had their babies at KEMH. Mothers and babies generally returned to Ngala after the birth, but from September 1959, babies could be sent from KEMH to Ngala without their mothers.

Date: 1956 - 1989

Publications

Book Sections

Chinnery, Robin, 'King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH)', in Gregory, Jenny and Jan Gothard [editors] (eds), Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Crawley, W.A., 2009, pp. 512-513. Details

Online Resources

'King Edward Memorial Hospital [picture]', in State Library of Western Australia website, State Library of Western Australia, http://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b2807532~S6. Details
'Golden Jubilee at King Edward Memorial Hospital [picture]', in State Library of Western Australia website, State Library of Western Australia, http://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b2408793~S6. Details
'Maternity Home Regulations', in Government Gazette of Western Australia, 20 October 1944, https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/gazettestore.nsf/FileURL/gg1944_048.pdf/$FILE/Gg1944_048.pdf. Details
'Submission No. 73 Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices', in Submissions received by the Committee, Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2010-13/commcontribformerforcedadoption/submissions. Details
'Submission No. 48 Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices', in Submissions received by the Committee, Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2010-13/commcontribformerforcedadoption/submissions. Details
Heritage Council of Western Australia, 'King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women', in inHerit, Western Australia State Heritage Office, Government of Western Australia, 8 February 2015, http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/public/p/2438. Details

Photos

Title: King Edward Memorial Hospital, 1926
Type: Image
Date: 17 April 1926
Source: Truth newspaper collection, State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: King Edward Memorial Hospital, 1946
Type: Image
Date: 1946
Source: Government Photographer Collection, State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: King Edward Memorial Hospital, 1965
Type: Image
Date: 1965
Creator: Illustrations Ltd.
Publisher: State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: K.E.M.H. entrance, 1966
Type: Image
Date: 4 July 1966
Creator: Stevenson, Kinder & Scott Corporate Photography
Publisher: State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: Staff working with Recordak equipment, 1967
Type: Image
Date: 1967
Creator: Stevenson, Kinder & Scott Corporate Photography
Source: Stevenson, Kinder and Scott photograph collection, State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: Ward at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, September 1969
Type: Image
Date: September 1969
Creator: Stevenson, Kinder & Scott Corporate Photography
Source: Stevenson, Kinder & Scott photograph collection, State Library of Western Australia

Details

Title: Government Industrial School Subiaco, 1900
Type: Image
Date: 1979
Source: Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1979, p.12
Note: The ‘Government Industrial School Subiaco, 1900’ building, after 1921, became part of what is now the King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Details

Title: King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, June 1981
Type: Image
Date: June 1981
Creator: Kos, Fritz
Source: Fritz Kos collection of photographs, State Library of Western Australia

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Chinnery, Robin, 'King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH)', in Gregory, Jenny and Jan Gothard [editors] (eds), Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Crawley, W.A., 2009, pp. 512-513; King Edward Memorial Hospital, 2023, "Past Adoption Practices: Formal Apology, available at https://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/About-us/Formal-Apology; Heritage Council of Western Australia, 2011, "Register of Heritage Places, Kensington Private Maternity Hospital (fmr)", available at http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Admin/api/file/86c6851f-c0c1-12bc-ec3b-dce0e06cdfd5.

Prepared by: Debra Rosser

Created: 2 May 2013, Last modified: 6 November 2023

King Edward Memorial Hospital (1916 - )