The Department of Public Health General Correspondence, an archival series, contains files pertaining to the activities of the Public Health Department between 1920 and 1956. The records in this series primarily relate to public hospitals and healthcare, sanitation, child welfare, and control of infectious diseases. It also includes several items related to complaints made regarding the living conditions of families and children.
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Records
This series contains the following items that relate to children’s homes, disability homes, mothercraft homes, and general child welfare. Each item’s title starts with the item ID number, e.g. HSD1/1/25109, which will need to be quoted when ordering an item from Tasmanian Archives.
St John’s Park & Wingfield House:
- HSD1/1/2510 Mental Deficiency Board- St. Johns Park- Proposed Scheme for Training of Mentally Defective Children [Dated 1937]
- HSD1/1/5139 St. Johns Park- Tasmanian Society for the Care of Crippled Children- Agreement re. Erection of Hospital at St. Johns Park [Dated 1939]
- HSD1/1/5384 St. Johns Park- Crippled Children’s Building- Selection of Name of [Dated 1940]
- HSD1/1/5405 St. Johns Park- Tasmanian Society for the Care of Crippled Children- Advice re, the Services of Orthopaedic Sister [Dated 1940]
- HSD1/1/5570 St. Johns Park- Wingfield House- Menu of Children Inmates [Dated 1941].
This item consists of a letter to the Secretary for Public Health dated 18 November 1941 that describes the weekly menu for children at Wingfield House.
Lachlan Park Hospital:
- HSD1/1/1528 Mental Deficiency Act- Accommodation of Mentally Deficient Children at Lachlan Park [Dated 1936]
- HSD1/1/2505 Mental Deficiency Board-List of Mental Defectives Transported to Mental Hospital [Dated 1935].
This item provides the names of 36 people transferred to Lachlan Park Hospital from the Mental Defectives Home at St John’s Park under section 35 of the Mental Deficiency Act 1920. The date of transfer is included. Some of the individuals had been discharged and the list also indicates that.
Ashley Home for Boys:
- HSD1/1/1674 Infectious Diseases- Ashley Home at Deloraine- Query re. Liability for Cost of Treatment (Diphtheria) of Inmate of Launceston General Hospital [Dated 1936]
Mental Deficiency Board:
- HSD1/1/2504 Mental Deficiency Board- Treatment of Juvenile Delinquency- Report by A. J. Parker [Dated 1934]
Mental Diseases Hospital, New Norfolk:
- HSD1/1/1046 Mental Diseases Hospital- Inspection of- Report of Inspector H. H. Parker [Dated 1935]
Ministering Children’s League Convalescent Home:
- HSD1/1/2376 St. Leonards- Bacteriolytic Tank- Ministry Children’s League Home [Dated 1937]
Mothercraft Home:
- HSD1/1/376 Child Welfare- Mothercraft Home- Request for Assistance in Financing Purchase of Adjoining Home [Dated 1934]
New Town Rest Home:
- HSD1/1/3090 New Town Rest Home- Youth Employment Scheme- Recommendation of Director of Public Health re. Establishment of Technical Training Department at St. John Park [Dated 1937]
Northern Tasmanian Home for Boys:
- HSD1/1/731 St. Leonards- Boys Home at Young Town- Drainage [Dated 1935-1936]
St Giles’ Home:
- HSD1/1/5723 Extension of St. Giles Home for Crippled Children (Launceston) [Dated 1944]
Victoria Convalescent Home:
- HSD1/1/3811 Royal Hobart Hospital- Loan of Equipment to Lindisfarne Convalescent Home for Crippled Children [Dated 1938]
Other relevant items:
- HSD1/1/803 Miscellaneous- Crippled Children- Lord Nuffield’s Gift of 50 000 pounds to Commonwealth [Dated 1935-1936]
- HSD1/1/2594 Miscellaneous- Lord Nuffield’s Gift- Proposed Expenditure to Society for Care of Crippled Children and Utilisation of Funds for Extension of Children’s Hospital [Dated 1937]
- HSD1/1/4696 Miscellaneous- Teachers’ Federation- Deputation re. Neglected, Boarded-out and Under-nourished Children [Dated 1939]
