[“The Aboriginal Hospitals”, The West Australian, Thursday 04 March 1909, page 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26222223]
THE ABORIGINAL HOSPITALS.
WORK AT DORRE AND BERNIER ISLANDS.
VISIT OF THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.
The Colonial Secretary (Mr. J. D. Connolly) yesterday expressed great satisfaction with what he had seen of the treatment of the natives during his trip to Dorre and Bernier Islands. “It gave me great pleasure,” he said, “to see the improved condition of the native women who have been at Bernier only four months. More especially was I gratified because it was partly against professional medical advice that the island scheme was adopted. Compounds on the mainland were suggested, but this idea did not commend itself to me because it would have been too much like making prisoners of the natives, and it would have been necessary to build compounds of a very extensive character. The numbers of afflicted natives being very great, there would probably have been a tendency with the compound system for the patients to leave the hospital before they were properly cured, but this is not the case with the island hospitals. One of the islands is 18 miles long and the other 15, and the natives can follow their nomadic habits and at the same time be treated every day. A big saving is, moreover, effected by this system, because, although we at present have a number of sheep on the island for killing purposes, they are only used for the staff. Wallabies and iguanas are there in great numbers, and the natives prefer them to mutton. There is also an abundance of fish all round the islands. Some four months ago when the women were sent to Bernier Island a number of them were in such a low condition that they had to be carried ashore, but to-day they all look particularly fat and well. Indeed, I was informed that some of them had put on as much as two stone in weight. I do not know that I have ever seen a happier lot of people than the 54 women at Bernier Island. One evening while we were there they gave a corroborie in honour of our visit, and it was a treat to see that those people, though afflicted with disease, were as happy and apparently well as one could possibly wish to see them. Dorre Island is intended for the men, but it will probably be another month before the quarters for the staff are completed there, and the water supply is improved by the sinking of fresh wells. Then we will have all the native men brought from the Canarvon and Onslow districts, but we will not bring any further women from the Kimberley district until the end of the winter, because they are in a very low condition, and it would be safer to leave them there until the spring. We anticipate that by the end of the present year there will be considerably over 100 patients on each island. I was given to understand by the native women that they had some misgivings about going to the island at first, but that now those misgivings have passed away. Ten or twelve of the women on Bernier Island, who were not seriously affected, are now convalescent, and in a little time when they are thoroughly well they will be sent back to their native places. This, I expect, will have a very good effect upon the other natives, who will see that the hospitals are established for their welfare, and not as prisons. The natives more seriously affected, who constitute the greater number of the patients, will probably not be cured for 18 months or two years. When they are deported it will be necessary to consider what measures can be adopted to prevent a recurrence of the trouble. Much credit is due to Dr. Lovegrove and to the matron, Miss Lenehan, for the work they have done. The natives exhibited the greatest affection for the matron. We intend, as has been previously mentioned, to have a number of collapsible camps which can be moved from place to place as the natives desire. These with their blankets will give them shelter and warmth through the winter, while in the summer they will live as they live now in bush camps. One matter that I wanted to arrange was the communication between the islands and the mainland. After inspecting Dorre Island with the Chief Harbourmaster (Captain Irvine) we were satisfied that we could get an anchorage there for a small, steamer to take the doctor from one island to another, and to run to and from the mainland for the provisions which will be forwarded by steamer from Fremantle. This is the first attempt made not only in this State but in the whole of Australia to give the natives fair treatment, and it certainly provides a decisive answer to the criticisms made regarding the treatment of natives in this State.”
AB notes:
The establishment of the island hospitals was seen as a humanitarian initiative.
“This is the first attempt made not only in this State but in the whole of Australia to give the natives fair treatment, and it certainly provides a decisive answer to the criticisms made regarding the treatment of natives in this State.”
