Our Brisbane History

In the garden of the Doctor's residence at Stradbroke Island, ca. 1885

Brisbane's

Poor House

Dunwich Benevolent Asylum

The description 'poor-house' summons up images of Dickensian England and high-minded but often vicious charity. The Dunwich Benevolent Asylum, which was essentially a poor-house, operated on Stradbroke Island from 1866 to 1946. It was designed as a holding place for people who, owing to age or infirmity, were unable to maintain themselves and for those whose family could not, or would not, support them.

The introduction of the Old Age Pension in 1908 provided an alternative for some of Brisbane's aged community. It also lessened the charge on the State when the cost per Asylum inmate was considerable greater than the pension of 5/- a week. Though the nature of the institution at Dunwich changed during the course of its existence, in 1908 it was the place of confinement for many of Brisbane's aged, infirm, inebriates, consumptives, the blind, and people suffering from incurable diseases. Lepers had also been held there until 1892 when a separate institution was set up on Peel Island. This lazaret oepraed until 1959.

Queensland was one of the last of the States to introduce an aged pension to cater for its increasing aged population. However, this pension was not automatically available to those 65 and over. An application had to be made to the courts. The criteria for receiving the pension were extremely strict and, once awarded, a pension could be withdrawn if people engaged in undesirable activities such as drunkenness.

Although some people moved to Dunwich on a voluntary basis, once they were there they lost most of their civil rights and it was almost impossible to leave. Inmates had to surrender all their money as a way of subsidizing their care. Descriptions of the treatment of new arrivals indicate that people were disinfected and dressed in rough institutional clothing referred to as slops. The men's shirts had Dunwich Benevolent Society stamped on the back. Those in need of medical attention were sent to the Hospital Ward, the Chinese to the Asiatic wad, bedridden cases to the Tucker Ward, inmates whose afflictions made them unpleasant to be near to the Foul Ward. No provision was made for married couples to remain together and they were set to segregated wards. When the pension was introduced, 276 of the 1450 inmates at Dunwich in 1908 applied to leave the institution but only 24 were allowed to do so.