The Westbrook Reformatory for Boys was a

reformatory A reformatory or reformatory school is a youth detention center or an adult correctional facility popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western countries. In the United Kingdom and United States, they came out of social concern ...

school in the town of Westbrook, in the

Toowoomba Region The Toowoomba Region is a local government area located in the Darling Downs part of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyo ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, in Australia. The Westbrook Reformatory was created in 1900 after the closure of earlier versions of the institution on the former prison

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...

, the ''Proserpine,'' and at

Lytton, Queensland Lytton is an outer riverside suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Lytton had a population of 6 people. The historical region was a significant naval base after the establishment of Fort Lytton between 1880 and 1881. T ...

. The Reformatory changed its name to the Westbrook Farm Home for Boys in 1919. Under this later name, it was the subject of a major scandal which culminated in a government inquiry. The institution was renamed twice more before its closure in 1994. Since its closure, the Westbrook institution has become known as a site of serious

institutional abuse Institutional abuse is the maltreatment of a person (often children or older adults) from a system of power. This can range from acts similar to home-based child abuse, such as neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and hunger, to the effects of assist ...

. It was described at length in the 1999

Forde Inquiry The Forde Inquiry (1998–1999), or formally the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions, was a special inquiry into child abuse in the state of Queensland, Australia, presided over by Leneen Forde AC, a former ...

and the 2004

Forgotten Australians Forgotten Australians or care leavers are terms referring to the estimated 500,000 children (a figure that includes child migrants and Indigenous Australians) who experienced care in institutions or outside a home setting in Australia during th ...

report. The reformatory was located on the Toowoomba Athol Road (to the north), between the Westbrook Wyreema Road (to the West) and Althaus Road (to the east).

Early history

The ''Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act'' of 1865 was the first legislation created to allow youth justice institutions to be created in the colony of Queensland. The Act, which was based on the

English Poor Laws The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief in England and Wales that developed out of the codification of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws in 1587–1598. The system continued until the modern welfare state emerged after the Second World ...

, provided for two distinct forms of institution:

schools, for children convicted of offences, and

industrial schools Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

, for children found to be neglected. The first institution created in Queensland under this legislation was the reformatory for boys on the former prison hulk, the ''Proserpine,'' in 1871''.'' The institution was moored on the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...

. In February 1881, in part due to problems with the poor upkeep of the ship, the institution was moved to dry land at Signal Hill at

. Here, the institution shared space with the

Queensland Defence Force Until Australia became a Federation of Australia, Federation in 1901, each of the six colonies were responsible for their own defence. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 24 British infantry regiments served i ...

. Historian Alan Savige writes that " e boys were located in the middle of a military defensive position that could not hide the fact that it served a double purpose in restraining them while they were on dry land and provided easy surveillance of the

mouth and the southern section of

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

." He describes the situation as similar to the famous

Mettray Penal Colony Mettray Penal Colony, situated in the small village of Mettray, in the French département of Indre-et-Loire, just north of the city of Tours, was a private reformatory, ''without walls'', opened in 1840 for the rehabilitation of young male delinq ...

in France, where the architecture made the purpose of the institution clear. In 1889, after tensions arose between the military staff and the institution, the reformatory was moved temporarily to the site of the

Diamantina Orphanage The former Dispenser's House of Diamantina Hospital is now the heritage-listed Diamantina Health Care Museum at Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Thomas Pye of the Queensland Government ...

, named for

Diamantina Bowen Diamantina, Lady Bowen (; 1832/1833–1893), was a noble from the formerly Venetian Ionian Islands who became the wife of Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland. Personal life The '' Contessa'' Diamantina di Roma was born in 183 ...

while new facilities were built at Westbrook. The institution at Westbrook was opened on 5 May 1900.

The Westbrook Reformatory for Boys

Between 5 May 1900 and 30 October 1919, the institution was known as the Westbrook Reformatory for Boys. Despite the name "reformatory," the institution held both boys convicted of criminal offences and those found to be neglected. This was a continuation of practices established as early as 1871, when the ''Proserpine'' was designated a reformatory without the government creating any

. As a result, between 1871 and 1900, around half of the boys sentenced to the institution were committed as "neglected," while most boys who had been sentenced as offenders were recorded as having committed minor offences such as larceny. At Westbrook, boys underwent a system of training for "moral reformation" which included formal education, agricultural labour, and

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

s through a system known as "hiring out." In 1916, public concern began to increase about the conditions of the children in the reformatory, with the Home Secretary, the government official ultimately responsible for the institution, stating after a visit that "Westbrook is called a reformatory, but there is as much chance of reforming the inmates under existing conditions as there is of my developing wings." In response to these concerns, then-Superintendent, Walter Richmond, was replaced with Thomas Jones, former head of a state experimental farm. Under Jones, the institution further emphasised farming.

Westbrook Farm Home for Boys

From 1919 to 1966, the institution was known as the Westbrook Farm Home for Boys. This change of name was the result of Thomas Jones's insistence that a new name be created which better fit the agricultural ethos of the institution. Under this name, the institution became known for its excellence in agricultural outputs, including prize-winning entries in local and state-level agricultural contests. During the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of Superintendent Roy Golledge, the Farm Home was the site of considerable mistreatment and abuse.Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions. (1999), ''Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions'', Queensland Government, Brisbane. It was identified in the report of the 1999

as having had one of the worst cultures of abuse of any Queensland institutions for children.

The mass escape of 1961 and the Schwarten inquiry

One of the most significant events in the institution's history was the mass escape of 1961. On 14 May 1961, a boy lit a haystack on fire. This was a prearranged signal for inmates to escape. The number of escapees has never been satisfactorily determined. Early newspaper reports suggested that as many as 30 inmates may have attempted to escape. However, an inquiry into the event put the number as 18.Schwarten, A. (1961), ''Report: Westbrook Farm Home for Boys Inquiry'', Inquiry, Queensland Government, Brisbane. Part of the reason that determining the number of escapees is impossible is a system the institution had in place whereby boys were encouraged to "catch" others who escaped. The mass escape led to increased public concern about the institution, which had become the subject of allegations of abuse and mistreatment. As a direct result,

stipendiary magistrate Stipendiary magistrates were magistrates that were paid for their work (they received a stipend). They existed in the judiciaries of the United Kingdom and those of several former British territories, where they sat in the lowest-level criminal ...

Alfred Edward Schwarten was asked to conduct an inquiry into the institution. The Schwarten inquiry identified significant mistreatment and abuse, including improper and severe punishments. One of the most abusive was known as "the Path." Former inmate Al Fletcher describes the punishment as follows:

The Path must have been Golledge's idea. It would be hard to think of anything more cruel. It consisted of six parallel tracks, each twenty metres long and about two metres apart. There was a post at both ends of each track. You had to walk up and down between those posts all your spare time. You still had to do your day's work, but when others knocked off, you went on the Path. You had to keep walking' quick. If you slowed down, they'd put a sergeant at each end to give you a smack in the head until you went quick enough for their liking'. If they went to the trouble of sending' a couple of sergeants down, you got quite a few smacks, no matter how fast you went.

As a result of the findings of the Schwarten report, Golledge was removed from his position as superintendent. The institution underwent considerable change, including the development of a secure unit for absconders and a change of name, to the Westbrook Training Centre.

Westbrook Training Centre

From 26 May 1967 to 1987, the institution was known as the Westbrook Training Centre. The institution continued to emphasise training for farm work and agricultural careers. Despite the changes made after the Schwarten inquiry, former inmates have reported receiving significant and harsh punishment during this period. There is also evidence of problems caused by overcrowding. In 1971, an inquiry was undertaken into allegations of mistreatment during this period.Queensland Department of Health. (1971), “Westbrook inquiry: eport of an investigation carried out at Westbrook Training Centre��. While the inquiry found that many of the public allegations, including allegations of poor food quality and homosexual relations between the boys, were not substantiated, it did condemn practices such as slapping inmates for misbehaviour.

Westbrook Youth Centre

From 1987 to 1993, the institution was known as the Westbrook Youth Centre. This was a period of instability, caused in part by increased concern about the isolated geographical location of the institution.

Westbrook Youth Detention Centre

From 1993 to its closure on 30 June 1994, the institution was known as the Westbrook Youth Detention Centre. Concerns about the location and safety of the institution came to a head in March 1994, when a serious incident occurred. Young people incarcerated in the institution caused damage to the institution's buildings in an act of protest which, according to a report tabled in parliament, could not be resolved quickly due to the remote location of the institution.Smith, D. and Majella, R. (1994), ''Investigation of the Circumstances Surrounding Incidents at Westbrook Youth Detention Centre Friday 18 March to Sunday 20 March and Friday 25 March 1994.'', Department of Family Services and Aboriginal and Islander Affairs, Brisbane, p. 40. This hastened the decision, which had already been made, to close the institution.

Current use

As at 2021, part of the site is used for the Royal Brisbane Institute of Technology and the Royal Brisbane International College.

References

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