Lock Hospital Ruins

Statement of Significance

Aesthetic Value – Importance for its contribution to the aesthetic values of the setting demonstrated by having impact on important vistas. Historic Value – Importance is relation to an event, phase or activity of historic importance in the locality. Research Value – Importance for information/archaeological material contributing to a wider understanding of natural history by virtue of its use as a research site, teaching site, type locality, reference or benchmark site. Social Value – Importance as a place highly valued by a community or cultural group for reasons of social, cultural, spiritual and education associations. Social Value – Importance in contributing to a community’s sense of place

Physical Description

The islands are an important wildlife sanctuary with restricted public access. The islands are of further importance as the location of lock hospitals where Aboriginals with venereal disease were relocated to in the early 1900s

History

The 1905, the Aborigines Act was introduced as a way to segregate both Aboriginal men and women. The 1905 Act with its numerous provisions to separate Aboriginal women from overt sexual relations with white men also imposed European attitudes of morality and the sexual division on Aborigines. European attitudes to sexuality resulted in Aboriginal women being seen as the purveyors of disease. Aboriginal workers were entitled to medical provisions if employed by contract. Venereal disease, however, was considered to be the result of their own fault, and therefore not the responsibility of the employer. Medical officers began to complain about treating Aboriginal people for disease because of increased out of pocket expenses and treatment taking two years was unachievable due to their nomadic lifestyle. In 1906 Arthur Adams suggested separating and isolating diseased Aborigines to lessen the risk of contagion to the public health. It was considered that isolation would ensure quick and effectual cure. In 1908 the Western Australian government initiated the Lock Hospitals scheme for venereally diseased Aborigines. From 1908 to 1918 Aboriginal men and women believed to be suffering from venereal disease were collected from isolated areas of the north and north east of Western Australia and the women were segregated on Dorre Island and the men on Bernier Island. The Lock Hospitals scheme was the first Western Australian government attempt to deal systematically with Aboriginal health. As such, it represented a radical change in the government’s willingness to outlay funds for medical care for Aborigines. Any Aboriginal who refused to submit to examination or treatment committed an offence against the Act. While on the island, Aboriginal patients worked at a variety of tasks to save the Aborigines Department money. In 1910 Aboriginal men carted all the timber for building; gathered 500 loads of coral, sand and limestone; mixed the mortar and built constructions; built fences and looked after the animals that provided meat for the medical staff. Aboriginal women on Dorre Island did all the baking, collected all wood and water and cared for the animals. The Island hospitals did not provide adequate facilities for Aboriginal patients let alone erase the emotional traumas involved in collection, isolation and treatment. In 1912 hospital wards with operating theatres were built on each island to raise the standard of medical care available. In 1918, the hospitals were transferred to Port Hedland due to increases in relocation costs. Bernier and Dorre Islands are two uninhabited islands which mark the western limit of Shark Bay. Bernier and Dorre Islands support a diversity of rare mammals which give them international significance as endangered species habitats. The islands also make a valuable contribution to the ecosystems of the internationally significant Shark Bay region. The islands are significant in the studies of biogeography and zoology. The rare fauna and pristine environment provide a rare opportunity to study the paleoenvironment of the mainland. The indigenous mammalian fauna of the islands is unusually diverse for Western Australian islands containing two species of bats, two rare species native mice, whose distribution is restricted to Bernier Island and four endangered marsupials. The islands provide important type localities for many species which were once more widespread but are now restricted to the island. Bird and reptile species are also well represented on the islands. The beaches of the island provide nesting places for endangered turtle species.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low/Low

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