by Wilma Robb ©
Hay Goal was built in 1879 and used as a goal. In 1919 it was used for the Spanish Influenza epidemic then as an Asylum for the insane.
1940 it was taken over by the Australian Army as headquarters for the POW War camp for punishment/detention for Italians and Japanese war crimes.
It closed 14th November, 1945/6 except for Japanese who were held for war crime investigations and suspected witnesses to war crimes.
Again it became a goal. It then sat derelict for 14years.
In 1961 it was taken over by the NSW Department of Child Welfare as a Total Security institution for “incorrigible” girls committed to the “care” of Child Welfare Department.
It closed in June 1974.
ONE DAY IN HAY.
© Unpublished Memoirs by Wilma Robb 1961/65”
ROUTINE, 24 hours a day, 7days a week never changing.
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, SENSORY DEPRIVATION; Hot as hell in summer, cold as ice in winter, no fans or heaters. No water in our cells. A small table and seat affixed to the cell wall, a barred prison window well above standing height, mattress made out of thick canvas and horse hair and a Gidegion bible!
SURVEILLANCE; Sleeping always on our right side, they had to see your face If not they hit the door with the bunch of keys, made to get out of bed pull our bed to pieces remake it, stand at the end of our bed at ease till the next 20 minutes surveillance when they swung the peep hole open and turned the light on.
Toilet can 4 pieces of toilet paper, we had to be in site while using our can in our cell “cabin” was the name it was changed to?
HUMILIATION; Always had to show our soiled sanitary pads. We copped Isolation 24-48 for attitude, eyes up, or going off not handing the pressure. No doors on toilets or showers, officers watching always, Parade daily, stripped, legs parted arms up and out, turn front and back officers checking you.
INTRODUCTION TO HAY; From 1961- 1965 for the first 10 days, new girls scrubbed the first cell with a wire brush and brick till all paint was removed from walls, scrubbing had to be heard at all times never to stop, then repaint for the next new girl. That cell had a metal door locked and viewing hatch also a thick iron grilled door padlocked also. We only came out for drill, shower and bed.
INDIVIDUATION; our hair was hacked off in a very short basin cut. There were only ever 10 girls at a time and 14cells.
DEHUMANISATION; Eyes to the ground always, 6foot apart, loud voices, always regimental. With no eye contact you learnt from which direction and whose voice we were reporting back too. Every time we were spoken to we acknowledged response come to,
ATTENTION! YES HARRIS, REPORT BACK TO YOU MR HARRIS.
DRILL; Twice a day more if they chose, always in hundreds, chicken squats, scissors, palms on the ground, push ups ( they put there foot on your back so you had to push onto it some males stood on your fingers.) Run on the spot, Laps around the square block.
PRACTICES; 10 minuet a day talk always supervised, still no eye contact ,6foot apart.
We never new what each other got sent there for. We only talked about the garden or weather. Practices you missed out on you talk for the day and could miss it for days, weeks. We also lost our sweets (bounce) at lunch as punishment.
If we forgot to report back, left turned instead of right turn, broke formation in drill or marching… for 10 minutes we stood and did what ever
REPORT BACK TO YOU MR HARRIS! ATEASE, ATTENTION! REPORT BACK TO YOU MR HARRIS; LEFT TURN, LEFT TURN (WHILE DOING THEM) EYES DOWN! EYES DOWN! EYES DOWN! RUN ON THE SPOT NEES WAIST HIGH; PUSH UPS COUNTING TO 100...WORK; after the goal being derelict and run down for 14years. Between 1961-65 Saddlers palms were used for sewing canvas blinds, scrubbing, sanding, polishing, mowing and gardening, painting, block busting bricks, laying footpaths digging them up and relaying them again. Rubbing the black tar off the thick bared gates with wire brushes, digging up old broken pipes and doing the septic pipes. Scrubbing all calcimine off all cells and painting them.
Never idle
This is a PHD that was done in 1976 all researched from the Department of Child Welfares records put in to a booklet with the goal history and handed out to visitors to the goal museum. It was taken away in 2007 when Hay girl’s reunion happened and the truth was told of our time in castrated there. Freedom of information records tell it different. Time of stay and age and documented in our minds as to the way it was.
CHlLD WELFARE INSTITUTION
And lies are still in Print
"...In the late 1950’s there was a problem relating to discipline at the Parramatta Girls’ Home in Sydney. Subsequently, in 1961, the Hay Gaol was re-opened as a Total Security Institution for “incorrigible
girls committed to the care of the Child Welfare Department”. "The Girls’ Institute, Hay”, as it was called, was proclaimed on 26th July, 1961 under the Child Welfare Act of 1939 (as amended) and was gazetted
as follows:-
also a thick iron grilled door padlocked also. We only came out for drill, shower and bed.
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