National Archives of Australia
A431 1946/1435
Medical Surveys of Coloured Evacuees from N.T. -
Cases Admitted Southern Institutions and Maintenance of.
Paul Mackett 2009
28. 7.1942 Premiers Department Sydney
Mentions Mrs Priscilla Herbert presented at the Prince Henry Hospital, NSW,
as a suspicious case of leprosy. Examination confirmed this and she has
been sent to the Lazaret, Little Bay.
She was born on 10. 2.1909 at Alexandria, Queensland and at the age of 6 or 7
was taken to Roper River. In 1925 or 1926 she went to Groote Eylandt where
she married in 1930. In 1937 she was sent to Channel Island Lazaret and was
discharged in 1941 following which she worked at Darwin Hospital nursing
coloured patients. Following the Darwin air raid she went to Alice Springs
and three months later was brought to Adelaide with about 40 others. A medical
examiner in Adelaide thought she may have leprosy. Subsequently she was brought
to Sydney by the Church Missionary Society. Her husband is understood to be at
Groote Eylandt and her children (aged 7 and 9 respectively) are in Sydney under
the care of the CMS.
8. 9.1942 Commonwealth Department of Health
Mrs Priscilla Herbert has been discharged from Little Bay, NSW.
4. 1.1943 Commonwealth Department of Health
Lepers from N.T. in Little Bay Lazaret, NSW
The Deaprtment will accept the debit for the maintenance of Mrs Priscilla Herbert
in Little Bay Lazaret.
The same principle arises in connexion with the case of Mr Michael Corbett also
an inmate of Little Bay and a former resident of the Northern territory.
25. 3.1943 E W P Chinnery to Mr Barrenger, Kirkston, Rupert St, Windsor, Brisbane
Re visit to Mulgoa.
(1) Harriet Parker - Elderly woman wishes to be transferred to Balaklava to be
amongst her friends there. I requested the CMS to make arrangements for this
to happen.
(2) Mrs Hamilton at Hazelwood in the Blue Mountains. Her children are at Mulgoa.
(3) Priscilla Herbert leper - children are at Mulgoa.
(4) Mrs Barbara Rolfe - no half-caste labout available at present.
4. 3.1943 From Mrs P Herbert, c/o Miss Dyer, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, NSW
to the Superintendent, Aboriginal Protection Board, Bridge Street, Sydney
I am an inmate of Prince Henry Hospital for a period under-going treatment.
I have left my children with the Church Missionary Society but wish them
withdrawn from the care of that organization as soon as possible as I am
not satisfied with the conditions under which they are living. I wish them
placed in the Cootamundra Home.
Trusting to hear from you.
Yours faithfully
P Herbert (Mrs)
21.11.1943 From Department of Labour and Industry NSW to Mr Chinnery, Director of
Native Affairs, Canberra
Regarding Priscilla Herbert, I advise that in order to avoid any publicity
we have terminated Priscilla's employment with the Day Nursery Holiday Home.
We sent her to stay with Marjorie Hamilton at Berowra, and whilst there, she
solved the problem by obtaining employment for herself in Hornsby. Her address
is c/o 75 Hazelwood, Pretoria Parade, Hornsby.
Harold Hamilton has arrived in Berowra, but up to date we have not heard what
action he proposes taking.
7. 2.1944 From Native Affairs Branch, Balaklava, SA to Director of Native Affairs,
Alice Springs.
Re: Angas Beer aged 12 years
Admitted Adelaide Childrens Hospital 5. 9.1942 suspected Leprosy, not confirmed.
Admitted Balaklava District Hospital 9. 1.1943 and discharged 21. 1.1943.
Admitted to the Institution Hospital 19. 1.1944
Now a patient at the Northfield Infectious Diseases Hospital probable leprosy.
If so will need to be transferred to Prince Henry Hospital Sydney or to Leper
Island Darwin.
14. 2.1944 From Welfare Institution Balaklava SA to Department of the Interior Canberra.
Two cases of leprosy discovered among evacuees :-
Beer at Saints Homestead
Daby at Blyth.
15. 3.1944 The Sun Newspaper
Adelaide, Wednesday. A full-blooded native boy, who was suffering from leprosy,
died recently at Northfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. He had been evacuated
from Katherine district, in the Northern Territory because of Japanese air raids.
28. 4.1944 From Department of Health Canberra
Information has been received from the new South Wales State Department of
Public Health that Peter Marshall, aged 9 years, half-caste aboriginal,
evacuated from Northern territory and letely residing at the Methodist Home,
Otford, New South Wales, has been certified as a leper and admitted to Little
Bay Lazaret, Sydney.
11. 5.1944 Premier's Department Sydney note
Peter Marshall, 9 years, and Matilda Frith, aged 14 years, were presented at
Prince Henry Hospital and were found to be suffering from leprosy. Warrants
have been issued for their detention in the Lazaret, Little Bay.
16. 5.1944 From Department of Health Canberra
Matilda Frith, 14 years, half-caste aboriginal, a native of Pine Creek, and
lately residing at the Methodist Mission Home, Otford, NSW, has been certified
a leper and admitted to the Lazaret at Little Bay, NSW.
16. 6.1944 From Director of Health Canberra to Department of Health Adelaide
Re: Inspection of evacuees
Letter mentions Clara Mollomini, aged 15 years, at Carrieton with probable
leprosy.
At Peterborough one of the evacuees, Mrs McCoy, incited others to refuse
examination.
List of Half-Caste Evacuees medically examined by Dr Ponsford
At Carrieton
Philomena Palmer
Mercy Gorman
Mary Rudellas
Kathleen Anon
Martha Pin
Edith McGuinness
Geraldine Cusack
Louise Martin
Barbara Tippolay
Helena Labuti
Maud McKenzie
Maureen Nambi
Evelyn Liddy
Margaret McGuinness
Sheila Lapez
Edmina Tipponaumani
Phillipine Sunter
Freda Umpalacciamani
Melanie Pannawoppi
Eileen Sloper
Josephine Naumaga
Genevieve Renn
Mersia Barnabas
Dorothea Dempsey
Imelda Walker
Rose Panny
Catherine Lamporay
Clare Mollomini (leprosy suspect)
Anna Criforiu
Magdalen Kokomi
Marjorie Tamuti
Marie Bailey
Margaret Duncan
Richard Ambrose
Nona Sullivan
Bernard Raphael
Frances McKee
John Greddon
Raymond Hensley
Fay Minchin
At Hawker
Vincent McGinnis
Jack Cusack
Ted McKenzie
Tom Cusack
Fanny McLennan
Patricia McLennan
Delorius McLennan
Wilfred McLennan
Ada McLennan
Reginald McLennan
William McLennan
Mrs Agnes McLennan
Mrs Ethel Buckle
Raymond Buckle
Irene Peckham
Shiela Peckham
Marie Peckham
Jacqueline Peckham
Mrs Lindy Peckham
Stanley Peckham
George Peckham
Peter Tolbert
Keith Tolbert
Vernon Tolbert
Kevin Tolbert
Emanuel Tolbert
Lawrence Tolbert
Geraldine Tolbert
Mrs Elsie Tolbert
Paul Calma
At Peterborough
Mrs Martha Hart
John Hart
Margaret Hart
Alfred Hart
Mrs Ada Ali Matt
Lily Cusack
List of Half-Caste Evacuees examined by Dr McEwin 21. 5.1944
From Blyth
Eileen Laughton
Sylvia Evans
Peggy Chandler
Thomas Chandler
Ruby Zane
Ethel Francis
James Laughton
From Hamley Bridge
Amy Laughton
Pauline Laughton
Fred Laughton
Clarence Laughton
11. 7.1944 Commonwealth Department of Health
Clare Mollomini, from Carrieton, is positive for Leprosy. Arrangements are being made
for her admission to the Channel Island Leper Station, Darwin.
Anna Criforiu and Freda Umpalacciamini (a cousin) are negative.
18.12.1944 Commonwealth Department of Health
Three more cases of leprosy have been found in evacuees from the N.T. and admitted
to the Little Bay Lazaret in Sydney
Carey Hall, aboriginal boy aged 8, ex Roper River Mission Station and CMS Home Mulgoa NSW
Mrs May Ethel Jacobsen, aged 45, ex Emungalen, Katherine, Birdum and Darwin
Mrs Margaret Rosalind Hall, aged 30, ex Roper River Mission Station and CMS Home Mulgoa NSW
Also at Little Bay, ex N.T., are
Madge Gaden, formerly inmate of Channel Island
Michael Corbett, formerly inmate of Channel Island
Frederick Chan
Peter Marshall
Matilda Frith
T E Cole
7. 5.1946 Premier's Department Sydney
Bet Bet McDonald, leprosy patient, presented at Prince Henry Hospital on 26.10.1945. Found
to have leprosy. Transferred to the Female Lazaret until 5. 4.1946 when she was discharged
to the care of the Methodist Overseas Mission for return to the Northern territory.
Bet Bet McDonald is a half-caste aged 11 years and had been a resident of Croker Island,
Northern Territory, whence she had been evacuated in April 1942.
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