About this record
Mr S Parkinson sent this two-page letter to Queensland Senator Matthew Reid in October 1918. Parkinson raises the case of a returned soldier, Corporal Joseph Slack, who had served with Parkinson’s son. He explains the contribution that Slack made during the war and suggests he is suffering from ‘shell shock’. Despite this, Parkinson claims, Slack has been inappropriately sent to the Dunwich ‘Home for Inebriates’ – that is, ‘drunkards’ – located at the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum.
Educational value
- Throughout World War I and for several years afterwards, Australian servicemen who were being repatriated often had physical and/or mental injuries. Just over 155,000 separate cases of soldiers being wounded, and around 430,000 cases of sickness involving Australians, were reported throughout the war. (Note that some of these cases would have involved an individual soldier being wounded or falling ill several times during their service.)
- When these men returned to Australia – because they were ill or had been wounded, or because the war had ended – the disabilities they carried were often permanent ones. Vision and hearing impairment; amputations; disfigurement; and mental illness were common. While the government worked to find jobs and houses for veterans, many veterans battled depression and alcoholism.
- The Dunwich Benevolent Asylum was located on North Stradbroke Island, just off the Queensland coast near Brisbane. From 1865 to 1946 the asylum housed Queensland’s aged, sick and destitute in over 20 wards, including one specifically for inebriates (alcoholics). The asylum was funded by the state government.
- As a result of this letter, the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum – and, in particular, the inebriates ward (or institution)—came under the scrutiny of federal and state politicians. The Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA – the forerunner of today’s RSL) chaired an inquiry into the treatment of ex-soldiers at the institute. Numerous articles also appeared in the press. Several changes were eventually made: a new area which was set aside for ex-soldiers; the censorship of residents’ mail ceased; and the Medical Superintendent was sacked.
- As a Senator, Matthew Reid had a responsibility to represent the people of Queensland in federal parliament. Parliamentarians have a number of duties, including making laws, but responding to the concerns of their constituents is an important role. It was for this reason that Parkinson wrote to Senator Reid, who followed up Corporal Slack’s case with the Minister for Repatriation. Senator Reid was a member of the National Party and represented Queensland from 1917 to 1935.
- The term ‘shell shock’ was first used during World War I to describe the reaction of some men to the trauma of war. Symptoms could include anxiety, panic attacks, tics, nightmares, impaired reasoning and/or an inability to sleep, eat or talk. At the time, some doctors believed the condition was caused by physical rather than emotional issues – arguing that exposure to exploding shells caused lesions on the brain. Treatment for the condition was generally ineffective. By World War II the term ‘shell shock’ was no longer in use.
