KARITANE’S CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH IN NEW SOUTH WALES 1923-2000

Abstract

This thesis is about the substantial service Karitane provided in the teaching of mothercraft to guide parents in the care of their young children in New South Wales. At first called the Australian Mothercraft Society, it emerged in New South Wales as a voluntary organisation in 1923, closely allied to New Zealand’s Plunket Society founded in 1907 by Sir Truby King. Karitane was at its most active in the 1940s when it provided over a quarter of Sydney’s residential mothercraft services. Its beginnings were overshadowed by conflict and the New South Wales Department of Public Health did not acknowledge Karitane until the 1960s. Until then Karitane was absent from the public record of services for mother and baby in NSW. Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs community and the Karitane Products Society in New Zealand supported Karitane before it integrated into New South Wales’ government supported health services. Throughout it delivered on its aims of teaching mothers ways of caring for infants, disseminating knowledge about the care of young children and preparing specialist nurses. The main theme of this thesis is the ‘moving frontier’ that is the boundary between the voluntary providers of health services and governmental provision of health services. Karitane’s development has depended on the politics of health care at Commonwealth, State and local levels. The secondary themes derive from the competition for scarce resources amongst the professional groups involved; doctors, nurses and health service administrators. Karitane’s experience has not been unique; it has followed a trajectory common to voluntary organizations providing personal care services through the twentieth century and it has conformed to trends in public health. Sometimes Karitane led the trends and sometimes it trailed; it adapted to circumstances but it retains a degree of independence. Shining through all the problems with resources are the human experiences of appreciative mothers who used Karitane’s services and the dedicated staff and supporters who provided mothercentred help with the care of infants. The mother/infant relationship continues to be a central concern for public health. This study of Karitane gives a longitudinal perspective on the contribution of a small band of skilled people with a clear mission to provide services to assist mothers with their babies and young children.