During the earliest days of the penal colony in New South Wales in 1788, the plight of the mentally ill was given little consideration by the governing authorities, particularly the convict insane, who lived (and died) by their wits and suffered cruel punishment if their behaviour was seen as recalcitrant. This thesis traces a history of mental health carers (nursing) from the foundation of the penal colony until the Federation of the Australian colonies to form a nation in 1901. The research makes a contribution to the profession of mental health nursing by providing an understanding of the origins and development of that profession in New South Wales. The thesis also examines ways in which the historic development of mental health nursing has influenced the work of mental health nurses and nursing in the present, and exposes recurrent dominant issues of the past which will, if they remain unaddressed, continue to influence that profession in the future. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/189576 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Smith, Terrence Gordon, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Education and Social Sciences, School of Humanities |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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