| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
Erskineville is situated on the traditional lands of the Gadigal (Cadigal), which stretch from the southern shores of Sydney Harbour to today's Petersham (Barani, 2013). Prior to the arrival of colonists, Gadigal moved seasonally through Country, following pathways that would shape Sydney's urban landscape including today's King Street in Newtown (Heiss, A. and Gibson, M.J. 2013).
Erskineville borders Redfern, Eveleigh, and Alexandria, where Aboriginal activists laid the groundwork for many of Sydney's key Aboriginal educational, cultural, and community services.
EARLY ERSKINEVILLE
The first land grants in what is now Erskineville were issued in 1794, 6 years after the First Fleet's arrival at Warrane (Sydney Cove) in 1788. Nicholas Devine, a superintendent of convicts on the Second Fleet, was granted 120 acres near Bulanaming (Newtown) in 1794 and the adjacent 90 acres in 1799. This land, known as Burrin Farm, was primarily used for agricultural purposes. After Devine's death, Burrin Farm became the focus of a landmark legal case, with ownership disputes tying up the land between 1846 and 1857 (Walsh, 1966). At that time, the area around Burrin Farm was known as Macdonaldtown.
Following an out-of-court settlement in the Devine case, residential subdivisions began. By the early 1880s, Macdonaldtown was transforming as workers flocked to the suburb, drawn by its proximity to local factories and the Eveleigh Railway Yards. Subdivisions were small, with densely packed workers' housing to address a growing demand for accommodation (Conlon, 2007).
In 1885, 22 acres of the former Burrin Farm were proclaimed as Macdonaldtown Park, providing valuable public land for the expanding community. Macdonaldtown was renamed Erskineville in 1893, with the park's name also duly changed (City of Sydney, 2013).
By the early 1900s, Erskineville's maze of workers' cottages had become overcrowded and unsafe. Characterized as one of Sydney's worst slums, the area faced significant challenges due to dampness, overcrowding, and deteriorating living conditions (Conlon, 2007).
EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE IN NSW
In the early days of the colony, child-rearing took place almost entirely within the private, domestic sphere. Wealthier mothers often entrusted the care and education of their children to nurses and governesses, while poorer mothers depended on themselves, relatives, or older daughters to raise their families.
Government assistance in the early years followed a British model that primarily focused on orphans and destitute children, with a strong moral bent for housing children who existed outside the traditional family unit (MHNSW 2020). The first institutions of this kind were the Female and Male Orphan Schools, established in the early 1800s. Later, reformatory schools and training homes were created to offer disciplinary and skills-based programs for young people - many of whom may have been transported to Australia from Britain for various minor criminal offences (Darian-Smith 2010). The level of care and concern for children's well-being varied greatly between these institutions, reflecting historical attitudes that saw young people as miniature adults and a natural part of the labour force.
The idea of 'childhood' as a distinct period of innocence and growth, along with an emerging interest in child psychology and education, began to take shape in Europe and America during the mid-19th century (Shuttleworth 2012). In Australia, a more sentimental view of children took hold in the late 19th century, reflected in local literature such as Ethel Turner's Seven Little Australians (Darian-Smith 2010). This perspective was distinctly middle-class and influenced by the gender and racial attitudes of the time. The experiences of First Nations and working-class children were vastly different from those depicted in Turner's novel.
In the 1880s, NSW's infant mortality rate was higher than London's, primarily due to poor sanitation and housing conditions amongst the working class (NSW ANZAC Centenary n.d.). The depression of the 1890s pushed many mothers into the workforce, with young children who could not be cared for by relatives forced to be locked inside or outside the house during the day (SDN 2005). Responses to these issues began to flourish across both government and private organisations. In 1896, the first free kindergarten in NSW was established in Woolloomooloo by the Kindergarten Union. Organisations like the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington, the Alice Rawson School for Mothers, Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies and the Sydney Day Nursery Association also provided essential health, care, and education services for young children and mothers across Sydney before World War I (NSW ANZAC Centenary n.d.). Many of the pioneers behind these initiatives were women and mothers themselves, often from the wealthier parts of Sydney. In 1910, the Sydney Harbour Trust built the High Street Flats public housing in Millers Point (SHR listed as 'Terrace Duplexes' SHR Nos. 00918, 00920, 00868, 00919), which included a purpose-built childcare centre, one of the earliest examples of childcare integrated into state-sponsored social welfare. The first government-run baby health clinic was established in Alexandria in 1914, with 6 baby clinics across Sydney by 1916 and expansion to rural centres like Broken Hill by 1919.
In 1929, the Wall Street Crash plunged the global economy into the Great Depression, halting construction, increasing poverty, and forcing many families into overcrowded, dilapidated housing (Zanardo 2018). A 1935 article by Norman Hercules Dick described the inner suburbs of Sydney as 'streets of dirty, ill-kept hovels' of 'part wood and brick', 'vermin infested' and 'unfit for habitation' (Zanardo, 2018). During this time, kindergartens played a vital role, supporting families by distributing food, shoes, and clothing, and providing hot lunches (Gowrie 2013).
At the same time, there was growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education. The work of British educators Margaret and Rachel MacMillan, who advocated for stimulating, clean, and nourishing environments to foster sensory and creative development, began to influence the Australian free kindergarten movement. In September 1936, the Women's Centenary Congress in South Australia brought together leading figures in child welfare and education for the first time, sparking momentum for the formation of a national preschool association. The first meeting of all interstate Kindergarten Unions followed shortly after, opened by Zara Hore-Ruthven (Lady Gowrie). National meetings in 1936 and 1937 led to the formation of the Australian Association for Pre-School Child Development (AAPSCD) in 1939, with the first conference opened by Lady Gowrie that same year.
SLUM CLEARANCE AND THE ERSKINEVILLE EXPERIMENT
In 1936, the State Government, under Premier Bertram Stevens, established the Housing Conditions Investigation Committee to respond to increasing pressure regarding slum conditions (Zanardo et al 2024). The Committee concluded that slum clearance and re-housing should be 'a public service', highlighting the urgent need for government intervention in areas like Erskineville, Newtown, Alexandria, and Woolloomooloo (Zanardo 2018). Within 3 months of the Committee's report, Stevens established the Housing Improvement Board of NSW (HIB) along with its Advisory Committee.
Erskineville was selected as the first of Sydney's 'slums' for improvement by the HIB. The State Government resumed a portion of Erskineville Park to develop a model housing project, allowing for the demolition and replacement of existing homes for local residents (Zanardo, 2018).
Architects William (Ronald) Richardson and Morton Herman prepared a masterplan for the project, which comprised 220 flats with playgrounds, a childcare centre and shops. The masterplan was influenced by the social agenda of the Modern Movement, a philosophy that underpinned the thoughtfully designed public housing projects of Europe in the interwar and post-war periods (Hericon 2012). Drawing inspiration from their travels, Richardson and Herman proposed a design that was a radical departure from traditional 20th-century Australian urban planning. The plan comprised a series of detached flat buildings which addressed each other rather than the street, connected by communal washing areas and surrounded by expansive green spaces (Zanardo, 2018).
FOWELL, MCCONNEL AND MANSFIELD
Fowell, McConnel and Mansfield was a notable partnership led by architect Joseph Fowell (1891-1970). Born in Western Australia and educated in England, Fowell began his Australian career as an assistant in Leslie Wilkinson's private practice in 1919. In 1928, he formed a partnership with Kenneth McConnel (c.1899-1976), a former student of Wilkinson. Together, they designed numerous award-winning ecclesiastical, public, and domestic buildings, including the RIBA bronze medal-winning BMA House in 1933 and the Sulman-award winning St Anne's Roman Catholic Church in 1935 (Martin and Reynolds 2006).
In 1939, John Leslie Stephen Mansfield (1906-1965), another former student of Wilkinson, joined the firm. As Fowell, McConnel and Mansfield, they received further accolades, including a Sulman Award and a RIBA bronze medal for the Orient Line Building, hailed as the 'most valuable contribution to the architecture of Sydney in its day' (SLNSW 2016). McConnel left the firm due to ill health in 1949, but Fowell and Mansfield continued their collaboration with additional partners until Mansfield's death in 1965.
LADY ZARA GOWRIE
Zara Pollok was born in County Galway, Ireland in 1879. In 1908, she married Alexander Hore Ruthven (Lord Gowrie), who held several prominent positions: Governor of South Australia, Governor of New South Wales, and finally, Governor-General from 1936 to 1945.
A passionate advocate for the health and well-being of Australian children, Lady Gowrie lobbied for better services for children in disadvantaged areas-a progressive stance for the 1930s (Gowrie NSW). Her work for the Australian Mothercraft Society, Kindergarten Union and finally the AAPSCD was pivotal in establishing the first national body representing early childhood in Australia.
In 1939, the Commonwealth Department of Health announced funding for 6 Child Centres in state capital cities, all named in her honour as the 'godmother' of the AAPSCD.
LADY GOWRIE CHILD CENTRE
The Lady Gowrie Child Centre was designed as a key component of the Erskineville Housing Scheme, strategically planned to foster community cohesion and provide childcare within the scheme. As the fifth of 6 Lady Gowrie Child Centres in state capitals, the centre aimed to improve the health and nutrition of inner-city children while promoting a science-based approach to early childhood development in Australia (Gowrie NSW).
The child centres were intended to bridge an identified gap between existing baby clinics and the free kindergartens run by the Kindergarten Union. The centres' administration was entrusted to the AAPSCD, with care provided for free besides a small fee covering the dietitian-designed midday meal. Enrolments were accepted from Erskineville, the housing scheme and the surrounding districts.
Prominent architects Fowell, McConnel & Mansfield designed the centre to provide model preschool conditions for 100 children. The HIB provided a grant for the main building to house the community hall, located on the second storey. The building design took cues from the streamlined functionalism of the Housing Scheme, with an emphasis on curved forms that opened into a garden on the eastern elevation.
To meet the Department of Health's objectives, the centre was conceived as both a research and care facility. The administration and nursery sections were separated across the buildings. The design featured nurseries divided by age and discreetly placed glazed observation booths for education officers and students.
Renowned interior designer Marion Hall Best curated the colour schemes and furnishings, using soft shades of pinkish cream and coral for corridors, slate blue for skirtings, and custom colours for each nursery (Building Magazine, 1940). The dining room, which seated 40 children, was painted in pale pink with a turquoise ceiling, and featured miniature tables and chairs made of waxed pine (Building Magazine, 1940). The 2-Year-Old nursery featured soft blue tones with coral and deep blue accents, while the 3-Year-Old nursery had a more vibrant colour scheme of pale lemon yellow, blue, and coral. The design included sliding doors that opened to an exterior terrace, garden, and playground, connecting the children to the outdoors (Building Magazine 1940).
The community hall, located on the second storey, was equipped with a stage, dressing rooms, and a small kitchenette. This space was intended for social activities that would bring the Housing Scheme residents together, as well as for parental education on child care and nutrition.
The Lady Gowrie Child Centre was officially opened by Lady Wakehurst and John L. S. Mansfield on 17 October 1940. An article from The Bulletin about the opening of the Erskineville centre noted that 'the Ministry of Health has taken the first step to clear a path for equal chances for Australia's beginning citizens. Here are light and cheerfulness and grace and time and means for play. Riches can buy no more' (The Bulletin 1940).
The centres were described by ABC Weekly in November 1940 as 'nurseries that would delight a little millionaire' with their work seen as crucial to national progress (ABC Weekly 1940). The article highlighted the centres' innovative '24-hour plan', where children were brought in by their mothers, their sleep, meals, and progress were documented, and their health checked by a qualified nurse. The day was then filled with lunch, dance, naps, and play, with weekly medical checks from a doctor. The observation booths allowed staff to track the children's emotional behaviour, mental development, physical wellbeing, and social adjustment, adapting their programs accordingly. Mothers could also view their children through the observation booths upon request (ABC Weekly 1940).
POST-WAR
In late 1939 Premier Stevens resigned and Australia entered World War II, resulting in a major governmental shift and the eventual absorption of the HIB into the Housing Commission of NSW in 1942 (Dunn 2020). The 7 flat buildings and the Lady Gowrie Child Centre would be the only realised portions of the HIB's ambitious masterplan for Erskineville.
The onset of the war highlighted the urgent need for community childcare, particularly for the younger children of mothers who had joined the workforce to support the war effort. During 1942, staff of Lady Gowrie picnicked daily with the children in slit trenches in the garden to ready them to shelter against potential air raids (The Daily Telegraph 1942).
While their mothers worked, children were cared for at the Lady Gowrie Child Centre, and their time there contributed valuable observational data. Between 1940 and 1946, the centres conducted research on postural issues in young children, with findings and recommendations published by the Commonwealth Department of Health (The Sydney Morning Herald 1954). Other studies of the 1940s-50s included research on balanced diets for children by the Institute of Child Health, child aggression, and a study on dental health related to thumb-sucking.
The centre also served as an important training facility, with attendance required for students at the Kindergarten Training College and 5th-year medical students from the School of Paediatrics at the University of Sydney (The Sydney Morning Herald 1954). The success of this program led to similar initiatives at the University of Queensland. The Lady Gowrie Child Centre also played a pivotal role in the establishment of new kindergarten centres across NSW, with members of the Kindergarten Union seeking training and insight from the centre's methods (The Sydney Morning Herald 1949). In 1954, the centre hosted nearly 600 visitors, including child specialists, trainees, Health Department officials, occupational therapists, overseas experts, and Lady Slim, wife of the then-Governor-General (The Sydney Morning Herald 1954).
The Lady Gowrie Child Centres' pioneering role in preschool education was further acknowledged in 1953, when, as a coronation gift for Queen Elizabeth II, the Australian Government increased funding for the centres by (Pounds)5,000 annually for a period of 3 years (Barrier Miner 1953).
For more than 30 years, the Lady Gowrie Child Centres were the sole Australian Government-funded childcare and education initiative in Australia. In 1970, funding for the centres was transferred from the Department of Health to the Department of Education and Science, and in 1972, the Child Care Act expanded Australian Government funding to the wider childcare sector (Bray 2023).
As attitudes towards women's work and gender roles continued to shift, affordable, best practice preschool and childcare services became even more critical. Throughout the late 20th century, the Lady Gowrie Child Centre continued to lead in early childhood education, introducing innovative programs such as multilingual newsletters and 'anti-bias' learning, which acknowledged the growing multiculturalism in Australian society, and children's mental health awareness (Gowrie NSW). In the 1970s, the centre began working with an Aboriginal Welfare Officer to promote the appropriate cultural care for its young people (ECA 2013). New pedagogical practices, materials and equipment were designed and evaluated at the centre and introduced in kindergartens across Australia (Waters 2000). Long day care services were added in 1982. The centre also advocated for social equity and children's rights (Gowrie NSW).
Today, the centre continues to follow best practice, with 6 learning environments for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years (Gowrie NSW). The Lady Gowrie Child Centre maintains its education and advocacy services for early childhood educators throughout NSW alongside its mission of providing key long care, day care and preschool services for Erskineville. While its interiors and grounds have been updated in recent years to reflect evolving best practices, the centre's exterior and form is substantially intact. |