National Archives of Australia
Darwin Office
E51 1967/1052 Surveys and Inspections - Alroy_Downs

Copyright P J Mackett, 2011


 6. 8.1956 E S Kettle to Department of Health Darwin

           Dear Sir

           Medical Report on Alroy Downs

           This property is under the management of Mr G Lewis.

           TOTAL NATIVES 56, 54 seen, (2 in Tennant Creek Hospital),
           17 children, 1 pensioner.

           HOOKWORM:- 34 examined all negative. Tapeworms 10. These people
           are mainly all of the Warramunga tribe and have very little
           contact with those further north.

           TRACHOMA:- Not treated. No one to carry out treatment
           conscientiously and I did not think the number warranted me
           staying longer.

           Hb ESTIMATIONS:- 45, average 81% lowest 70%. Talquist method
           used.

           TRIPLE ANTIGEN:- No one previously immunized. One white child
           and 49 natives given their first injections. The natives here
           have not had Mantoux and BCG.

           CAMP:-On high ground, should not be water logged during the wet.
           Seven large galvanized iron huts, which are being lived in. Two
           pit type lavatories of good construction in the camp area, and
           2 in the station area. The area around the camp had been
           thoroughly cleaned up before my visit. Number of dogs is limited
           and all were tied up beside little shelters away from the huts.
           Two small neat shower rooms with cement floors, but the water is
           not laid on into these. Water is available from a tap just outside
           the women's shower room.

           DIET:- Natives have a small herd of goats, and they say they milk
           them. Only 4 working women are fed from the kitchen, and I do not
           know for sure just what they receive as I was warned that the cook
           might resign if I went near the kitchen. Camp natives and the working
           men receive a ration of beef, flour, tea and sugar only. One native
           cooks for the men outside, over an open fire protected by a piece
           of iron. His cooking utensils are a round camp oven for damper
           making and oil drum buckets. They receive no vegetables. The 4
           working girls are the only ones who may receive some vegetables.
           The garden is only grown for the white staff.

           MEDICAL:- The white staff either dont care or have a defeatist
           attitude towards the natives. They say they havent the authority
           to force the natives to come for treatment. Mt Lloyd, the bookkeeper,
           does any medical treatment that is done, knows nothing and didnt
           wish to be advised.

           BABY BEASLEY (Mother Carol) born 18th November 1955. Is a very
           marked malnutrition and I feel very concerned for this baby's chance
           of survival. The mother obviously hasny had sufficient breast milk.
           I suggested that I ask the mechanics wife to supervise the baby's
           feeding. This lady has her meals at the kitchen and it would have meant
           getting food from the kitchen. This couldnt be done because the cook
           would resign. The only suggestion the manager could make was to ask
           Maria, another lubra, to breast feed the child along with her own.
           The best I have been able to do for this child to date was to ask
           the housegirls to provide the mother with some left-overs from the
           dining room, such as porridge, custard and vegetables. No scales on
           which to weigh the child. The medical kit is good.

           GALLIPOLI Station 13. 8.1956

           TRIPLE ANTIGEN:- I have been unable to give the Walhallow natives their
           third injection owing to lack of transport there. There are 2 natives at
           Creswell and 2 at Anthony Lagoon yet to have a third injection - could
           a visiting Medical Officer please give these sometime. The folks on both
           places know who have to have them. The Walhallow natives and 3 from
           Mallapunyah may have to wait until sometime they can be given at
           Borroloola perhaps.

           Alexandria and Gallipoli have now had their second injections and I shall
           go on from here to Avon, Soudan, Brunette and then visit Rockhampton Downs
           before doing the third injections in this area.

           HOOKWORMS:-All those previously infected at Creswell Downs now show
           negative specimems. The one case at Alexandria is now negative, but I
           have since found a stock-boy there, not previously examined, who has
           hookworms. The five children on Gallipoli are still infected but showing
           less ova.

           E S Kettle.