The Acts Amendment (Authority for Intellectually Handicapped Persons) Act 1985 (069 of 1985) amended the Mental Health Act 1962. The term ‘intellectually defective’ was removed and replaced with ‘intellectually handicapped person’. Other amendments made it clear that an intellectual disability was not a mental illness and removed references to training centres and other facilities for…
The Authority for Intellectually Handicapped Persons Act 1985 (068 of 1985) established a government agency to ‘develop and carry out policies’ and provide for services to advance the welfare of people with intellectual disabilities. The Act defined an ‘intellectually handicapped person’, regulated the provision of services to those people and licensed the premises in which…
The Lunacy Act Amendment Act 1920 (11 Geo. V No. 42) set up the mechanisms for Boards of Visitors with broad powers of inspection and action in the interests of protecting and releasing patients in mental health institutions. The purpose of the Act was to ensure people weren’t locked up forever in a hospital for…
The Commonwealth Disability Services Act 1986 (Act no. 129 of 1986) commenced on 5 June 1997. It rose from the Handicapped Persons Review in 1985. The Act reshaped the way disability services were funded but initially there was some concern and confusion about the obligations arising from State and federal funding sources. In 1991 the…
The Mental Health Act Amendment Act 1965 (037 of 1965) included the term ‘intellectually defective’ to describe a person who was ‘suffering from arrested or incomplete development of mind’ (s.3b). This was the first time intellectual disability had been distinguished from mental illness in the statute law of Western Australia.
The Mental Health Act 1962 (046 of 1962 (11 Eliz. II No. 46)) was amended twice before it came into force on 1 July 1966. It repealed the Lunacy Act 1903 and related Acts less relevant to children in out of home care. Intellectual disability was not distinguished from mental ‘disorder’ in the Act, which…
The Lunacy Act 1903 (015 of 1903 (3 Edw. VII No. 15)) followed the 1900 (Vosper) Select Committee, and was reportedly based on good practice and professional knowledge at the time. Two provisions for children were made: the ability to transfer a child at an industrial school who appeared to be ‘insane’ to a government…
The Lunacy Act 1871 (No. 9 of 1871) did not distinguish between mental illness and intellectual or physical disability. This meant that children with intellectual disabilities, or physical disabilities such as epilepsy could be, and often were, sent to Fremantle Asylum. This act was repealed by the Lunacy Act 1903 (015 of 1903 (3 Edw….
The Anglican Church of Australia (Swanleigh land and endowments) Act 1979 (101 of 1979) enabled the Perth Diocesan Trustees to utlise the land and related endownments that had begun with the Protestant Orphanage for ‘use within the State for general child and family care purposes’.
The Public Education Amendment Act 1905 (5 Edw. VII No. 6) defined an ‘habitual truant’ as a child who was ‘constantly and habitually absent from school’ (s.3). The parents of those children accused of truancy could be brought before the court to ‘show cause why such child should not be sent to an industrial school’….
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
