Birth and death in a new land attitudes to infant death in colonial Australia

Abstract

The goldrush colony of Victoria, Australia, was a favoured destination for aspirational emigrants from nineteenth-century Britain. Yet the persistence of high rates of infant mortality blighted the happiness of many first and second generation immigrant families alone in a new land. Drawing on birth, death and inquest records this paper interrogates the experience of infant death amongst the poorest families in the capital city popularly known as ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ during the second half of the nineteenth century. Although few infants died alone, the familial and community networks in which they were enmeshed were not always committed to their survival. While the paper argues that there was a hierarchy of value which determined the degree to which the death of a child would be welcomed or mourned, it also contests popular notions that evil baby farmers and unfeeling mothers were a major cause of infant death.

☆ This paper derives in part from research undertaken for a project funded by the Australian Research Council. The author would like to acknowledge the contribution of co-researchers Professors Janet McCalman and Ruth Morley, and research assistants Cecile Trioli and Jo Townsend.

Keywords:

• Infant death
• Baby farming
• Single mothers

Notes

☆ This paper derives in part from research undertaken for a project funded by the Australian Research Council. The author would like to acknowledge the contribution of co-researchers Professors Janet McCalman and Ruth Morley, and research assistants Cecile Trioli and Jo Townsend.