Caroline Chisholm

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Caroline Chisholm (1808 - March 25, 1877) was a progressive 19th-century English humanitarian and philanthropist known mostly for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia.

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[edit] Early life

Born Caroline Jones to a wealthy English farmer in Northamptonshire, her father died early in her childhood.

At the age of 22, Caroline married Captain Archibald Chisholm, an officer in the British Army thirteen years her senior. Like her, Archibald came from a relatively privileged background, descended from Scottish land-owning highlanders whose fortune had dwindled over the years. Unusual among many of her contemporaries, Caroline agreed to marry Archibald Chisholm under the condition that he treat her as an equal and support her in her philanthropic activities. She did, however, convert from Protestantism to her husband's religion, Roman Catholicism.

[edit] Life in Madras, India

In 1832, Captain Chisholm was stationed in Madras, India. As an officer's wife, Caroline enjoyed a lifestyle of comfort and luxury, which only highlighted the stark privation and squalor she observed on the streets of Madras. The dire poverty of children begging for food and sleeping in doorways particularly affected her.

When she discovered that some of the destitute street urchins she saw regularly were actually the children of enlisted British soldiers, Caroline Chisholm decided to take action. She established the Female School of Industry for the Daughters of European Soldiers. By removing these children from the streets and educating them, Chisholm hoped to eventually secure paid employment and better opportunities for them.

[edit] Life in New South Wales, Australia

On Captain Chisholm's furlough in 1838, Caroline and her family moved to Sydney in the colony of New South Wales in Australia.

Caroline met immigrant ships and in particular assisted young women who arrived in the colony alone. She approached Governor Gipps with a plan for a house for immigrant women. Her first apprach was denied, but Caroline went back twice to argue her point. Eventually Governor Gipps presented Caroline with the part of the empty immigration barracks.

The immigration barracks when Caroline first visited them were terribly filthy, plagued with rats and vermin. Caroline concluded that she would have to make do with what the governor gave her. Caroline worked hard to clean the barracks and when they were finished the girls started flooding in to be saved from a life on the streets. Caroline there taught them how to cook and clean, speak correctly, a little bit of numeracy and more.

When the girls were trained the next part of Caroline's mission arrived. Now that they were properly qualified for the job the girls had to find a place of work. Caroline saw potential in the bush farms of Australia, so she organised drays to deliver the girls to the farms to become paid farm maids.

Caroline continued to help the women of Australia for many years. After a while she felt her job was done. Now there were hardly any homeless girls left on Sydney's streets. She and Archibald returned to England in 1846 where Caroline worked with the English government on improving the conditions on ships destined for Australia.

[edit] References

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