Families
Thomas Pattison, a deaf migrant to Australia from Scotland, established the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in 1860.
With the help of several prominent figures of the time, the school was officially declared a public institution on 15 October 1861. It was a school with residential facilities.
Within a year it had moved to 368 Castlereagh Street and in 1868 moved to Ormonde House in South Head Road, Paddington. In 1872, the school moved to large, purpose-built premises at Newtown (now Darlington) where it remained for the next 70 years.
These premises, now a part of the Sydney University, are still known as the ‘Institute Building’ although they were purchased by Sydney University in 1961.
In 1961, RIDBC moved to North Rocks, where it is currently located. In addition to the North Rocks site, RIDBC has a school at North Parramatta and educational services at Penrith and the Hunter region.
Along with changes of location, the name of RIDBC has changed several times since its foundation in 1861. These changes reflect both the pervading philosophy of education for children with disabilities of the times and the links between RIDBC and the wider community.
Milestones
Thomas Pattison1860 - Thomas Pattison advertises the opening of the Deaf and Dumb Institution
at 152 Liverpool Street
1861 - Thomas Pattison spends six months in northern New South Wales and Queensland, recruiting students and raising funds. A travelling collector is also enlisted - the commencement of a visiting collectors campaign that has continued ever since. On 15 October, the school becomes a Public Institution and is established at larger premises at 368 Castlereagh Street.
1868 - The school moves to larger premises at Ormonde House in Old South Head Road
1869 - Five blind children enrol and the name changes to the New South Wales Institution for the Deaf Dumb and Blind
1872 - New premises open in Newtown with 8 blind children and 33 deaf children.
1873 - Evening classes for deaf adults commence.
1880 - Public Education Act - general education is made free, secular and compulsory but there is no provision for deaf or blind children.
A bequest from Mrs Mary Roberts of $44,000 was made in this decade - equivalent to four years’ operating costs.
1898 - Enrolments climb to 4 blind students and 77 deaf students.
Miss Beaumont and her class (1906)1905 - The New South Wales Institution for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind is
incorporated under an Act of Parliament - Act No 10. A rubella outbreak
in this year sees a huge influx of children to RIDBC in the years 1909/10.
Alice Betteridge, RIDBC’s first deafblind student, enrols. Alice attends
the school until 1921.
1911 - RIDBC introduces day attendance and weekly boarding as well as full time boarding to provide opportunities for children to spend more time with their families and in the community. Oralism is encouraged as an option and braille services and production are expanded. At this time there are about 117 deaf and 23 blind students.
1929 - The staff of visiting collectors is increased to seven. An Art Union raises almost $60,000 and the Social Organiser raises a further $28,000.
1935 - By this time, 200 children are enrolled. ‘Newtown Institution’ is registered under the Charitable Collections Act.
1942 - Newtown premises are requisitioned by Defence Authorities and children return home where they have correspondence lessons or attend local centres.
1943 - Premises are purchased at Pymble for junior deaf students and a hostel is established at Stanmore for senior deaf students.
1945 - A property is purchased at Wahroonga for blind students. Parent
committees are formed and a class of deaf four year olds begins.
1946 - Darlington (Newtown) premises re-opens for deaf students but
the blind students stay at Wahroonga.
1947 - Education Department assumes responsibility for curriculum and class work at Wahroonga. The school for junior deaf students at Pymble closes. As a result of a rubella epidemic in the early 1940s, there are 242 full-time pupils at Newtown, and 105 full time pupils at Wahroonga.
1952 - The Miss DDBC (Deaf Dumb and Blind Children) Quest, a parent initiative, is established and raises $30,000 in the first year.
1955 - The first full time teacher training course in the education of deaf students in NSW is introduced at Sydney Teachers Training College.
1956 - The Education Department assumes responsibility for curriculum and class work at Newtown.
1957 - Name changes to Royal NSW Institution for Deaf and Blind Children.
1961 - Newtown site is sold to Sydney University.
1962 - A new centre is constructed at North Rocks with separate schools for deaf students and blind students.
1963 – Lady Barwick establishes the Golden Committee, a fundraising group.
1964 - The first Lantern Club is established.
1964/66 - The first deafblind unit in the southern hemisphere opens at North Rocks as a joint project between RIDBC and the Education Department.
1967 - Deafblind pre-schoolers group starts. Parent Counselling Services is established. This is later to become the Early Intervention Team (1985). Pathfinders Club is established - a club of Qantas employees supporting RIDBC through fundraising. Lantern Light, the official journal of RIDBC, is established.
1969 - A pre-school and nursery for three-five year old deaf children is established and the parent counselling service is expanded.
1970 - A Deafblind Trainable Unit is established in addition to the Deafblind Educable Unit, catering for 11 children by 1972.
1972 - Student Enrolments reach 285.
1974 - A school for multi-handicapped blind children is established. Name
changes to Royal NSW Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.
1978 - A Computerised Braille Production Unit, the first in Australia,
is set up at ‘Walkley House’ at St Leonards. Christmas
vacation care programs for children are established.
1981 - Administration Services are relocated from Walkley House (St Leonards) to North Rocks.
1984 - Residential flats and group homes are established at North Rocks.
1985 - By this year, 112 children are enrolled in the special school for children with sensory and intellectual disabilities. Rainbow Lottery is established.
1988 - Garfield Barwick School, supporting children with hearing impairment, is established at North Parramatta in response to a concern by parents about the lack of a specific oral program for profoundly deaf students.
1989 - Rockie Woofit Pre-school, a reverse integration pre-school for children
with hearing impairment, is established.
1990 - The Special School for Multi-handicapped Blind Students is renamed
the Alice Betteridge School and begins taking enrolments for deaf and
blind children with multiple disabilities.
1991 - Tingira Centre, a reverse integration Early Childhood Centre
for children with sensory disabilities, is established near Newcastle.
An Itinerant Teaching Service is established for students with hearing
or vision impairment integrated into mainstream schools. Renwick College,
a centre for research and professional development for teachers and
professionals working with children with sensory disabilities, is established
at North Rocks.
1992 - The Roberta Reid Pre-school is established at North Rocks to provide a bilingual (signing) program for deaf children.
1993 - The Thomas Pattison Annexe, a bilingual/bicultural program for deaf children is established at North Rocks.
1994 - A reverse integration Early Childhood Centre for children with sensory disabilities is established at Glenmore Park near Penrith.
1997 - A restructure establishes several new departments including Vision Education Services, School Support Services (HI), Pre-schools Department, Homestart (HI) and the Thomas Pattison Bilingual School. RIDBC changes its name to the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.
The Jim Patrick Audiology Centre opened in 20021998 - Early intervention and pre-school services
for Deaf and hearing impaired children are consolidated into a new department,
Early Childhood
Services - Deafness and Hearing Impairment. RIDBC services are more widely
promoted within non-English speaking communities. RIDBC employs an Aboriginal
liaison worker to assist in making services more relevant and accessible
to indigenous communities.
The Vision Ed Preschool, a reverse integration preschool for children with vision impairment, opens in J Block. RIDBC establishes a website with extensive information about its services including information on sensory disabilities. Renwick College begins offering distance education options.
2002 - Jim Patrick Audiology Centre opens at the North Rocks site.
The Welwyn Centre opened in 20042003 - Roberta Reid
Preschool relocates next to The Thomas Pattison School, creating an
Auslan precinct.
2003 – The Dorothy Paul Family Resource Centre opens for families of children with vision impairment.
2004 – The Welwyn Centre, a base for services for children with impaired hearing and their families, opens.
2005 – RIDBC reaches a new record: over 600 children and families enrolled in our services.
2006 – RIDBC serves over 750 children and families.
