No Charity There

Book excerpt: No Charity There, now in a revised edition, provides the first general history of social welfare in Australia. It traces the development of official and community attitudes to demands and expectations. Using material not previously readily available, Brian Dickey analyses how Australian society has sought to solve the problems raised by a wide variety of vulnerable groups since 1788: the aged, orphans, single mothers, the insane, alcoholics and the unemployed. No Charity There is a carefully researched and intelligent study of a subject of ever-increasing importance.