Summary of my thoughts on Saint Johns
Saint Johns Ruins 1999
Saint Johns is much more than just a ghost story surfing the net it is a part of our local history in South Australia. A teenage girl died while in custody of the Catholic Church in a state controlled reformatory. Ruby Bland may have broken the law of the day and most probably was a troubled teenager but this should not mean a death sentence.
Mary Mackillop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph at up the reformatory with the best of intentions to rehabilitate and educate the female inmates but the Sisters were teachers and Social workers with very little skill in criminal custodial conditions. Archbishop O'Reily appointing Fr. James Martin as the Chaplin would spell disaster for the reformatory. The Archbishop knew that Martin was mentally ill with an aggressive personality yet he allowed him to live at Saint Johns to give guidance to troubled female teenagers. This lack of judgement by the Archbishop would lead to rumours of in-appropriate punishment, sexual and psychical abuse and I believe the possible death of Ruby Bland.
The female inmates at Saint Johns Reformatory were supposed to be under the protection of the State and Church by law. The State Children's Department of South Australia were aware of the allegations concerning Fr. Martin and protested vigorously to no avail. The Archbishop chose to do nothing about Martin until the Children's Department requested Martin to be removed. The Archbishop decided to close the reformatory after getting legal advise knowing if he removed Martin as was requested this would have been acknowledgement of Martins crimes. Even when it was decided that the reformatory was to close the Archbishop still did nothing to curve Martins aggressive behaviour, he allowed him to continue as normal with no restrictions put on him.
This in-action by the Archbishop , I believe could have led to the premature death of Ruby Bland. If Martin had been removed or at least put under strict supervision it is very possible that Ruby would have lived. If she had lived she would have been released, maybe getting married having children and lived a long life. But of course she didn't. She was admitted to the Kapunda Hospital with a serious medical condition that she was not going to recover from.
The type of injuries that Ruby suffered will never be known, we can only speculate on this. We can only look at the clues left behind. She was admitted to Kapunda Hospital thirteen days before her death. She was re-baptised before going into surgery this meant that the officials knew she was going to die. She then died on the operating table from complications. The death certificate declares that the cause of death was Cholithiasis-post operative shock which is a very rare condition for a teenager to have aged only 18 years. Kevin McNeil noticed something curious when re-checking the Death Certificates, under the cause of death -Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5" years. It was in different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of the certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written.
If Ruby had been beaten by Martin she could have been suffering from internal injuries or bleeding it would have been in the interest of the officials to keep her in hospital until the reformatory had been shut down. After thirteen days she finally went into surgery were she died on the operating table the day before the reformatory was vacated. She was buried the same day the girls left the reformatory, only 24 hours after her death, no autopsy or any family member claiming the body. It was very convenient for her to be buried on the same days the girls left the reformatory as this tied up the last of the loose ends.
I did find a little bit of information about the surgeon who operated on Ruby, his name was Dr. Eugene McMahon Glyn head of surgery. He was born in County Galway Ireland in 1878. He arrived in South Australia in the 1890's. I know he was working at Kapunda Hospital around 1900 as I have a hospital photo of him and other staff members taken in 1901 and he was still there until his death in 1914 aged 48 years. Dr Glyn never married but did have a historically important older brother Patrick McMahon Glyn who was the editor of the Kapunda Herald in the 1880's. He then was elected to the house of assembly and was a member of North Adelaide from 1895 to 1901. He was elected to the first Federal Parliament in 1901 and became the member of Angus until 1919.
A month before Ruby's death Dr Glyn had just returned from a holiday in County Galway in Ireland, I found out that Fr. Martin was also born in County Galway. I believe that the doctor and Martin could have known each other personally. Would the doctor be prepared to cover up Martin's indiscretions to protect the church.
Ruby Bland was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery with no autopsy, no plot number and no family member to claim the body. Ruby conveniently disappeared until 1998 when Kevin McNeil found her death certificate. Looking at the evidence both the Catholic Church and the Children's Department of South Australia both were responsible for the death of Ruby Bland and the abuse that took place at the reformatory. Fr. Martin was directly responsible for abusing the girls but the Archbishop placed him there and turned a blind eye to his abusive behaviour. The Children's Department of South Australia found out about the abusive behaviour and had overall control of all institutional juveniles but could not do anything to stop Martin or remove him. When the reformatory was to close both the Catholic Church and the Children's Department joined forces to tell the general public how efficient and well run the reformatory was and then announced the reformatory was closing.
If the truth about what was happening at Saint Johns had been made public this would have embarrassed and most probably ended the career of the Archbishop of Adelaide, embarrassed the Catholic Church and the State Government. I believe this would have been a disaster for the Archbishop who placed Martin at the reformatory, even paid his salary personally, not through the official channels. We know this because Mary Mackillop questioned him over this matter in 1897. He knew that Martin was mentally unstable but this did not deter him from placing him amongst teenage female inmates and then turned a blind eye to his indiscretions and his abusive behaviour towards the inmates.
The Saint Johns Reformatory sager came down to one very bad decision made in 1897 by the Archbishop to help a fellow priest who should not have been practising as a priest in the first place because of his unstable mental condition. If the Archbishop had appointed the appropriate Chaplin to Saint Johns it would have been another run of the mill reformatory.
The biggest mystery about Ruby Bland is how she ended up at Saint Johns in the first place? I believe it comes back to some type unforeseen situation that occurred within her family. We can only speculate on what may have occurred but it must have been very serious as she was sent to live with her older sister in Renmark South Australia. Whether she was abused or became pregnant is anyone's guess but it was common if an unmarried teenager became pregnant they were sent away to have the baby. I am still investigating this theory. Also another gap in Ruby's story is what happened while she was living with her sister as this appears to be the time that she went of the rails and some how ended up at Saint Johns Reformatory. It is very possible that Ruby ran away and lived on the streets eventually getting into trouble and ending up at Saint Johns. What ever happened between Ruby and her family was never resolved as they never claimed her body after her death, they chose to let the Catholic Church bury her in hastily arranged grave at Saint Johns Cemetery. The family chose to erase Ruby from its family history, this was evident from the family history documents were there where only two lines of incorrect information on the very last page of the document. It appears that Ruby was dealt a harsh and tragic short life. Her family and the church who should have been protecting her.
Finally if Ruby Bland is haunting Saint Johns I believe she is not looking for her lost baby as many think. It may be her restless spirit looking for justice and to have the ones responsible made accountable for there actions. These individuals stole her life, robbing her of any future to have along successful life.
Unfortunately what happened at Saint Johns is not an isolated case as mistreatment and abuse of children within religious institutions continued through out the 20th Century. It is very sad that individuals within these institutions destroy the lives of children for their own gratification. Instead of theses individuals being made accountable for there actions it is covered up and swept under the carpet.
In 2006 I put together a report about the scandalous events and the death of Ruby Bland that occurred at Saint Johns between 1897 and 1909 and sent it of to a Government inquiry into children who died or were mistreated in custody of a institution (reformatory's orphanages etc). My report was accepted by the enquiry to be investigated further. When the inquiry first started there were only a few children being investigated but within two years there were hundreds of children added to the enquiry. This is a very sad reflection of the religious organisations who were supposed to be caring for the deprived. troubled and orphaned children of South Australia.
Mary Mackillop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph at up the reformatory with the best of intentions to rehabilitate and educate the female inmates but the Sisters were teachers and Social workers with very little skill in criminal custodial conditions. Archbishop O'Reily appointing Fr. James Martin as the Chaplin would spell disaster for the reformatory. The Archbishop knew that Martin was mentally ill with an aggressive personality yet he allowed him to live at Saint Johns to give guidance to troubled female teenagers. This lack of judgement by the Archbishop would lead to rumours of in-appropriate punishment, sexual and psychical abuse and I believe the possible death of Ruby Bland.
The female inmates at Saint Johns Reformatory were supposed to be under the protection of the State and Church by law. The State Children's Department of South Australia were aware of the allegations concerning Fr. Martin and protested vigorously to no avail. The Archbishop chose to do nothing about Martin until the Children's Department requested Martin to be removed. The Archbishop decided to close the reformatory after getting legal advise knowing if he removed Martin as was requested this would have been acknowledgement of Martins crimes. Even when it was decided that the reformatory was to close the Archbishop still did nothing to curve Martins aggressive behaviour, he allowed him to continue as normal with no restrictions put on him.
This in-action by the Archbishop , I believe could have led to the premature death of Ruby Bland. If Martin had been removed or at least put under strict supervision it is very possible that Ruby would have lived. If she had lived she would have been released, maybe getting married having children and lived a long life. But of course she didn't. She was admitted to the Kapunda Hospital with a serious medical condition that she was not going to recover from.
The type of injuries that Ruby suffered will never be known, we can only speculate on this. We can only look at the clues left behind. She was admitted to Kapunda Hospital thirteen days before her death. She was re-baptised before going into surgery this meant that the officials knew she was going to die. She then died on the operating table from complications. The death certificate declares that the cause of death was Cholithiasis-post operative shock which is a very rare condition for a teenager to have aged only 18 years. Kevin McNeil noticed something curious when re-checking the Death Certificates, under the cause of death -Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5" years. It was in different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of the certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written.
If Ruby had been beaten by Martin she could have been suffering from internal injuries or bleeding it would have been in the interest of the officials to keep her in hospital until the reformatory had been shut down. After thirteen days she finally went into surgery were she died on the operating table the day before the reformatory was vacated. She was buried the same day the girls left the reformatory, only 24 hours after her death, no autopsy or any family member claiming the body. It was very convenient for her to be buried on the same days the girls left the reformatory as this tied up the last of the loose ends.
I did find a little bit of information about the surgeon who operated on Ruby, his name was Dr. Eugene McMahon Glyn head of surgery. He was born in County Galway Ireland in 1878. He arrived in South Australia in the 1890's. I know he was working at Kapunda Hospital around 1900 as I have a hospital photo of him and other staff members taken in 1901 and he was still there until his death in 1914 aged 48 years. Dr Glyn never married but did have a historically important older brother Patrick McMahon Glyn who was the editor of the Kapunda Herald in the 1880's. He then was elected to the house of assembly and was a member of North Adelaide from 1895 to 1901. He was elected to the first Federal Parliament in 1901 and became the member of Angus until 1919.
A month before Ruby's death Dr Glyn had just returned from a holiday in County Galway in Ireland, I found out that Fr. Martin was also born in County Galway. I believe that the doctor and Martin could have known each other personally. Would the doctor be prepared to cover up Martin's indiscretions to protect the church.
Ruby Bland was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery with no autopsy, no plot number and no family member to claim the body. Ruby conveniently disappeared until 1998 when Kevin McNeil found her death certificate. Looking at the evidence both the Catholic Church and the Children's Department of South Australia both were responsible for the death of Ruby Bland and the abuse that took place at the reformatory. Fr. Martin was directly responsible for abusing the girls but the Archbishop placed him there and turned a blind eye to his abusive behaviour. The Children's Department of South Australia found out about the abusive behaviour and had overall control of all institutional juveniles but could not do anything to stop Martin or remove him. When the reformatory was to close both the Catholic Church and the Children's Department joined forces to tell the general public how efficient and well run the reformatory was and then announced the reformatory was closing.
If the truth about what was happening at Saint Johns had been made public this would have embarrassed and most probably ended the career of the Archbishop of Adelaide, embarrassed the Catholic Church and the State Government. I believe this would have been a disaster for the Archbishop who placed Martin at the reformatory, even paid his salary personally, not through the official channels. We know this because Mary Mackillop questioned him over this matter in 1897. He knew that Martin was mentally unstable but this did not deter him from placing him amongst teenage female inmates and then turned a blind eye to his indiscretions and his abusive behaviour towards the inmates.
The Saint Johns Reformatory sager came down to one very bad decision made in 1897 by the Archbishop to help a fellow priest who should not have been practising as a priest in the first place because of his unstable mental condition. If the Archbishop had appointed the appropriate Chaplin to Saint Johns it would have been another run of the mill reformatory.
The biggest mystery about Ruby Bland is how she ended up at Saint Johns in the first place? I believe it comes back to some type unforeseen situation that occurred within her family. We can only speculate on what may have occurred but it must have been very serious as she was sent to live with her older sister in Renmark South Australia. Whether she was abused or became pregnant is anyone's guess but it was common if an unmarried teenager became pregnant they were sent away to have the baby. I am still investigating this theory. Also another gap in Ruby's story is what happened while she was living with her sister as this appears to be the time that she went of the rails and some how ended up at Saint Johns Reformatory. It is very possible that Ruby ran away and lived on the streets eventually getting into trouble and ending up at Saint Johns. What ever happened between Ruby and her family was never resolved as they never claimed her body after her death, they chose to let the Catholic Church bury her in hastily arranged grave at Saint Johns Cemetery. The family chose to erase Ruby from its family history, this was evident from the family history documents were there where only two lines of incorrect information on the very last page of the document. It appears that Ruby was dealt a harsh and tragic short life. Her family and the church who should have been protecting her.
Finally if Ruby Bland is haunting Saint Johns I believe she is not looking for her lost baby as many think. It may be her restless spirit looking for justice and to have the ones responsible made accountable for there actions. These individuals stole her life, robbing her of any future to have along successful life.
Unfortunately what happened at Saint Johns is not an isolated case as mistreatment and abuse of children within religious institutions continued through out the 20th Century. It is very sad that individuals within these institutions destroy the lives of children for their own gratification. Instead of theses individuals being made accountable for there actions it is covered up and swept under the carpet.
In 2006 I put together a report about the scandalous events and the death of Ruby Bland that occurred at Saint Johns between 1897 and 1909 and sent it of to a Government inquiry into children who died or were mistreated in custody of a institution (reformatory's orphanages etc). My report was accepted by the enquiry to be investigated further. When the inquiry first started there were only a few children being investigated but within two years there were hundreds of children added to the enquiry. This is a very sad reflection of the religious organisations who were supposed to be caring for the deprived. troubled and orphaned children of South Australia.