‘Charity warfare’ embodies a fresh approach to the origins of Australian social work. The Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne was founded on the principles of London’s famous Charity Organisation Society. This book traces its first twelve years from the high boom conditions of 1887 through a catastrophic collapse and depression to the close of the century. During this period the COS tried with varying success to control the Ladies’ Benevolent Societies which were operating in the suburbs, to establish a register of those seeking assistance, and to prevent ‘pauperism’ by ensuring that aid went only to the ‘deserving’. ‘Charity warfare’ puts forward three new arguments. It shows that Victorian charity was much closer to the model of the Old Country than has hitherto been realised. It demonstrates how the doctrine of Organised Charity permeated the mainstream of colonial Victorian liberalism. And, most originally, it argues that the COS forged professional social work in Australia as an instrument to slay, or at least ward off, the rising ‘threat’ of organised labour. The book demolishes the legend that Australian welfare history is essentially about the rise and inevitable progress of a ‘welfare state’, which ever-more-justly re-distributes ‘wealth’ from rich to poor. This book throws much light on attitudes to present-day welfare recipients and welfare benefits. It will be of interest not only to the professional historian and social worker, but also to those very many Australians who – in these days of consensus between the power brokers of government, unions and business – wonder what will become of our sick, our aged and our unemployed. And so the 1880s help us to understand the 1980s.

CONTENTS
Introduction p1.
Deserving and undeserving p12: Bourgeois myth p13. Myth for the working class p24. The Victorian charity web p32.
British background p44: British capitalism and organised charity p48. C.S. Loch: ideologue of social work p57. Organised charity as ideology p70.
Organising the charitable 1887-1891 p77: Foundation of the Charity Organisation Society p77. COS methods of casework p93. Controversy over aims p98. Origin of medical social work? p102. [Dr Charles] Strong and [Dr John] Singleton on poverty p107. The ‘want of employment’ question 1890-1 p114. Turning point: the charity conference p122. The Charity Commission p125. Results p128.
Reproducing subordination 1887-91 p137: Bastion against a poor law p137. Charitable Organisation Society versus Melbourne Ladies’ Benevolent Society p144.
1892: charity boom and charity bust p150: Failure of the Central Fund p151. Scientific charity in the suburbs p164. ‘The ladies’ dispauperise and triumph p175.
From organisation to social work 1893-1898 p185: Dispersal policy in 1893: Leongatha Labour Colony p185. Antecedents of Social Security’s ‘work test’ p190. Re-organisation of ruling class charity p195. The beginning of social work p197. An imperial Englishman’s finest hour [Prof. Edward Ellis Morris] p209. A state-organised poor law? p216.
Conclusion: charity struggles within the class struggle p231: Impact of the Charity Organisation Movement p232. Organised charity and Victorian liberalism p233. Origin of Australian social work p237.
Appendix A: Statistics of the Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne p243.
Appendix B: Jacob Goldstein.
Selective bibliography p248.
Glossary for students p258.
Index p263.

INDEX SELECTIONS
Aged poor. Alfred Hospital. Almoners. Austin Hospital for Incurables. Conferences on charity. Charles Booth. Bernard Bosanquet. Charles B.P. Bosanquet. Helen Bosanquet. Rev. Dr Bromby. Brunswick Relief Society. Dr S. Mannington Caffyn. Jessie Cairns. Central Board of Benevolence. Central Fund. Thomas Chalmers. Charities Bill of 1897. Children. Children’s Hospital. Chinese. Citizen’s Welfare Service of Victoria. Lady Janet Clarke. Sir W.J. Clarke. Collingwood. Collingwood Free Medical Mission Dispensary. Edward Denison. 1890s Depression. Mrs Louise Dunne. Captain J. Evans. Food distribution. Friendly visitors. Jacob Goldstein (Secretary). Colonel Jacob Robert Yannasch Goldstein. George J. Goschen. Antonio Gramsci. T.H. Green. Frederick Haddon. Thomas Harlin. Pastor Herman Herlitz. George Higinbotham. Octavia Hill. Rev. Ernest Selwyn Hughes. Immigrants’ Home. Inspectors of Charitable Institutions. Mrs Jane Jamieson. Labour colonies. Ladies’ Benevolent Societies. Lady visitors. J. Levey. Sir Charles S. Loch. Sir Henry Loch. Rev. Alexander Macully. J.H. Maddock. Dr William Maloney. T.R. Malthus. Melbourne Benevolent Asylum. Melbourne Hospital. Melbourne Ladies’ Benevolent Society. Edith (Mrs Edward) Morris. Edward Ellis Morris. Mrs Mowbray. James Munro. Sir Arthur Nicolson. R. Norman. Prahran. Queen’s Fund. Richmond. Royal commissions. Rev. J.B. Rudduck. St Vincent de Paul Society. Salvation Army. Premier Shiels. Dr John Singleton. Stanley Greig Smith. South Melbourne. Dr Charles Strong. Miss Selina Sutherland. Trade unions. Mrs W.M. Turnbull. George Turner. Ephraim Lamen Zox.