Minda Incorporated, established in 1898, provides support to children and adults with disability in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

and is the largest non-Government disability support organisation in the state. The not-for-profit organisation offers support and opportunity to approximately 1,750 South Australians with disability in the areas of accommodation (at its Brighton neighbourhood and in the community), supported employment, lifestyle services and respite. It is Minda's vision To be a leading force for good within Australia in supporting people living with an intellectual disability in all aspects of their lives. Minda has office locations in the suburb of

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, in Reynella, Ottoway and

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

. The organisation was originally formed to provide support and lodging for children with intellectual disabilities.

History

Prior to 1898, children with intellectual disabilities were housed along with adults in the lunatic asylum at Parkside. After lobbying by concerned citizens, notably George Ash M.P., the government promised £500 towards a better quality institution specifically for children, provided that a similar amount was raised from donations. This target was achieved and in 1897 a home was purchased on Fullarton Road,

Fullarton Fullarton is a small area in Irvine, North Ayrshire. It is situated close to Irvine Bay and is next to several industrial estates, large supermarkets and retail stores and the town centre itself. Stagecoach Western buses operate the local bus ...

. The home was registered as the Home for Weak Minded Children, but was called Minda, from a

Kaurna The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kau ...

word meaning 'place of shelter and protection'. The first children moved in during May 1898. A larger property was bought at Brighton in 1909, and with further government support a new and larger home was erected. This was incorporated as Minda Home in September 1911. Further buildings and additions were built over the next two decades, and by 1934 Minda operated a farm and dormitory at Blackwood (now Craigburn Farm). Despite Minda being established to provide a better environment for 'weak minded' children than Parkside Mental Hospital, Parkside continued to accommodate such children with several children being transferred from Minda to Parkside in 1940. In 1980, 55 hectares of Craigburn Farm was donated for inclusion in

Sturt Gorge Recreation Park The Sturt Gorge Recreation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the suburbs of Bellevue Heights, Craigburn Farm and Flagstaff Hill within the Adelaide metropolitan area about south of the Adelaide ce ...

as part of an agreement to allow subdivision of land south of the Sturt River in Flagstaff Hill. The major part of the balance of the farm at Blackwood was sold in the 1990s and forms the major part of Craigburn Farm, a major housing development. In 2007 the

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

announced that the farm's

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

would be included in an enlarged Sturt Gorge Recreation Park, building on the original donation and saving the dam from demolition.

References

External links

The Minda Inc websiteSA Link-up
* {{Authority control Medical and health organisations based in South Australia Organizations established in 1898 Disability organisations based in Australia