As we report without fear or favour, this film has the potential to bring up many feelings for different people for different reasons. We don’t apologise for sharing this film but warn people that this is a film about Willow Court’s darker history that previously divided the community and still has the potential to bring back those memories. It should also be mentioned that this film also contains the images of people with disabilities and has previously air nationally on television.

This is the first time this footage has been available since it’s first airing in the late 1980’s. Media, such as TV, has previously been used to alert the public to “poor and abusive” conditions in many institutions around the world throughout our history. Often this results in formal reports such as a Board of Inquiry, a Parliamentary Inquiry and various Royal Commissions. This has resulted in the deinstitutionalisation program, improved living conditions and higher staffing levels in many cases for residents.

The following film was from the Hinch Program and shows two whistleblower staff who went to the media to report what they had experienced and witnessed as employees of the hospital. ABC also covered the story and interviewed both staff member and these news stories went around Australia. I have since completed a full interview with Mark Beach-Ross which has limited release and is only available in a research area (Members Area). A full version of the Ree Pettifer 1989 Report (61 pages) can be found here; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3A3pgFWqqrbUzhKOV9jekhPZWs

This footage also shows two senior staff members in discussions with the reporters in the Administration Building foyer, The taller staff member was Grant Lenox, former Administrator at WCC and the man with the ponytail was the late DR Jerry Von Bamberger, former Director WCC.