Thomas Embling

Thomas Embling (26 August 1814 – 17 January 1893) was a medical doctor from the United Kingdom who took an interest in the humane treatment of inmates in asylums before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia where he set about reforming the Yarra Bend Asylum. Later on Thomas Embling took up the cause of the gold miners in Eureka and had a successful career in the early parliament of Victoria.

Early life

Thomas Embling was born 26 August 1814 in Oxford, United Kingdom. At 16 he was apprenticed to an apothecary. He then studied medicine, becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1837 and a licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries in 1838.

After his graduation in 1829 he went into partnership in practice with his brother. It was during this time he held a position as a Visiting Medical Officer at Hanwell Asylum, where he became familiar with the latest treatment methods in lunatic asylums. Embling married Jane Webb Chinnock on 1 August 1839 Both Embling and his wife suffered from 'pulmonary affections' which influenced their decision to emigrate to Australia. sailed from England to South Australia; they then travelled across to Melbourne. The journey to Melbourne was not without incident and Embling was caught up in the bush fires of Black Thursday in February 1851.

Yarra Bend Asylum

Embling's first appointment in Australia was to be as an assistant to the Colonial Surgeon of Victoria. However parliament members James Johnston and Charles Ebden put forward the proposition that Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum required a Resident Medical Officer and Embling was highly suitable.

Embling's early days at Yarra Bend were not easy. Superintendent George Watson was not pleased with the appointment of a Resident Medical Officer. With the assistance of displaced Visiting Medical Officer Dr Cussen, The story was picked up by the press, and in April 1852, only four months after Embling's appointment, The Argus newspaper called for a reorganisation of the asylum. Public support for an enquiry grew, citing evidence of mismanagement and human rights abuses including Evidence of physical and sexual abuse; Corruption; Poor treatment of inmates, including forcing 28 people to share the same bath water, Illegal use of asylum resources, including using resources supposedly earmarked for patients being funnelled into a private poultry farm run by the Superintendent; Patients being frequently drunk. The Committee found that patients had been severely maltreated and that the Superintendent was "grossly negligent as well as highly culpable". Praise was heaped upon Embling by the Committee, declaring "it is with extreme regret we observe the efforts of this gentleman to promote the efficiency of a valuable institution, and to check the abuses that so seriously affected its usefulness…"

Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe dismissed the entire staff of Yarra Bend, including Embling. Superintendent Watson was given another post which led to The Argus launching a bitter attack on La Trobe, stating that Embling had been "turned adrift". Embling wrote a comprehensive account of his experiences at Yarra Bend Asylum which The Argus published. and Embling set up a private practice in Gore Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Politician

Embling publicly supported the popular movement at the Eureka Stockade near Ballarat in December 1854 and took over the chair at a public meeting which passed resolutions in favour of the gold miner's cause. The camels Landells returned with were used on the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860.

Death and commemoration

Thomas Embling died of "Senile Debility" on 17 January 1893 survived by his wife and four children.