Herbert Joseph Chambers was born in 1912 in Clifton Hill, Victoria. Later he was to live in Clark and Charles Streets in Northcote, in South Caulfield, and finally in Mentone. While he may have worked at the Kew Asylum before 1945, that year was when he was presented with a Certificate issued by the Department of Mental Hygiene (Victoria) declaring that he had completed training and passed the examinations required to work as a 'Mental Attendant’. The document is dated 19th December 1945 and signed by the Director of the Department and by the Co-Examiners. From at least 1945, he was to work as a member of the male staff of the Asylum, mainly in the Refractory Ward. A donor gifted to the Kew Historical Society in February 2019 a number of items collected by Herbert Chambers in his work at the Asylum. These include his Certificate of Registration, a photograph taken of him with two colleagues at Circular Quay in Sydney, a notebook containing ‘SP’ betting records of male asylum staff, and five sketchbooks with artwork created by Kenn’th [sic] Bailey, a patient of the Asylum. Herbert Chambers’ period of employment at the Kew Asylum coincided with the employment of the English psychiatrist Dr Eric Cunningham Dax (1908-2008) as Chairman of the Mental Hygiene Authority in 1952. Dr Dax introduced an art therapy program into Victorian psychiatric hospitals, including Kew, where it is likely that the five sketchbooks were created. The sketchbooks are believed to have been presented to Chambers by Bailey as a “gift for looking after him”. Herbert Chambers retired from the Kew Asylum in c.1970 after working there for almost thirty years.Representative example of certification required to work as a Mental Attendant in Victoria.Certificate issued by the Department of Mental Hygiene (Victoria) declaring that Herbert Joseph Chambers has completed training and passed examinations required to work as a 'Mental Attendant. The document, dated 19th December 1945 is signed by the Director of the Department and by the Co-Examiners.Department of Mental Hygiene Victoria This is to certify that HERBERT JOSEPH CHAMBERS is a trained MEDICAL ATTENDANT having completed the period of Training and passed the Examinations, prescribed by the Regulations of The Department of Mental Hygiene, in Elementary Anatomy and Physiology, First Aid, General Medical and Special Mental Hygiene. 19TH DECEMBER, 1945 Signed by the Director of Mental Hygiene and two Co-Examinersherbert joseph chambers, kew mental hospital, department of mental hygeine - victoria

Two letters relating to mental health. .1) Dr E. Cunningham Dux of the Mental Hygiene Authority writes to L. Garner, Principal of the Ballarat Junior Technical School, regarding the inaugural Mental Health Week. .2) Dr Brenda Riley of the Ballarat Mental Hospital writes to L. Garner, Principal of the Ballarat Junior Technical School, regarding brief talks about the Ballarat Mental Hospital and its ancillary services. .4) Typed letter on Department of Mental Hygiene (Ballarat Mental Hospital) Letterhead.signed 'E. Cunningham Dax'mental health, ballarat mental hospital, mental health week, l. garner, brenda riley, e. cunningham dax, mental health research institute, mental hygiene, department of mental hygiene, l.c. garner, brenda ridley