45,000 BABIES

Evening Star, Issue 22571, 12 February 1937, Page 1

45,000 BABIES

BUSY RAILWAY CRECHE MELBOURNE’S UNIQUE SCHEME History was made at the Victorian Railways Nursery in Flinders street, Melbourne, recently when the forty-five thousandth baby was left by its mother in the care of the sister and nurses to while away happy hours in the playground while she carried, out a programme of _ sale-time shopping. His name was inscribed on the page in the little blue book, marked with the number 45,000! And so a new milestone was reached in the history of the nursery—unique, as far as it is known, in being the only institution of the kind conducted by a Government railway de- . partment in the world. To enter the nursery is to tread on ground hallowed by the benedictions of innumerable mothers who, unable to afford hired help, have deposited their children in these charming surroundings, under supervised care, with a thankful sigh of relief (says a Melbourne paper). Here, not quietness reigns, but peace!—a peace which persists through the crying, which is inevitable when as many as 50 small folk are gathered together within the space of three or four rooms. The kindly sisters—all of them trained as mothercraft nurses—dearly love children and understand well how to keep them contented and happy. Tiny babies, some of them not more than 10 days or two weeks old, are wheeled gently backwards and forwards in the large dormitory at the far end of the passage, where 20 or more neat little blue cots are ranged about the walls. The-rubber wheels of the cots move smoothly and silently over the polished floor surface. Lulled and soothed by the movement, baby forgets his sorrow, and chuckles softly to himself. Even the cries of the other infants fail to wake him. He has retired into a world of his own again, and his eyes are shut in sleep. TOYS TO DISTRACT. It is not difficult to find a cure for the older Children when they are fractious, for the walls and cupboards of tho playrooms are literally lined and packed with all the toys in the world, \yhen any become worn out or broken, Father Christmas is always ready to hand with something new. There are two playrooms. The indoor one is out of use during the summer except on rainy days or windy days, and just now it hears a deserted look. Even the rooking horses appear a little forlorn as they are lined np in a row six or eight of them, against the wall—for all, the world as though they were starting for the Melbourne Cup. The cardboard animals which form such an attractive frieze appear to enjoy their solitude, however, and continue gaily with their quaint antics. Elephants smile broadly as _ they amble gracefully along on their bind legs, and cows, following the traditional custom, jump over the moon. And sometimes a small girl will quietly leave her playmates and tiptoe to the tiny bed in the far corner, which has a fascination for creche habitues. They spend many hours happily, the sister will tell you, in making and remaking the small fourposter. It is a great treat for one of them to be permitted to enjoy an afternoon 40 winks in it, especially if it is pulled out into the open air. OPEN-AIR PLAYGROUND. The open-air playground is a recent addition to the creche. It was opened less tha.il a year ago, and so carefully wired in that although it is on the roof top the small folk are as safe in it as behind iron bars. Toddlers have a special department in the centre. They may roam at will from one boundary to tho other—hut _ escape _ they cannot! Safety swings, into which they are strapped snugly, see-saws, and a variety of soft and woolly animals are there for their diversion, and if they become bored they may watch the groat world outside, where the elder children are at play. This senior playground rather resembles a speed track. Everyone appropriates a vehicle in which, or on which, to savour the thrill of speed and movement. Scooters, tricycles, motor cars, in a constant stream of traffic, are circumnavigated round and round and round again until muscles arc tired and throats a little husky from happy cries. Only a few of the girls are still sufficiently mid-Victorian to want to play with prams! EFFICIENT ORGANISATION. Of the organisation of the creche—baby may sleep there and rest there as he would at home. Before parents leave they are asked what should be served in tho way of nourishment, and nothing else is given to the children save that has been ordered. Two-courso meals are sent up at midday from the railway refreshment services for the small cost of lOd per head, and orange juice or milk and biscuits is always at hand, cool from the refrigerator! The nursery kitchen, by the way, would fill the heart of any housewife with envy. It gleams with tiles and metal, and possesses every modern device for cooling and heating. The colour scheme, as in other parts of the creche, is cream and blue. The increasing patronage at the nursery indicates the wide appreciation which it is meeting from mothers. The record attendance for one day occurred during the week before Christmas, when there were IS9 clients, and another day 188 were recorded. During the week ended December 19, 688 children were looked after—an average of 114 a day. Over the entire holiday period, for the four weeks ended January 2. 2,184 children were received, compared with 1,954 during the corresponding period in the previous year. This increase of 40 per _ cent, indicates the growing popularity of the children’s nursery, and there are other figures, too, which speak for the success of this enterprise. Forty-five thousand children—and, what is more, 45,000 mothers, some of them interstate visitors, and a large proportion of them from tho country—' have derived the benefit of tho nursery since it was established less than three years ago. Staff has been increased, rooms have been added, and in the near future further expansion is anticipated. Tho charming blue nursery in Flinders street is becoming widely known as a place where children play happily with each other, and babies s’ccp the sleep of t.ic just, as only babies can.