SAVING MARRIAGES FROM THE ROCKS

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 February 1949, Page 4

SAVING MARRIAGES FROM THE ROCKS

Wanganui-Born Man Heads Sydney Guidance Centre

“A number ox marriages have ijeen saved from the divorce court by parties seeking the aid of expert conciliators by the Cathedral Marriage Guidance Centre in Sydney," said the Rev. Dr. S. Barton Babbage, Dean of Sydney, yesterday. Dr Babbage, who is making his first ‘visit to Wanganui since his appointment as Dean of the Australian metropolis, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Babbage, Rawhiti Place, St. John’s Hill. Dr. Babbage said the Guidance Centre was established in 1947, and was the first centre at its kind established outside the British Isles. It is linked with the National Marriage Guidance Council of England and Dr. Babbage is its director. During the past 18 months more than 1000 couples have sought the aid of the centre.

Problems met with have been medical, physiological, social and spiritual. He said the centre is assisted by highly-trained psychiatrists, gynaecologists, and social workers.

"The centre endeavours to discover the basic cause of maladjustment or the difficulties in any particular marriage,” said Dr. Babbage. "Having discovered these, the couple are sent on to the specialists concerned. He said a contribution had been made towards solving the marital difficulties and 60 per cent of the cases had been saved from foundering.

"The centre,” he said, “recognises that a large amount of the trouble is due to ignorance and lack of education in the early days of marjiage. Consequently, the centre arranges courses of lectures for engaged couples and many young married people. Eight series of lectures have now been given and have been attended by large audiences. These lectures are always given by a medical doctor under the chairmanship of the dean. Specially recommended literature is also sold to couples who desire further information."

Dr. Babbage said there was an old saying which summed up the twofold character of the work: “A fence at the top of the cliff Is better than an ambulance at the bottom. He said the centre was trying to help people at the top of the cliff from matrimonial suicide.

The informant said the experience of the centre had shown that a basic problem was sometimes a physical one, and sometimes sterility in one or both partners. In other instances a spiritual problem had to be solved.