Elizabeth Eldridge

Elizabeth Eldridge was living in Redan,.

History
In May 1905, her house was robbed while she was at church: "Two burglaries were committed at Redan on Sunday night while the occupiers of the respective premises were at church...Subsequently the thieves broke into the cottage of Mrs. Elizabeth Eldridge, and annexed a gold watch and a small amount of cash."

In 1905 the Victoria Electoral Roll gives the address as 172 1/2 Skipton Street. She is not listed at the address later.

In April 1907, Elizabeth Eldridge was gaoled as a vagrant, after the Ballarat Hospital and the Benevolent Home claimed they did have space to take her in: "Invalid Sent to Gaol. Mr Davies, the Acting Premier appears to be strangely indifferent about the case of Mrs Elizabeth Eldridge, the poor old woman who was sent to gaol because she was suffering from cancer. His attitude on the subject seems to be that of the man who is tired and says, 'Oh, don't bother me about these trivial matters.' Mr. Davies will have to learn that the people of Victoria will not see a gross injustice done to a respectable old woman without a vigorous protest. He will find that it is not a good thing for a Government to bear the odium of having permitted a respectable woman, in her old and helpless days, to be bundled into gaol simply because she suffered from cancer. The explanations of the Police Magistrate and the police at Ballarat are not by any means satisfactory. In his memorandum on the case, Sergeant Britt states that the report of Constable Hooley, of Redan, where Mrs Eldridge lived, 'gives the unfortunate woman an excellent character, and nothing more than her illness and the fact that no place could be found for her other than in gaol was the cause of her committal.' Is this community prepared to rest under the stigma of not providing any place other than gaol for its old and afflicted people who have during a long life kept themselves respectable and helped build up this state? It is asserted by the police that neither the Ballarat Hospital nor the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum would care for Mrs Eldridge because she suffered from cancer. It is to be hoped that the subscribers to these Institutions will seek from the committees of management a better reason than the one given for their action In this matter. Also, members of Parliament should not fail to recall the treatment meted out to Mrs Eldridge when the votes for these Institutions come before them on the Estimates. Sir Alexander Peacock, the Chief Secretary, whose department is concerned in this phase of the case, has determined to place on the papers his opinion that the two institutions mentioned, being State-aided charities, ought to have done more for Mrs Eldridge. This furnishes a marked contrast to Mr Davies's inaction. The circumstances of Mrs Eldridge's case are bad enough, but so far Mr Davies has not given any indication that he or the Government will take steps to prevent the same wicked injustice being done to some other old man or woman. Inasmuch as Mrs Eldridge was at the time of her committal, drawing an old age pension, there is little doubt that the sentence passed on her for vagrancy was illegal, and yet Mr Davies shelters himself behind the statement that he has 'no control over the magistrates.' Apparently Mr Davies does not believe that 'where there is a will there is a way.'"

"INVALID SENT TO GAOL. CHIEF SECRETARY'S MINUTE. Ballarat charities blamed The Chief Secretary, having read the report of Sergeant Britt (published in last night's issue), as to the reason why Mrs Elizabeth Eldridge, an old age pensioner, aged 77, an invalid, was arrested, brought before the Ballarat Court, and sent to gaol, has decided to write a strong minute thereon. Sir Alexander Peacock, on being seen to-day, said : 'I intend to minute the police report to the effect that the Ballarat Hospital and Ballarat Benevolent Asylum, being charitable Institutions subsidised by the State, it was the duty of the one or the other to have taken in Mrs Eldridge, even if a point had to be stretched to make room for her, it was the duty of those Institutions to have done what they could to prevent a stigma being cast on a decent old woman who, in the closing hours of her life, was suffering as she was. The police are not to blame, but the Ballarat State-subsidised charities should have recognised their responsibilities. I am glad that Mrs Eldridge has now been released from gaol and sent to the Austin Hospital. I trust that there will be no more cases of this kind.'"

The Benevolent Home objected to the claims against them: "When seen in reference to the above, Mr Lederman, the president of the Benevolent Asylum, expressed surprise at the Chief Secretary's minute. The case of Mrs Eldridge has never been brought before the committee of the institution or the president. Applications for admission to the Benevolent Asylum can be granted only by the committee or the president, and, as neither had been approached, it follows that refusal to admit this case cannot he urged against this institution'.' It should be remembered, also, that the Benevolent Asylum does not deal with this class of case, and does not possess a Resident medical or trained nurses. Under the circumstances, it seems to be singuarly unjust that the Chief Secretary should include the Benevolent Asylum in his very vigorous and condemnatory minute."

Elizabeth died in Footscray on 24 October 1908. She is buried in the Fawkner Cemetery, Methodist B, Grave 400.