During the 1950s, I went to a strict boarding school in Western Australia, and I remember being caned very vividly.

To earn the cane, you had to admittedly commit a pretty grave and serious offence, and even then maybe several times before corporal punishment was used. But when it was used, it was brutal!

You had your punishment written up by the teacher involved, and your parents were called and told about your behaviour and the impending punishment.

Unlike in many other establishments, The punishment itself wasn’t given immediately – you had a date to present yourself for punishment, which was usually a couple of days or so after the original offence. You had to go to the punishment room, where the school nurse would check you were physically fit enough to be caned.

Then the teacher administering the cane – usually the senior mistress for girls – would appear with the instrument. Then you would be told to bend over

The beatings we received were very harsh, up to 20 strokes. We used to cry and shout even after a few Strokes, but on some occasions, a few girls would actually faint from the pain
Afterwards, there would be vivid red stripes across your bottom. On the day you are caned, the pain was pretty much unbearable. It hurt even to walk or stand, let alone sit. You would have a very sore bottom!

You would try and rub some ointment, if you could get any, on to your buttocks in order to calm the pain.