A wonderful read, especially the farm trade workers position description for 1947, the milkman not only had to deliver the fresh milk to the wards and kitchen, he was also responsible for milking the cows, only after cleaning their udders.
With the expansion of the hospital in the 1950 and 60s farming on the east side of the Lachlan River deceased although the Government land that once was Turriff Lodge had fertile soils and provided many hours for work for patients. After the Turriff Lodge buildings were demolished the bricks were used for the foundation on the fowl sheds on the hospital farm. Will get a scan copy onto the documents tab soon.
2 Comments
Wow! I love this site! The history you provide is incredible, thankyou. 2 questions: To get the maximum benefits for restoration and recognition for Willow Court, why doesn’t the Willow Court History Group AND the Friends of Willow Court, work together? It seems that you are competing – for the same result!
Also, what is the future timeline for Willow Court restoration, restaurants and accommodation? Any time soon?
I am contemplating purchasing a house in New Norfolk and am also interested in the future of Willow Court.
Regards and thankyou for your great work –
Glenda T. Smith
Hi Glenda, thank you for your interest in our website and the positive comments you have offered. We have good news and not so good news. The not so good news is that there isn’t any funding for future restoration. All levels of Government cry poor when it comes to Tasmania’s rich heritage and job creation that can happen from this. Willow Court has a unique place in Australia’s history which, while most people find interesting, we still have to combat negative stereotypes around Mental Health and Intellectual Disability to gain full community permission to flourish into the respectful tourist attraction that it can become. The great work in the heritage precinct done by Rodney Dunn and his wife, Séverine Demanet who set up the the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, is an example for the owners, the Derwent Valley Council to follow.
The good news is we work closely with the Friends of Willow Court but we are not restricted by the massive restraints that they must operate within under the leadership of the Derwent Valley Council. A great example is the recording of the oral history from past patients, staff and community members who all have memories of the hospital. The DVC demand the copyright of all recordings, were we prefer that the speakers maintain the copyright of their recording and offer us permission for use, storage and transmission.
We also have some different ideas about the sites use. We prefer that the site isn’t used to demean the previous residents and staff, but the DVC have seen fit to allow small tour groups into the site that have a recorded history of demeaning the previous residents for financial gain, which the DVC share in. I really hope that the State or Federal Government take a leadership role in the site and we see the management of our heritage offered to the Port Arthur Authority, a group with all the expertise to operate and look after our heritage and are able to maximize the benefit to the local community with employment opportunities for the local young people of the area.
I hope you enjoy the area if you decide to move in, there are some wonderful people there.
Cheers
Mark Krause