Local – Page 23 – Willow Court Tasmania

Funding options for Frascati House and handing over the key to Willow Court?

June 24, 2015 No Comments

Derwent Valley Council last week discussed a proposal to obtaining a grant from the National Stronger Regions Fund, a Federal Government funding pool that is allocated for infrastructure in regional communities. The fund requires that the amount asked for be matched dollar for dollar. During this discussion under point 10.5 of the Council’s own agenda, the money would be used for

“restoration of Frascati House, with inclusion of a high quality conferencing facility, museum including nursing memorabilia, possible re-location of the Historic Information Centre (following consultation with the committee) and future tea room with the capability to be used to train students from the High School (in particular) in basic hospitality skills.”

It was debated that the Council put forward half a million dollars of rate payers funds to obtain the grant. Some Councillors didn’t want to use rate payers funds for this purpose and the matter was debated then approved.

The Derwent Valley Council is looking to sell off land on the flood plains behind the new Woolworths Supermarket Complex and it is believed that this would/could reimburse the rate payer funds or add to them. There wasn’t a valuation mentioned during the meeting to know if this would in fact cover the cost to the rate payers of the Derwent Valley. The proposed use for the grant is different than stated in the Council’s very own McDonald Report, which is believed to have cost about $70,000.

One of the criteria for this grant is that it must provide ongoing economic benefit for the community and address disadvantage, collaboration is looked upon favourably. With this and the need for a fully costed heritage works plan and fully costed ‘fit out’ in mind it is suggested that the Oatlands Heritage Centre 5 x 5 x 5 project be contacted to prepare those costings for that project.

It is also believed that there is a possibility that the contractor will conclude present site works at Willow Court and the key will be handed over to the Derwent Valley Council. Mayor Martyn Evans also cautioned that dates have been announced and, have past before, without the end in sight. If it is the case then the Derwent Valley Council will take full control of the site and it’s management at the end of June.

Global, Local

Willow Court mentioned in Canberra

June 17, 2015 No Comments

Click here to listen to the speach from Lyons Member Eric Hutchinson. You will have to sign onto your Facebook Account to do so.

This is a speech that Senator Eric Hutchinson presented in Canberra this week and he also mentioned the Friends of Willow Court and the Friends of Frascati House, both special committee’s of the Derwent Valley Council. He also mentions the Councils part in actively putting the Willow Court Heritage Precinct forward for National Heritage listing. The assessment process is about to start and the Friends groups are ready to support the Council in this endeavor.

Meanwhile the Derwent Valley Gazette ran a full page picture and story of the National attention that Willow Court is now receiving. Councillor James Graham and the Derwent Valley Council’s Regional Development Officer, Jess Dallas today attended the Upper House’s Inquiry into Built Heritage with the Council’s own submission and he reported tonight that the Committee were thankful for the Council’s submission. Earlier this week the Upper House Committee toured through Willow Court with the Friends of Willow Court and listened to their submission. Part of their inquiry is to look at an ongoing funding source for all Tasmanian Heritage.

Global, Local

Built Heritage Committee Visit Willow Court

June 15, 2015 No Comments

(L – R) Sharon Hutchison FoWC, Hon Adriana Taylor MLC, Hon Rob Valentine MLC, Vivienne de Bressac FoWC, Hon Ivan Dean MLC, Hon Kerry Finch MLC, Anne Salt Chairperson FoWC.

Today the Legislative Council Built Heritage Committee met with the Friends of Willow Court and toured the site as part of their investigations into Tasmanian Heritage. The use and conditions of the site were taken into considerations on today’s tour as the committee wandered through the restored and un-restored sections. The Derwent Valley Council will have a separate time with the the Committee Members next week. The Committee are looking and reporting back on the following:

The management, preservation, tourist marketing and promotion of built heritage assets in Tasmania, with particular reference to:

1. The current and future potential contribution that built heritage makes to tourism in Tasmania;
2. The role of Government;
3. The role of tourism organisations;
4. The role of heritage organisations;
5. Any relevant considerations in other jurisdictions;
6. Any other matters incidental thereto.

The Committee Members moved onto Redland’s Estate after their Willow Court experience.

Hon Adriana Taylor MLC getting a photo with two Members of the Friends of Willow Court

Global, Local

Start of the Heritage listing process for Willow Court

June 10, 2015 No Comments

Eric Hutchinson being interviewed in front of the Willow Court Barracks Building

The Derwent Valley Council Media release.

The Derwent Valley Council welcomes the announcement that the Willow Court Barracks Precinct and Frescati House at New Norfolk are to be assessed by the Australian Heritage Council for possible inclusion in the National Heritage List.

Mayor Martyn Evans said that two of the buildings in the precinct were older than those at Port Arthur and were deserving of national recognition. The main building at Willow Court was built as an invalid barracks in 1830, designed by the convict architect John Lee Archer. Nearby Frescati House was built for Colonial Secretary John Burnett in 1834 at a time when the colonial governors favoured New Norfolk as their summer retreat. Both became part of a much larger hospital site that closed in 2000-01.

“The entire site has local and state heritage listing as well as being included on the Register of the National Estate which was the highest standard prior to the establishing of the National Heritage List,” Councillor Evans said. “With only 124 places included on the list as it stands, we know it will be a rigorous assessment process but the council has no doubt about the national significance of Willow Court both as a convict site and for the story it tells about developments in the understanding and treatment of mental health and intellectual disability over a period of 170 years,” Cr Evans said.

“Council understands that the assessment process may take as long as two years but we will not be sitting on our hands in the meantime,” Cr Evans said. “Having recently expended more than $1.5 million on urgent conservation works at the Barracks and Bronte House, the council is exploring all options to continue that work. With our own funds exhausted, we are about to embark on a world-wide expression of interest process,” he said.

Mayor Evans said the council was deeply appreciative of the interest shown by the Federal Minister for the Environment, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, and the Federal Member for Lyons, Eric Hutchinson MP, as well as State Cabinet members who visited the site last month. “Council sees the sensitive development of the Willow Court site as one of the keys to the future prosperity of the Derwent Valley. Our ultimate goal is to see Willow Court take its rightful place among the 11 other Australian Convict Sites on the World Heritage List,” Mayor Evans concluded.

Podcasts: 1 Deputy Mayor Ben Shaw, 2 Eric Hutchinson MP, 3 Tony Nicholson OAM.

Also Deputy Mayor Ben Shaw stated on his Facebook page: “The Land Sale Committee has recommended the sale/expression of interest go out for a parcel of land on George Street (the large flat area below the new Woolworths) if council receive an agreeable price for this land the proceeds will go into Willow court restoration”

Global, Local

Friends of Willow Court member honored

June 8, 2015 No Comments

The Queens Birthday Honors list has revealed that the Friends of Willow Court Member, Mr Antony David (Tony) Nicholson, of Lachlan, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to local government and to the community of the Derwent Valley. Tony had recently spent all of the weekend at the Friends of Willow Court Heritage Month Display showing visitors about and being available to share his historical knowledge. Tony has been a supporter of Willow Court becoming a top Australian tourist attraction that respectfully tells the story of the past staff and residents. Picture above, Tony is showing and explaining to a group of TAFE students the Willow Court facility and the past practices of the time. Tony has a long history with the Derwent Valley Council and Derwent Valley Historic Association and was an ex-employee of Willow Court\Royal Derwent Hospital.

Global, Local

Friends of Willow Court invited to Government House

June 1, 2015 No Comments

The Governor’s partner invited all the Members of the Friends of Willow Court Special Committee to a very special musical performance of Dean Stevenson’s original works at Government House tonight.

The invite came during the opening ceremony for the recent Heritage Month activities arranged by the committee. It was good to have a bit of rest and relaxation after the work.

Thank you to Her Excellency The Governor of Tasmania Professor Kate Warner and Mr. Dick Warner.

Global, Local

Leaving gifts.

May 31, 2015 No Comments

What to do with so many “unbreakable” glass window panes? Make them into leaving gifts! I saw this today at a friend’s house, her father, a highly respected advocate for people living with a disability both at Willow Court and later within the community, was presented with it after the closure in October 2000. The glass slabs were almost unbreakable and are about 1.5 cm thick and here it is mounted in a perspex frame and stand. While all things Willow Court/Royal Derwent Hospital are highly collectible, for some they also represent many years of dedicated service.

Global, Local

Archaeology tells a story

May 27, 2015 No Comments

“From the site of London’s notorious Bedlam Hospital, they are the long-buried remains of many asylum patients once subjected to the cruel and brutal treatments that characterised our early understanding of mental health”

This article came to me at the same time as I am reading Sue Piddock’s recently released paper “Archaeology and the Lunatic Asylum“. Here she believes that the history of the place is told through the archaeology. She believes that the treatments and the mental illness itself can skewed the witnesses testimony. She believes that basic conditions are told through the interpretation of the archaeology of a site and can be considered more accurate.

“While patients have written about their experiences over the centuries (see Porter 1991), such accounts do not fully cover the patient experience, and their writers have their own agendas, often tempered by the belief that the person has been wrongly admitted to the asylum for various reasons and is not in fact mentally ill. There is also the problem of determining whether the experience described is accurate or influenced by mental illness which may produce delusions or paranoia. The archaeology of institutions allows us to explore the world of the asylum and to provide a different voice from the official one of documentation relating to the asylum produced by those given control over the asylum.”

The following article from the UK is the archaeology from a site that is the first known asylum in Europe, Bedlam mental health hospital, established in 1247 and is to become the new site of the UK’s Liverpool Street train station and new cross tunnel. Click here to read Susan work, which is a 58 page document and includes Willow Court: Susan Piddock article Susan is known as one of Australia leading writers and authorities of Asylum’s both in Australia and the UK. She has previously allow her works to be published on this site and that can be found HERE

*WARNING THE PICTURE IS LINKED TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WHICH HAS PHOTOS OF HUMAN REMAINS AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN*

Global, Local

Call for Expressions of interest.

May 27, 2015 No Comments

26 May 2015 Special Council Meeting

Closed Derwent Valley Council meeting on the 26th May to discuss the selling or leasing of Willow Court and expression of interest documents.

It is expected that the Expression of interest will take up to 12 months, so the site will be left abandoned again for that period of time.

Councillor Bester responds to this post HERE and points out that it was not a closed meeting as I have reported ( I agree that this is right).

He then goes on to write and suggest that the only source of truth about Willow Court is the “Councillors” of the Derwent Valley Council.

As we have previously seen, all have their own agenda and political futures to protect as is witnessed each time the State election is called.

While I suggest The Council is important in holding the current ownership of the site, anyone who looks back at the past 15 year after the closure of Willow Court, many of those that the Derwent Valley Council has had a leading roll in Willow Court, the proof of the work and negotiation can be found in the site as it is today.

“What’s not so good is when opinions are presented as facts” Councillor Bester tells us “opinions as fact” when the statements he refers to were those spoken either at Council meetings or by Councillors attending Friends of Willow Court meetings. So the only fact is the very confused messages that leak out of the Derwent Valley Council and from the many sources.

Here are some facts:

The Derwent Valley Council have no plans for Willow Court (Stated by a Councillor) Witnessed, despite spending $70k approx on a marketing\business plan which they are not following.

Despite the Liberal Government meeting recently with Council, there is nothing for Willow Court in the Budget. “At first glance there seems to be nothing in the budget for the major issues of Willow Court…” New Norfolk News 29th May 2015

A Councillor announced that on Friday 15th May after being asked what plans do the Council have for the site? The response was “NOTHING” (witnessed)

A Councillor announced on the same night that the keys would be handed over at the end of June.

A Councillor announced at a recent Council meeting that “Willow Court was a bloody eye sore”

A Councillor at a Council meeting also announced that “no-body wants it” referring to Willow Court.

A Councillor stated at the same meeting that the call for expressions of interest could take “up to 12 months”.

The Community House is moving into Bronte House without an impact study to know if there is any negative affect to the tourist potential of the site.

The Council is wanting to sign a lease with the Department of Health and Human Services because it will receive funds for ongoing restoration (one off), but will loose one of the main buildings of the site for tourist potential and education.

Funding is more readily available for Nationally Heritage listed sites which Willow Court is not. It has just recently been nominated for National Heritage listing. Why has the Council taken so many years to do this?

The DVC has spent 1.5 million dollars on restoration, $750 thousand of that was a state government grant, so where is the rest of the money for the assets and real estate since the DVC have been involved?

So while a local politician is smiling at you and saying trust me for all the truth, we should ask some of these questions and expect full answers.

It is surprising that Councillor Bester is using his personal blog site as the epiphany of truth.

History has indicate that any Government, local of otherwise should not be the only source of “trusted” information.

Global, Local

Self taught psychologist at Millbrook Rise.

May 26, 2015 No Comments

Here are two letters in correspondence about the proposed appointment of Cpl. Heaney to the staff at Millbrook Rise Hospital in 1943. While the first letter, dated 14th January, 1943 is respectfully written, the second letter in reply is an interesting read including the statement “where angels fear to tread”. It was great that the hospital remained professional and employed qualified practitioners.

WC self taught psych