Updated Artifacts catalogue

The Archaeology Students from Flinders University have been busy updating and expanding the artifact list from the remaining artifacts. Some cross referencing is occurring with older catalogues and hopefully we will have a definitive list. The students are going through the recorded data and will present the work back as a finished catalogue as part of their assessment requirements in approximately a months time. Here are some of the pictures of the students laboriously sorting through and recording each item last week. One of the earlier lists was called the 1996 Inventory of Historical Items and there are some remaining items on that list that are recorded in the 2014 list. It is hoped that the artifacts can be used to tell the story and the history and serve as a tactile reminder of our past. Item are still being donated back to the hospital which will be included and recorded. Many items are still out in the community and each time this is discussed we are seeing more memorabilia appearing. Some of this was purchased at the large garage sales when Willow Court closed and there are many stories of items being taken in the last days and months of the institution’s life. I was believed that there were two oil painting of some considerable size and value that once were the property of the hospital. It is hoped that some of that held in private hands will somehow make its way back to Willow Court and will be managed by the Derwent Valley Council.

 

 

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Archaeology invasion

Students everywhere! New Norfolk is host to a group of Students from South Australia who are on what is believed to be one of many trips to Australia’s oldest Asylum that has been on the same ground, and it is that last point that makes this an interesting site for archaeology. Layer upon layer of possibility is waiting to be discovered which the Friends of Willow Court are hoping to learn more about and the students are keen to get started. During this trip the current 2014 catalogue of remaining artifacts has been reviewed by the students under the careful guidance of Associate Professor Heather Burke. The 500 recorded items are being expanded upon as box loads of artifacts get broken down into singular items and the item count was over 900 by Wednesday night. The 2014 catalogue is being matched with older catalogues and cross referenced and there are some interesting pieces.

Members of the Friends of Willow Court also hosted the guests on Wednesday night at a BBQ at Anne and Chris Salts home. It was a great evening and we all enjoyed the teams enthusiasm for Willow Court’s history.

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Six new short glimpses into early New Norfolk life

The Barracks 1888
The Barracks 1888

Six documents from the early 1800’s

I have just received six short documents about early visits to the Colony which included New Norfolk’s Bush Hotel and the Lunatic Asylum including diary entries.  Fascinating insight to the early history of New Norfolk. Documents include the following.

3 years Cruise in the Australasian Colonies R. Edmond Malone 1854

Australasia and Emigration and Prison Discipline Henry Melville 1851

Backhouse 1841 pg 88 describing NN in 1833

Convict discipline and transportation 1848

Mundy 1852 Our Antipodes

The Present State of Australia with Practical Hints on Emigration Henry Melville 1851

 

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Built Heritage

 

 

The Friends of Willow Court and the Derwent Valley Council are each putting a submission into the Legislative Council’s Inquiry into Built Heritage Tourism in Tasmania. I think that Australia’s oldest Asylum that had run continuously on the same location deserves the utmost priority from our elected leaders. So we need to keep this in front of Governments so this great site can go beyond stage one conservation.

 

In other news for Willow Court, Associate Professor Heather Burke and a group of ten students from Flinders University arrived last Friday and are working around Willow Court this week. Access to the site is still unavailable.img003

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2003 Conservation Report release for public viewing.

Added to the growing open public documentation we now have a copy of the Willow Court Conservation Management Plan  by Nelson, Barwick, Slatyer & Loveday which was created in 2003. Although there are some pages missing the document has 121 pages of information, photos and plans about twelve main buildings for Stage One, these include:
Ladies Cottage (privately owned)
Nurses Home (privately owned)
Administration Building (privately owned)
Olga (privately owned)
Masonic Lodge! K2 Ward (privately owned)
Lyprenny (privately owned)
Neighbourhood House (School) (privately owned)
Alcheringa (privately owned)
Weatherboard (demountable) building (privately owned)
Mortuary (privately owned)
Lions Club (privately owned)
Lachlan (privately owned)

Kate Loveday – Consultant Town Planner give an introduction to the site and it’s values.

This was a bold plan to conserve a large number of buildings and their surrounding landscape. History has already chosen a different path as all of the buildings in this plan (stage one) are now in private ownership.

Click on the link below to go to the Document Page.

Willow Court Conservation Management Plan Nelson, Barwick, Slatyer & Loveday 2003

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Lachlan Park Fire Cart

 

 

fire cartThis is the hand pulled wooden Lachlan Park Fire Brigade cart built on a metal spring trailer type chassis, with red painted exterior and cream painted interior . ‘Lachlan Park Brigade’ is written in red and black (just discernible) on both sides. The wheels and rear drop flap are missing. Manual fire carts were used at the hospital from the early days, but were constantly criticised for being too small and lacking power. This fire cart was used by the Lachlan Park Brigade. Willow Court was named Lachlan Park Hospital from 1937 to 1968.

One of the things that could be on display when Willow Court is opened.

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Current reading and Olga House.

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I am currently reading “A Background to the History of Nursing in Tasmania” by Beatrix Kelly. This book has a section (20 pages) devoted to Mental Health Nursing and Willow Court and the interactions with other providers of care including Port Arthur, Cascades Asylum, Hobart General Hospital and St Johns Park among many others. Most of her research comes from Dr G M Crabbe’s “The History of Lachlan Park Hospital” although she has made this very readable. There is only one photo of the site and that is Olga House. Now the Willow Court  Antiques shop which was known as the Boys Cottage. This is a book that is available through second hand book shops for a reasonable $25.

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Olga House was included in a 2003 conservation plan and contains a short history. Of interest is the missing tower and chimneys and the “unsympathetic” modifications.

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Millbrook Rise

One new book to arrive today was this 1930’s publication of Millbrook Rise. It contains all the early information and an array of pictures taken during the very early stages after the construction. The small book also clearly lays out the future intentions for the accommodation services and shows the facilities available to guests. Doctors were welcome to visit and have a tour of the facilities and the fees are also laid out at 5 pound and 5 shillings a week. There is a good scan of the last page which is a floor plan. Staff moved between Lachlan Park and Millbrook Rise and the Millbrook site came under the Royal Derwent Hospital banner. It is the only remaining part of the hospital complex still in operation. The book is considered to be rare.
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Two New Articles.

Two New Articles are now uploaded for you to view, they are the Michael Ganley Campus Rationalisation Report 1993.

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“With implementation of Community Integration programs and the reduction in the numbers of  residents on both campuses the DHHS has commissioned this review to identify possible ways to rationalise the building stock and services, with particular reference to heating arrangements, to reduce ongoing running costs while improving the physical environment for the residents and staff. The present condition and suitability of all buildings has been assessed and seven options identified indicating the implications and costs of various differing approaches.” This report was made by Micheal Ganley and sets out all the values of all buildings as well as construction type and ability to be used or reused or re-purposed. It also includes, the still open, Mill Brook Rise Campus.  This is a rare report and not publicly available.

agreement for sale

 

The second document is the sale agreement between the then Minister and the Lachlan River Community Holdings in 2001

 

 

 

A full range of documents can be found on the Articles Page or click on either of the reports to be taken to the page.

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