Past to Present. Memory to Action
Part of the new look accessible website that was installed some time ago excluded the search function for the whole of the website when using any mobile device. Thanks to https://masterit.tech/ we now have that back in place located at the bottom of the main page. One of the most popular searches people use is for “family history”. Try it and let us know how you go.
Last weekend anyone passing along the Avenue might have noticed a number of signs outside the front of Frascati House, these were placed there by a member of the Friends of Frascati House, a committee of the Derwent Valley Council.
The committee has been at odds with the decisions of the Derwent Valley Council to make a car park at the front of Frascati House and Gardens. Both the gardens and the home were created in the early 1830’s and the DVC put together a committee of community representative to assist with managing and preserving the site, it’s history both physically and socially.
The house was built by John Burnett, Colonial Secretary to Van Diemen’s Land. The Colonial Secretary occupied the home from 1834, after it’s construction, while the Governor was in residence at the Government retreat know as Turriff Lodge. The home was later sold to the Hospital and was used as a residence for the Medical Superintendent and his family. Two granddaughters of Dr Charles Brothers took the time to write a letter to the local news paper (New Norfolk News).
Committee member Sandra Hetherington also wrote a letter to the New Norfolk News (above) expressing her discontent at the Council’s decision to keep making ad hoc decisions about the site in the absence of a master plan. The approved car park will be located next to an existing empty car park. The new car park is meeting demand from the Derwent Valley Arts group, who have taken a short term lease of the east wing of the Barracks for a number of events and exhibitions, the Agrarian Kitchen and the New Norfolk Distillery’s paranormal night tours, which have been subcontracted to Tasmania’s Most Haunted. The proposed New Norfolk Distillery tasting room, function centre and multi story hotel which was approved over two years ago has yet to appear beyond The Public relations companies contract to sell the idea to the local community.
As an update to the story there is an increasing number of signs appearing on the front lawns of Frascati House in a silent but determine protest at the lack of Council’s planning despite already paid for plans which are being ignored.
Many people visit Willow Court and one of the most common questions asked is what about the people, the patients? Visitors all want to know about the real stories of the lives lived at the asylum over the 174 years of its history and while there are a number of books dedicated to the history of the hospital, there is little about the lives lived.
The Convict Women’s Press have released their newest publication of historical books entitles, “Convict Lives, Female Convicts and the New Norfolk Asylum“, this is the sixth book in this current series.
The rear cover of the book like many offers a taste of the contents, but the author has also chosen to place a poignant statement at the beginning of the text which truly sets the scene for the read ahead.
In 1859, the Commissioners of the Hospital of the Insane at New Norfolk wrote: “It must be borne in mind that a large majority of the patients…confined in the asylum have been of the convict class, the offspring of diseased parents, inheriting the very many cases a defective intellect, brought up from the earliest childhood in misery and vice, and leading in after years a life of sensual debauchery and crime, resulting in enfeeblement alike of body and mind, a more hopeless class of subjects it would be impossible to collect together in one institution”
The book is available through some local Tasmanian Book Shops or through the following weblink. https://www.convictwomenspress.com.au/index.php/cl-new-norfolk-asylum
Like many institutions that housed people with disabilities and the mentally ill around the world during the 18th and 19th century they operated as self contained townships and Willow Court was no exception. “It was like a town within a town” one ex-employee stated, which could only mean that it catered from birth till death for the patient population. All your needs would be supplied and catered for if you were a permanent resident, but if you were a temporary patient, after treatment you would return to the community.
Willow Court reveals three locations that were used to house the dead, known as the dead house and later the morgues, each would house the departed until arrangements were finalised.
The first known Dead House was in the Barracks east wing, the part closest to the Agrarian Kitchen today (two story building, far left above). It shared its space with the Soldiers urinal and quickly became far to small as the hospital’s population grew beyond it’s holding capacity.
The second known site was at the rear of B Ward (above) or the old male refractory of which only the foundations can be seen in any geophysics report showing the large C Ward exercise yard. Aerial shots show a number of buildings behind the Ward, so we are unclear which one it actual was but we do have witness accounts for the location being accessed from Humphrey Street, through an opening in the original outer asylum wall.
The final one was built behind Olga or O Ward (Currently the antiques centre above) and was constructed in the 1960’s. It is still there and is among a group of the old hospital buildings that are privately owned. At one stage the owned wanted to use the facility as a spooky accommodation. It still contains autopsy tables, large sinks and fridges to keep the bodies. This was also used by the local community and it’s last known use was after the Port Arthur massacre.
As we report without fear or favour, this film has the potential to bring up many feelings for different people for different reasons. We don’t apologise for sharing this film but warn people that this is a film about Willow Court’s darker history that previously divided the community and still has the potential to bring back those memories. It should also be mentioned that this film also contains the images of people with disabilities and has previously air nationally on television.
This is the first time this footage has been available since it’s first airing in the late 1980’s. Media, such as TV, has previously been used to alert the public to “poor and abusive” conditions in many institutions around the world throughout our history. Often this results in formal reports such as a Board of Inquiry, a Parliamentary Inquiry and various Royal Commissions. This has resulted in the deinstitutionalisation program, improved living conditions and higher staffing levels in many cases for residents.
The following film was from the Hinch Program and shows two whistleblower staff who went to the media to report what they had experienced and witnessed as employees of the hospital. ABC also covered the story and interviewed both staff member and these news stories went around Australia. I have since completed a full interview with Mark Beach-Ross which has limited release and is only available in a research area (Members Area). A full version of the Ree Pettifer 1989 Report (61 pages) can be found here; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3A3pgFWqqrbUzhKOV9jekhPZWs
This footage also shows two senior staff members in discussions with the reporters in the Administration Building foyer, The taller staff member was Grant Lenox, former Administrator at WCC and the man with the ponytail was the late DR Jerry Von Bamberger, former Director WCC.
For those people who have visited the “numbers wall” at Willow Court you would know that it is growing increasingly fragile in its unprotected state. This wonderful example of human interaction with the physical structure is exposed to the elements and any and all visitors.
Todays investigation revealed some dates which might suggest a time period for this person’s time at the institution. With other knowledge we have from a witness who started working in the 1960’s as a Ward Aide, we can most likely determine that a patient from “B Ward” (pictured below) was responsible for the works. The witness saw the room that this man slept in and remembered it being covered in the same work. Similar writing can be found on the roof of the soldiers niche and on the rear of the Agrarian Kitchen (B Ward or Bronte House).
During an archology dig a few years ago Flinders University Associate Professor Heather Burke had a mathematics expert look the the work to determine if the numbers were the work of brilliance or madness. The conclusion was, brilliance beyond the Mathematician’s knowledge or most likely madness.
Some of the photos below contain some hints as to when this work occurred. A date range was left for us to determine it was created between 1947 and 1964.
It is believed this was written by a tall, right handed male patient. Male because this was done when the site was gender divided, right handed because of the slant of the writing and tall because of the height on the wall it was written.
While our witness was able to help us with his ward location, the patient’s name and his motivation for writing these numbers and messages is still a mystery.
“Ten Days on the Island” Arts festival is shaping up to use Willow Court Barracks Heritage Precinct for the 2021 season. https://www.tendays.org.au/intimate-epics/
The east wing of Willow Court’s Barracks building is now host for the Derwent Valley Arts after they officially started their lease with the Derwent Valley Council. They have a range of events that allow the site to be open during the weekends. This will allow visitors to eat fine food at the Agrarian Kitchen and view fine art in the Barracks. https://www.derwentvalley.art/arts-centre
The January meeting of the Derwent Valley Council unanimously voted to subdivide the Heritage Precinct of Willow Court into three lots in a bid to offer long term leases (greater than 5 years) and/or offer for sale, the Heritage Site.
A number of objections were sent in and dismissed by Council.
“It is frustrating that Council have made such a massive change in direction regarding the management of Willow Court without proper community consultation. As noted, it is public land therefore, the community and ratepayers should have had the opportunity to seek clarification and be informed about the proposed changes before it went to this final Public
Notice stage.”
Friends of Frascati
“Please accept my objection to the proposed disposal of the above public property. The grounds for my objection are as follows. I believe that a confusing and unfair approach to the intended lease and disposal of the Willow Court Barracks precinct buildings and spaces has occurred as the original lease appears to be done under section 177 of the Act, whereas the latest lease/disposal appears to be under section 177A. The difference is substantial with one being any land whereas section 177A is public land providing an appeal process.”
Unknown Author.
In the conclusion the Derwent Valley Council wrote:
Overall, none of the points raised in either of the two letters of objection go to the core
considerations under section 178A (3) of the Act, this being that “the community may suffer undue hardship due to the loss of access to, and the use of (Edit: Willow Court), the public land or there is no similar facility available to the users of that facility”.
DVC
The full Agenda can be read from the Council website (28th January). The unanimously decision to proceed with the subdivision is found in the audio recording of the same meeting.
On a number of occasions I have been asked what I am talking about when I refer to the “East side” or “West side” of the Royal Derwent Hospital during tours. The original side of the hospital is the West side which has the oldest buildings including the Barracks (1827) and the site of the Invalid Depot (early 1820’s) which was reported to be “beside (Troubled Asylum)” the Barracks, although no archeological evidence has been found to substantiate this recording.
Below are hand drawn maps of the ‘East and West side’ of the hospital. What is not contained in these maps are the old demolished buildings.
Thanks to Pete Smith (Guest Speaker) last weekend for this wonderful photo of the hospital taken from Peppermint Hill in New Norfolk. It captures both the west (Willow Court Centre) and east sides (RDH) of the hospital but also the other major employer at the time in the Derwent Valley, the Australian Boyer Paper Mill.