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.
Derwent Valley Council
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.
At the 20th Anniversary of the closure of Willow Court the Willow Court History Group has put together a display to add to the theme of “Stories from the Asylum” using podcasts and QR codes. You can now access these from the tab “20th Anniversary Audio Stories”. Seven short stories are told from the perspective of care staff, artisans, the CEO and director of nursing and an advocate. These short histories start in 1946 and goes through to the person employed to close the hospital. Six of the stories have never been released before.
The “Stories from the Asylum” first day was an interesting, educational and entertaining experience. Talks today were about: Punishment and Health in convict Van Diemen’s Land by Hamish Maxwell-Stewart and Pete Smith on, Sharing Some Insights into the Closure of Willow Court from his perspective as a social worker employed at the hospital.
A full house with Pete Smith
On a lighter note we had music from the Derwent Valley Concert Band (part) who continued the long history of concert bands at the hospital, at one time there were three bands. We had two sessions of poem readings by Liz McQuilkin, co-author along with Karen Knight, of “Renovating Madness”.
Liz McQuilkin watching Matron call the audience together.
Tomorrow’s program of events are below. Gold coin donation for entry.
Sunday 29th November
10 – 12 Digital Future for Tasmanian History – Hamish Maxwell-Stewart
12-1 pm Music Derwent Valley Band Saxophone Quartet
1 – 2 pm Punishment and Health in convict Van Diemen’s Land – Hamish Maxwell-Stewart
2 – 3 pm Reflections on Lachlan Park Hospital school – Margaret Reynolds – former teacher
3:30 – 4 pm Music Derwent Valley Band Saxophone Quartet
Covid safe reception area set up for official opening.
Today Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC and Mr Richard Warner AM officially opened the “Stories from the Asylum” exhibition at Willow Court. The Willow Court Training Centre closed 20 years ago this month and the Friends of Willow Court have put together this display of storyboards from previous staff, residents, family members, along with a line up of guest speakers and music from Derwent Valley Band Brass Quintet.
Sandra Heatherington (Friends of Frascati House) Mr Richard Warner AM and Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC with Tony Nicholson OAM (Chair Friends of Willow Court)
Willow Court History Group have also added to the collection with 7 podcasts that can be found using QR codes. Six of these recordings have not been released before and have come from recordings of Oral History in 2015.
Dr Christina Henri’s “Roses from the Heart” Bonnet Project
We also welcome Dr Christina Henri who conceived the ‘Roses from the Heart’ project in 2003. Her memorial has expanded to include a number of art forms and is now recognised as a global public art phenomenon with the ‘bonnet’ symbolism a metaphor for convict women and their children. Dr Christina Henri would be happy to chat with anyone interested in her project and those with convict lineage.
Saturday Program 28 November
10 – 11:30
Punishment and Health in convict Van Diemen’s Land – Hamish Maxwell-Stewart
‘Roses from the Heart’ memorial bonnet tributes will be on display this coming weekend, 28/29th November 2020 at Willow Court, New Norfolk.
Dr Christina Henri conceived the ‘Roses from the Heart’ project in 2003. Her memorial has expanded to include a number of art forms and is now recognised as a global public art phenomenon with the ‘bonnet’ symbolism a metaphor for convict women and their children.
‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet tribute created by Kate Powell remembering the life of Ann Tully who died at the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk, 13.01.1868. Kate has been attending Dr Henri’s ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet making sessions at Glen Derwent Tea Rooms and Accommodation, New Norfolk over the past few weeks.
Dr Henri’s memorials include remembering 25,566 convict women and their children transported to Australia and also the thousands of Orphan Girls who were given assisted passage to Australia.
‘The Friends of Willow Court’ have invited Dr Henri to exhibit symbolic bonnets this coming weekend at Willow Court, showcasing the lives of convict women with an association to the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk.
To date Dr Henri’s aware of 242 female convicts associated with the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk. 235 of these female convicts have been sourced from the ‘Founders and Survivors Convict’ data base.
The artist’s aim regarding the Asylum
Hospital, New Norfolk is to have bonnet tributes providing visual recognition of female convicts who either worked within the system as assigned servants or who spent time there as in-patients.
Currently Dr Henri has information of 85 deaths of female convict in-patients.
Jane Griffin working on her ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet tribute remembering the life of a convict lass who died at the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk. Thanks to the support of hosts, Liz and Rob Virtue, Dr Henri has been holding weekly bonnet making sessions at Glen Derwent Tea Rooms and Accommodation, New Norfolk.
Jane’s symbolic bonnet will be on display amongst a collection of ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet tributes highlighting convict women with an association to the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk.
Over the past few months Dr Henri has been holding weekly ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet making sessions at Glen Derwent Tea Rooms & Accommodation, New Norfolk. These free events, hosted by Liz and Rob Virtue, have provided a pleasant ambience for the collective stitching and embellishing of bonnets.
There has been a delightful camaraderie amongst the attendees and beautiful bonnet tributes have been created. There has been a real sense of community with people donating fabric, doillies, thread, buttons, ribbon and lace to the project.
Those with sewing prowess have willingly shared their knowledge and people with limited sewing skills are producing bonnet triumphs.
The ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet exhibition on 28/29th November will showcase symbolic bonnets remembering around a third of the female convicts connected to the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk.
Chris Bush, local teacher at New Norfolk High School is generously assisting Dr Henri by creating wooden stands for effective displaying of the bonnets. The stand concept is taken from a Quaker bonnet stand, circa 1800s. Students in Waterford have used this design to build supports for ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet tribute displays in Ireland.
Dr Henri will be available to chat about her art memorials with interested visitors to the event at Willow Court. Her ‘Roses from the Heart’ art values the lives of every female convict to Australia whether the female convict ancestor has a relationship with the Willow Court site or not.
The symbolic bonnets on display on 28/29th November are tangible reminders of the lives of the women being remembered.
Thanks to Liz and Rob Virtue’s support, Dr Henri will continue to hold ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet making workshops at Glen Derwent, New Norfolk in 2021. Creation of symbolic bonnets will continue.
Dr Henri is happy to be working with the Derwent Valley Council on 28/29th November to mark the twentieth anniversary of the closure of Willow Court.
Tasmanian artist Dr Christina Henri wearing a ‘Roses from the Heart’ bonnet tribute remembering the life of Ellen Wood who died on 28 October 1840 at the Asylum Hospital, New Norfolk.
The Friends of Willow Court Special Committee are holding a two day event in and around the Barracks Building on 28 & 29 November to acknowledge the closure of the Willow Court side of the Royal Derwent Hospital. The event will be officially (invite only) opened by, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC and the schedule of Speakers include Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stewart (Convict Historian), Margaret Reynolds (ex teacher Lachlan Park Hospital), Pete Smith (ex staff member) and poet Liz McQuilkin. co author of Renovating Madness (Karen Knight and Liz McQuilkin 2018).
Music will be from the Derwent Valley Concert Band who will bring back the sounds of the concert bands that were based at the Hospital.
‘Stories from the Asylum’
***NEW UPDATED PROGRAM***
‘Stories from the Asylum’ marks the 20thanniversary of the closure of Willow Court that falls on 28thNovember, 2020. The event seeks to acknowledge this milestone in the asylum’s 193 year history through talks by guest speakers, poetry, music, storyboards, and podcasts (QR code only) recordings of former staff reflecting on their time at the hospital, and the Roses from the Heart bonnet tribute to the convict women who spent time at the New Norfolk asylum.
Saturday 28 November
10 – 11:30 Punishment and Health in convict Van Diemen’s Land – Hamish Maxwell- Stewart
On the 28 & 29th November the Friends of Willow Court are holding an event “Stories from the Asylum” to mark the 20th anniversary of the closure of Willow Court.
The event will include guest speakers, stories, biographies about former convict patients, and stories from former staff, poetry readings, music, and a display of bonnets to commemorate the female convicts who were at the Asylum/Hospital at the time.
The Friends of Willow Court would like to know the stories behind the names of the female convict women, and then have this information as part of the display, but we need help researching this information.
The ABC has been using some photos reportedly supplied by Willow Court History Group. Some of the stories attached to these photos are about the New Norfolk Distillery, Paranormal related activities and the Derwent Valley Council activity at the site.
We don’t know anything about these photos being (Supplied: Willow Court History Group) or the attached stories. We are not associated with these groups but the articles give the impression that we are in some way supportive. Had we been consulted on these matters we would have supplied the correct information for the photos and maybe had offered an alternative point of view, but no opportunity was given.
The first photo was reported to have been taken in 1968 when the hospital changed from Lachlan Park Hospital to the Royal Derwent Hospital. The true date of this photo is 100 years earlier 1868.
The second photo was taken in 1890 as suggested but the hospital’s name was the, “Hospital for the Insane”, New Norfolk (1859-1915) and not the New Norfolk Insane Asylum.
We are don’t like being associated with groups we wouldn’t align our philosophy of respect with, eg paranormal tour groups and our gathered information is used in a disrespectful and inaccurate manner. We are more than happy to assist with respectful and accurate information about the site and the history and hope that the ABC will contact us before using our gathered material and before associating us with stories or other groups.
