Derwent Valley Council – Page 8 – Willow Court Tasmania

Security in place at Willow Court

December 23, 2013 No Comments

A new security site office is now located on the grounds of Frascati House, although empty tonight it looks promising and may protect Frascati and the Barracks from arson attacks. The resent loss of the Oval Change rooms (Change room fire) appears to have prompted to security rethink by the Derwent Valley Council. The change rooms were lit and destroyed within minutes in day light hours. A number of young people have been charged with this. (Police interview three youths over fire) It has become our practise not to normally reveal the news of young offenders until the law has been followed through. Social media has an unpleasant side that allows people to write, and push enter before the laws of natural justice have been able to work or their frontal lobe hasn’t had time to kick in.

WC Security 003 Security office with Esperance and the roof of Frascati in the background.

Global, Local

Nominations: Willow Court Conservation Committee

December 2, 2013 No Comments

The following is a notice from the Derwent Valley Council. We would like to think that the word “local” means Tasmanian community that was served by Willow Court. We hope that a narrow vision is not trying to discriminate based on location only.

The Willow Court Conservation Special Committee herby invites nominations for the two community representatives on their committee.

The selection criteria is as follows:

Demonstrated long standing association with Willow court and local community endeavours to conserve and present the site.
Demonstrated long association with Willow Court and the provision of mental health services at the site, including involvement in the ongoing interpretation and presentation of the operation of the institution.

Additional requirements

Representatives on this committee are further advised that they will not be remunerated save to claims for out of pocket expenses such as travel, accommodation and meals for which they must fill in a claim form as per the attached. Discussions held at the Willow Court Conservation Special Committee are in strict confidence and all representatives are require to fill in and sign the attached confidentially agreement before taking their seat on the committee.

Written expressions of interest detailing your experience based on the above selection criteria are to be in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Expression of Interest Willow Court Conservation Special Committee” and addressed to the General Manager Derwent Valley Council, PO Box 595 New Norfolk 7140.

The term of office for the community representatives on the Willow Court Conservation Special Committee is 12 months.

The closing time for expressions of interest is Close of Business on Wednesday 11^th December 2013.

WCCC representative

Confidentiality Agreement

Claim for payment

Travel arrangements

Global, Local

TasWater’s contrubution to the Heritage values?

December 2, 2013 No Comments

The Derwent Valley Council has requested that above ground pipes installed by Taswater in “The Avenue” be relocated underground. A unanimous vote from all councillors in the October minutes “instructs” TasWater to reinstall them underground, in consultation with the Willow Court Senior Project Officer, Mr Brett Noble.

These pipes throughout the Heritage area detract from the current restoration process by both the private owners and council owed properties and clearly shows TasWater’s lack of thought or communication.

A recent short documentary by film maker, Victoria Acuña showed the work that Mario Cortes has put into the old Administration Building, but the picture below shows how these pipes have detracted from the efforts of Mario to create a renovated art-deco beauty. View film here

Global, Local

Willow Court development application, WC News letter and FoWC meeting

October 16, 2013 No Comments

The latest news letter from the Conservation Committee is here Newsletter from the Willow Court Conservation Committee

The development application has also been put into the Derwent Valley Council and can be viewed up until October 21st. Invitation are invited for public comment. New Norfolk news

A meeting with the Friends of Willow Court Special Committee will be held tonight at 7pm in the Community house. Mayor Martyn Evans will be attending.

Global, Local

Hobart ferry and water taxi services from Hobart to New Norfolk planned

October 11, 2013 5 Comments

New and exciting ways to get from Hobart to New Norfolk are being planned by Rod Howard from Hobart Ferry and water Taxi Services. Rod presented a marketing plan for the years 2013-14 to the Derwent Valley Council for the October meeting.

See full plan HERE

With the heritage trail walks, antique shops and Willow Court about to come online as a tourist venture the future is looking bright for New Norfolk. Lets hope that it gets a good hearing.

Global, Local

Pipe works, call to be put below ground level.

October 11, 2013 No Comments

The latest agenda item from the Derwent Valley Council has this welcome addition from Cr. Bester. The large above ground pipe works do not fit into any heritage site. He has called for them to be re-installed under ground, in keeping with the street scape.

9. MOTIONS ON NOTICE

9.1 TAS WATER

Decision

Date: 17/10/13

File: 197

Moved: Cr Bester

That the Council instruct TasWater to remove the large water meters along The Avenue at Willow Court and reinstall them underground in consultation with the Willow Court project officer; and to review its procedures to be followed when working on heritage sites.

Global, Local

WILLOW COURT ASYLUM COMPLEX COLLECTION and DE-ACCESSIONING POLICY

September 24, 2013 No Comments

The Derwent Valley Council policy about the collection and de-accessioning of Willow Court artefacts has been released.

COLLECTION POLICY

DE-ACCESSIONING POLICY

There has been a lot of activity about artefacts that people have acquired when the Willow Court/ Royal Derwent Hospital buildings were abandoned on social media. People seem to be measuring their collection against other people’s collections while other people are returning artefacts, loaning artefacts and having the history recorded of the artefacts that has come into their family’s possession and doing so quietly. Most people want to share artefacts so they can be shown to the public when the restored site reopens and exhibitions can be put together. This photo was give to the collection through the official channel and it’s history recorded for all to share and know. Outside the Barracks 1908

Chief Attendant W. H Bennett with his uniformed attendants. (a copy can be found in “Troubled Asylum” page 140)

Global, Local

No voice for previous patients from Mayor Martyn Evans

September 21, 2013 2 Comments

A conversation yesterday morning with a member of our team confirmed that the Derwent Valley Council, Mayor Martyn Evans will not be representing the ex-patients like Chas Canden when meeting with Premier Lara Giddings on October 2nd. In this divisive community move the Mayor will only be representing the ex-staff who had a choice about whether they worked in WC, but ignoring the rights of families and individuals who had no choice about their involvement with WC.

It is extremely disappointing that the Derwent Valley Council’s representative will ignore the rights of people who live or have lived in the Derwent Valley who have a disability. The Mayor’s ignorance on the issues around Willow Court has astonished many ex-staff members who advocated for the rights of the previous residents when they worked at the site.

It is acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Some former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been, against the standards of the day, deserve some representation from their elected representative but it seems that this will not happen.

On another positive note Eric Hutchinson, Lyons newly elected Federal Government representative is meeting with Members of the Willow Court Tasmania Sites Of Conscience Advocacy Group.

This article has been censored from “Our New Norfolk” Facebook Group. Disappointed! Let the people decide for themselves.

Global, Local

“Walking Through Time” walking trail at New Norfolk

September 19, 2013 No Comments

Tomorrow the Derwent Valley Council will open the “Walking Through Time” walking trail at Tynwald Park New Norfolk at 2 pm.

“Follow the “Walking Through Time trail to discover the fascinating history of New Norfolk” with interpretation panels located around New Norfolk. Be guided as you walk around this historic town by downloadable podcasts.

Willow Court Heritage Precinct is included and has it’s own interpretation panel describing the building and staff history and the different names that this institution had over it’s 173 years life span.

No social history is included from the patients and we would have liked to see more information about the rights movement of people living with a disability as this is the place this movement started. Willow Court Conservation Committee had input before the final product was sent to the printers. Each of the panels are linked with a downloadable podcast, the Willow Court and Frascati podcasts are below.

The first Podcast, Allan Pearson is a great example of how staff and the board chairman actively supported the rights of the previous residents and the working and living conditions, while the second podcast, June Purkiss gives us a wonderful trip to that earlier era when Willow Court was known as Lachlan Park Hospital. The Third story is about growing up at Willow Court as the Doctor’s children and the community that existed at this site. The final podcast is Margaret Reynolds who was the first Teacher at Willow Court at the first school. While the tour takes people all over New Norfolk I have only included the podcasts that directly relate to Willow Court.

The full walking tour can be found HERE

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/75968469″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Global, Local

Mayor to meet with Lara Giddings over “Apology”

September 18, 2013 No Comments

The Mayor of the Derwent Valley Council will meet with the Premier of Tasmania on October 2nd to further discuss the proposed apology to the previous Residents of Willow Court according to the September agenda of the Derwent Valley Council.

The Mayor, Martyn Evans is also a supporter of the insensitive Paranormal documentary about Willow Court which contains images of previous residents (without their permission) and is still on the agenda of the Council to deal with at it’s next meeting. This long waiting agenda item has had some issues according to Film Maker Aiden Sullivan “we have hit a few more legal speed humps in our efforts to release our documentary of willow court”.

Some Parents and ex-patients have also expressed concern about any release of a documentary containing and linking the suffering of people with mental health issues who were undergoing treatment and the hobby and past time of a small number of paranormal enthusiasts.

We are keen to have a position statement from the Mayor in regard to the previous Resident’s right to be represented by Council during the meeting with the Tasmanian Government, and the enthusiastic support of the Paranormal Documentary which was a joint Derwent Valley Council project with the film maker.

The Greens candidate recently wrote to this website and explained the apology in this way which we have found to be a wonderful explanation and extremely well written;

Support an apology. The Greens support and have been working towards a formal apology for those former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been against the standards of the day. We are cognisant of the feelings of former staff who assert that, to their knowledge, all patients were cared for in an appropriate manner, and feel that an apology is an accusation that their work in caring for residents was somehow inadequate. It needs to be acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Our position is that an apology should occur as soon as possible, so that as many former patients as possible can be made aware of it.

Pip Brinklow,

The Greens House of Representatives candidate for Lyons

This was well explained, thank you Pip.