Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital – Willow Court Tasmania

Sir John Gellibrand

October 20, 2019 No Comments

Click the picture below to hear a great podcast about Sir John Gellibrand from the lectures of the Tasmanian Historical Research Association. (55 minutes). Sir John was instrumental in the set up of Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital and a respected returned Service Man. The podcast helps us to understand the motivations that drove Sir John to not only get this up and running but other ideas to assisted returned service personnel.

Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital was joined to Lachlan Park Hospital by the sharing of staff and facilities before it formally joining the Hospital in 1968 and becoming part of the Tasmanian Mental Health Services under the common name of the Royal Derwent Hospital.

We have a lot of information and photos of the original Derwent building on the Millbrook Rise tab on this website. Click Here.

Global, Local

New map shows all the land managed by the hospital

August 20, 2017 3 Comments

Click image above to open as PDF.

This 1988 colour coded map, shows how much land was owned and operated by the hospital. 333.6ha of land was managed by the administrators of the hospital, some land was farmed and the remaining either housing patients, staff or administration and support services for the hospital.

The hospital was ready for major expansion with all the land it managed, but due to the change of philosophy in care provision, the hospital started down sizing in the early to mid 1970’s.

The purple dot is the Derwent Valley Council Building in Circle Street which gives the viewer an idea of the scale of land under management.

Global, Local

Full Campus Map

July 15, 2017 2 Comments

Full Campus Map

This is a full Royal Derwent Hospital campus map which includes the Millbrook Rise component which became part of the hospital in 1968 and is the only remaining open section still providing mental health care services to Tasmanians.

It is commonly believed that the hospital closed in 2000 but this is false as this part is still operational. It had it’s own identity from 1934 til 1968, although it did shared staffing with Lachlan Park Hospital and came into the Hospital’s full administration when Lachlan Park changed names to the Royal Derwent Hospital.

The maps come from a campus rationalisation plan. The plan contained three alternatives for building usage, demolition. remain in use and buildings to not be used.

Global, Local

Millbrook Rise

February 3, 2017 8 Comments

Today we have released for public viewing a new website tab dedicated to the history of Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital.

The site is a current mental health provider and is off limits to site visitors. I also acknowledge that the images and historical recording may disturb some people who have had history at this site.

We will continue to add information and stories to this tab as we discover them.

If you have any stories please contact me at mark@willowcourttasmania.org to discuss options and methods of recording and possible usage.

Millbrook Rise was a Ward of the Royal Derwent Hospital from 1968 but existed under it’s own Act. of Parliament from 1933 til 1968 but shared Administration Management with the Mental Diseases and Lachlan Park Hospital.

Click the image below to see a collection of images and information from Derwent House.

My thanks for access to the site can not be acknowledged publicly, however I remain grateful to have seen the buildings and hear about the history.

I also acknowledge our own Historian Consultant, Tony Nicholson for his input and review of the information presented.

Mark Krause