Past to Present. Memory to Action
httpvh://youtu.be/Wk2CURa9SJA
Lachlan Park Hospital circa 1950-60.
This footage shows the Barracks from the rear enclosed yard which was demolished in the early 1960’s, H Ward and I Ward which were both female Wards, the old clock tower and accommodation rooms on the west side of the hospital including the old metal fold up bed which came from Port Arthur. Black & White silent footage.
About the same time as Millbrook Rise opened in 1934 Matron Jane Power M.B.E handed in her resignation from the position of Matron. Miss Evelyn Rose Morey AANS (pictured left) was then appointed as Matron of Mental Diseases Hospital New Norfolk and served the institution for 18 years.
The Mercury – Dated 28th April 1934 Reported:
APPOINTMENTS HOBART, Friday. At a meeting of the Executive Council
to-day Miss Evelyn Rose Morey was promoted from the position of
sub-matron to that of matron at the Mental Diseases Hospital at New Norfolk.
Matron Morey witnessed the large construction process that saw the destruction of many old building on the west side of the Lachlan River and construction of the new east hospital, but she wasn’t just a bystander, she was called as a witness before J. H Chamberlain in 1949, who chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee, looking at the need to have a new hospital and a segregated model that serves people with intellectual disabilities on one side of the hospital and people with mental health issues on the other. Plans were submitted for the construction of a new hospital at the cost of 1,500,000 pounds.
Nurse Evelyn Rose Morey AANS was born in Triabunna, Tasmania on the 2nd of April 1885 and trained at Lyell District Hospital for 5 years
She enlisted on the 17 September 1917 and joined AANS 17 October 1917 aged 32. She embarked AMATS Nestor on the 21 November 1917 and disembarked at Southampton on the 18 January 1918. She took up her post as staff nurse in the 2nd Aust. Aux. Hospital, Southall 19 January 1918, staff nurse at 3rd Aust. Aux. Hospital Dartford 4 February 1918 and staff nurse at 1st Aust Gen Hospital Sutton Veny, 19 October 1919.
She returned to Australia 1 November 1919 per Nestor because she had an injured knee during a fall on the ship, Grace Darling on 7 January 1920 and was recommended “unfit” for general service by the 26 January 1920. Her service was terminated on the 25 February 1920 due to “demobilisation”. 
TREASURED COIN SOVEREIGN THAT WAS NOT WANTED (Newspaper clipping)
A sovereign with an interesting history was among the articles disposed of in
competitions at a fair held at New Norfolk on Saturday in aid of the Crippled
Children’s Fund. The Sovereign, which was donated by the matron of
Lachlan Park Hospital (Sister Evelyn Morey) brought 8 pounds 15 shillings.
With nine others it was taken to France during the Great War by Sister
Morey, and when a shop assistant refused to accept it in payment for a pair
of gloves in a French shop, the coin was kept as a treasure. That the novelty
of gaining possession of a sovereign appealed to a great many was
indicated by the amount collected for it on Saturday.
Her Headstone Inscription read:
In Loving Memory of Evelyn Rose Morey M.B.E Late A.A.N.S 1914-1918
Daughter of the late A & E Morey of Okehampton Died 18th January 1953
Aged 69 Years Matron Lachlan Park Hospital for 18 years. Loved by all.
The Mercury notice – dated Monday 19th January 1953:
MOREY. – On January 18, 1953, at Hobart, Evelyn Rose Morey, M.B.E., loved and loving daughter of the late Abraham and Ellen Morey, Okehampton, Triabunna, in the 70th year of her age. Late Sister, Nursing Staff, 1st A.I.F. late Matron, Lachlan Park Hospital, Tasmania.
Truly a life dedicated to the Hospital and service to people with disabilities and mental health issues.
Research by Karen Richards and Mark Krause
Source: Trove, Troubled Asylum
“Delving into disabled people’s social history can help us understand modern
attitudes to disability, argues Richard Rieser, coordinator of the UK’s annual
Disability History Month.”
I really like this concept and think that this is a real going here in Australia,
and why shouldn’t we be the first State to start something like this after all we
have the oldest institution in Australia?
A copy of Troubled Asylum, second edition sold on EBay for $155 on Sunday. This reprinted book was first released as a hard copy in 1981. Resent prices for the hard copy version (1981) have reached selling prices of over $250. The book is a collation of archival documents about the Hospital’s history from 1827 til 1981.
There has been a call for the addition of the history post 1981 which includes the closure and total re-think of the mental heath and disability support systems and the resulting effects of such a change on the people who called Willow Court/Royal Derwent Hospital home and the staff and community that supported them through that history.
The original price for this book was $19.95 and is now considered rare in second edition and scarce in hard copy edition. Signed first edition copies are considered highly collectable.
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
June Purkiss discusses nursing at Willow Court. © Copyright Derwent Valley Council 2013
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/75968469″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Brett Noble, the Conservation Committee’s Senior Project Manager, today showed me through the previously closed and sealed sections of the north and west wings of the Barracks. I was able to 
gleam a little of the breadth and depth of restoring the Barracks today while looking through these sections, while in good condition each of these rooms and wings need extensive works. Suring up floors and replacing some boards through to whole floor replacement in some areas will be needed. The electrical system will need to be completely replaced, some switching equipment has asbestos still contained as part if it’s construction while most of the barracks has external exposed electrical cabling which will either be redirected through the roof space or under the floor.
Brett was able to show me some significant areas and interesting spaces that will enrich any tourist activities once explained and interpreted sensitively. The writing of numbers in a section was something I have past many times but failed to see. Brett has had someone investigate this number writing to see if there is any patterning. While this sort of thing is not common for all people who have had some mental health issues during their life, it and other types of patterning can be found in many institutions around the world.
The rooms retained some of their original features and this was exciting, the fireplaces and doors and locks are maintained well. The windows are different in these wings as opposed to the south wing, possibly delineating between worker space and patient space.
I was able to have a conversation about the Burra Charter (Learn more) and how this would apply to the restoration at Willow Court, Brett was very good at explaining that the Charter is a starting point to creating the discussion for future works and not a prescriptive rule to stand by. This is why the conservation committee have to look at the possible future use of the site because this will influence what and how much work needs to go into a space and how much change needs to or doesn’t need to happen. This is going to be an important part of the works and without a plan of use, money could be wasted.
Preliminary works have started in the south wing with the investigation stage underway. Brett was able to point out some original features which will be carefully maintained and restored. We also discussed the surfacing of the landscaping and that some of the original road and brick paving in front of the Barracks will remain because it is a suitable sub structure to support the coloured gravel pathways that will lead tourist to the Barracks and will have good drainage abilities already in place.
One interesting point that was made is the word “Barracks”, while most of us think about a solders garrison, the context that it is used at Willow Court is a range of small rooms with exits into the veranda and open courtyard, so a lot of the doorways that lead from one room to another are later additions.
The current fence that used to be around the old Administration building has now been removed and the admin building actually is looking good, well done Mario. The new placement of the temporary fence is going to be the location for the new solid fence and boundary between the two complexes.
We moved into Bronte Ward to have a walk through and it was wonderful to see all the windows in place and really making a difference to the building. I like the idea of having wheelchair access to all the buildings. This is a very important feature considering the history of the site. I liked the idea of removing the newer toilets at the back of the ward and restoring the veranda along the south and west sides which will now face beautifully into the garden with this beautiful tree as a centre piece. 
Click here to see the Gallery
All links have now been repaired and are working. Please enjoy the historical study and reference material that has been given so generously by Susan Piddock, Australian leading authority on Asylums.
Well, restoration has started so we thought we would measure the restoration and prompt restorers and decision makers about the Social History that also needs to be restored and protected. While it is fantastic to have the physical history started we all need to be aware that the social history also needs just as much effort as the physical.
What do we mean by social history? A view of historical events seen in terms of social trends.
Over the 173 years of operation Willow Court and all the other names this institution was known by, has a wealth of social history that needs to be told, shared and archived.
We can gather all this history and store it for future generations to understand our history in this context.
Books, audio recordings, photos and film are all mediums that can record these wonderful stories. If you have been told stories from past generations, that is important to share as part of our history.
After a conversation with a New Norfolk resident and business owner earlier this year I recorded a podcast. He told me that he had never worked at Willow Court or Royal Derwent Hospital but what he described to me was a totally integrated community that had a special perspective of the life and times of the Workforce and Patients that called Willow Court home. Ken’s Story and link to the podcast
Please if you are asked to tell your story, check the credentials of the person you are communicating too, ask:
Where is this going to be stored?
Where is this going to be used?
Who is going to listen to this?
Will the recorder of this information be respectful to the sensitive nature of the Social History?
This article can be used as a basis for your decision to communicate your story. Willow Court Living Memory Report
WILLOW COURT BARRACKS PRECINCT RENEWAL WORKS July 2013 Media Release
“Restoration work on Willow Court will be moving to a higher and more exciting level over the next few months ”Chairman of the Derwent Valley Councils Willow Court Conservation Special Committee David Llewellyn said today. “The work on repairing the windows at Bronte has brought the building to life again, but there is much more to do.”
The Committee at its July meeting concluded an “Expressions of interest process” for work on The Barracks, Bronte and landscaping surroundings of the heritage precinct. The successful proponent was Xsquared Architects, incorporating Inspiring Place and the Centre for Heritage at Oatlands. Xsquared was selected after a rigorous assessment from a very competitive field of contenders and will lead a group of experienced specialists in oversighting the next restoration stage of works. “Our focus now is to finalise works approvals with the various regulatory bodies and to invite comments from the New Norfolk community.” David Llewellyn said. “We want public input into the plans and we also want the public and local community to get involved in the current works. David Llewellyn again emphasised that local contractors have already been used on current works and local contractors will be actively pursued for the new works once approvals secured.
Restoration works on The Barracks will start very soon, including repairs to exterior and interior elements of the building, and opening up other rooms.
Willow Court is a nationally recognised heritage precinct, of great importance to the region and nation. The most historic of the many buildings that make up the site is The Barracks, built around 1830. The Barracks was built as Tasmania’s first hospital for invalid convicts but soon was exclusively used as a ‘lunatic asylum’. “The project is an excellent example of collaboration between local, State and Federal governments, and I am keen to build on that collaborative effort in order to see full use of the buildings at Willow Court”, David Llewellyn reiterated.
Media Contact: David Llewellyn 0418122048
We are 1 (one) year old today!
We started on the 25th July 2012 with this website which offered a balanced view of Willow Court, Royal Derwent Hospital and the restoration process. We want to include the people history of the heritage site in a respectful and sensitive manner.
We have attracted over 123,000 hits on this website and have two facebook groups with 300 plus members who are interested in Willow Court and it’s people history.
We went live in early August 2012 with a small amount of content and now we have a range of films, audio reports and interviews, a number of people who have contributed photos and lot of articles and links.