New Norfolk hospital for the Insane – Page 2

New revamped education tab

July 19, 2013 No Comments

Teaching at Willow Court We have revamped the education tab now for easier student and teacher access, lesson plans, handouts. student resources and films all add to the education that Willow Court and it’s history can provide to people who are studying in the community services, medical and allied health industries.

This is the past informing the future through the present, allowing student to understand the methods and standards of care Tasmanian’s demanded for People living with a disabilities and/or Mental Heath issues, who called Willow Court home.

Along with lots of open source resources this website can assist in informing students of the 173 years of history with audio and video tours, articles, maps and photos throughout time. We can also arrange guided tour with qualified Educators and visiting Guest Speakers. All tour guides have a long history of the site and it’s social and physical history.

Education at Willow Court, media release

(Willow Court Heritage Precinct is currently closed during restoration) Restoration Page

Global, Local

New look articles page

July 9, 2013 No Comments

If you have any documents that would interest our members and you would like to share them please send us a message through the “contact us” tab Click Here . Here is the new look page with links to articles, reports, letters and publications about our Willow Court.

Click Here

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100,000 HITS!!! Thank you

June 27, 2013 No Comments

Global

The Site and Buildings of New Norfolk

June 18, 2013 No Comments

The Proposed Glenorchy Site

Dr Macfarlane, the current Superintendent of New Norfolk, thought that overall the New Norfolk site was best and would not recommended its movement closer to
Hobart as this would allow greater public intrusion and disturbance of the patients. A view supported by Dr. Coutie, the Assistant Medical Officer, who
believed the site was healthy, with a good view, abundant water, and the grounds could be expanded. While Rev. W. Murray who gave services at New
Norfolk, thought that patients were more excited after the visits of friends and relatives so some distance from the main town was advisable if it would
decrease visits. Dr. Huston, the former Superintendent, echoed this view indicating the site was the best and a new asylum was not required. If placed
near Hobart he believed the patients would be less able to go outside the walls due to a natural dread of the insane by people. Miss Laland, the Matron,
offered a different view believing the asylum should be near Hobart. More entertainments would be accessible, there would be more intercourse with
friends, and patients could go out to church and on outings.

The New Norfolk Hospital for the Insane. Susan Piddock

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What’s in a name?

June 17, 2013 No Comments

“In 1937 the name of the asylum changed to Lachlan Park Hospital. This was the first time that reference to an asylum, insanity or mental disease was removed from the name of the institution. It had previously been known as the Lunatic Asylum, New Norfolk (1829), the Hospital for the Insane, New Norfolk (1855), and the Mental Diseases Hospital (1915). The dropping of references to mental diseases and insanity with the name changes to Lachlan Park Hospital reflect an attempt to distance the institution from the social stigma attached to these terms.”

The New Norfolk Hospital for the Insane. Susan Piddock

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The many roles of the Royal Derwent Hospital in the early seventies

June 5, 2013 No Comments

• Acute admission unit (includes the most violent patients from the whole state)

• Convalescent unit (all patients requiring more than six weeks in-patient care)

• Chronic psychotic rehabilitation unit

• Disturbed epileptic holding unit

• Elderly psychotic holding unit

• Psycho-geriatric acute admission unit

• Psycho-geriatric chronic disturbed holding unit

• Housing for senile dements (not requiring hospital care who have nowhere else to go)

• Chronic sick not mentally ill but ‘difficult’

• Mental retardation assessment unit

• Mental retardation children in-patients unit

• Totally dependent unit

• Mental retardation education & training young patients

• Mental retardation holding unit older patients

• Mental retardation rehabilitation unit

• Disturbed mentally retarded holding unit

• Youthful offenders male

• Youthful behaviour disorders in males (not yet offenders)

• Youthful behaviour disorder female (not offenders – not under propel’ control)

• Youthful offender’s female (minor offences)

• Older psychopaths

• Older subnormal offenders

• Psychotic offenders (serious offences)

• Psychotic offenders (minor offences)

• Socially incapable

• Chronic neurotics

• Social nuisances

• Alcoholics

Memories, stories of Tasmania’s Last Mental Asylum 1960-2001 (Draft) NDS

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ABC Broadcast; Whose heritage is worth saving in Tasmania?

May 23, 2013 No Comments

Is Tasmania preserving the right things and whose heritage is worth saving anyway?

This is ABC’s Louise Saunders and Sarah Gillman interview of a mixed group of Tasmanians about our Heritage and what is worth saving and at the expense of what other heritage sites? She starts with the question, what is Heritage?

ABC Radio Tasmania Heritage Audio 44 minutes.

A general discussion about Heritage within Tasmania with guest speakers Paul Johnston, Architect; Warwick Oakman, architectural historian and member of the National Trust; Briony Kidd, Hobart-based director and playwright who was involved with the Save 10 Murray Street campaign; Dr Dianne Snowden, chair of the Tasmanian Heritage Council; Aaron Everett, Aboriginal Heritage Officer with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Adrian Kelly, President of the Tasmanian Real Estate Institute.

Dianne Snowden is an ex-officio member of the Willow Court Conservation Committee as well as being the chair of the Tasmanian Heritage Council.

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Frescati House Plan

February 1, 2013 No Comments

This was the House Plan that was on display on the Sunday Heritage Day. It shows past structures and rooms combined. Looking at the current shot (right) taken from the fire escape of “E” Ward this has been a substantial reduction in the structure. The areal shot (left) confirms the plans. All the out buildings have now gone. Margaret’s Richards, Dr Brothers daughters conversation is now loaded on the “audio tab” Click HERE.

Global

Lots of articles to read

January 28, 2013 No Comments

I really like the stories from the people who were connected to Royal Derwent/Willow Court. The living history of these people shows us a glimpse of life within and outside of the institution. Alan Bester went on to be part of a totally new concept in Dementia care in Tasmania. I remember during my training visiting this site and being told that it was a “best practice model” in care provision in Australia. Read more about Allan’s story click HERE or have a look at the “documents” section of this website to find articles listed below;

Remember the children (NDS Public Document)

Evaluation of the Ward 7 Patients

The New Norfolk Hospital for the Insane by Susan Piddock

It was 50 years ago but Allan Bester vividly recalls the sound of the sirens that would shred the night-time silence of his home at New Norfolk

A role model for rural communities

ROYAL DERWENT HOSPITAL

Willow Court Asylum Precinct Register of the National Estate

DRAFT Events Calendar for Willow Court

PANDDA Autumn Newsletter 2012

Skills Institute Newsletter 2012

AGG Newsletter 2010

Cassy O’Conner MP Inaugural Speech 22 July 2008

Willow Court Final Interpretation Plan 2006

Willow Court Historic Landscape Audit Report 2004

Marketing Plan 2006

The Barracks Willow Court Short History

Business Plan & Development Plan Prepared by Malcolm MacDonald & Associates 2011

Wage case for Nursing Staff 1985

Union Letter 1988

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Frescati Heritage Open Day

January 20, 2013 2 Comments

What a wonderful time listening to Margaret Richards, the daughter of Dr Brothers, Medical Superintendent this afternoon and looking through Frescati House during the Heritage open day. Margaret lived at Frascati from 1935-1946 with her family up until the age of 11 years. I hope that I will have some audio and picture loaded soon.

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