Past to Present. Memory to Action
“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?
This back brace was from Ward 3 of Royal Derwent Hospital. The brace is formed from material covered metal in the centre two supports. Most of the specialist equipment was made on site by the hospital’s own trades people. This could make a display at the restored Barracks Museum.
A Museum isn’t a new idea, it was suggested back in 1963 by Dr Cunningham-Dax M.B., B.S. (Lond.). B.Sc. (Lond.) D.P.M., (R.C.P. & S) In a report presented to the Tasmanian Parliament in January 1963, when he warned that, in front of “the old barrack square” was to be used as a State Museum, that every effort should be made to collect the remaining relics now.
When the siren went off at RDH Tasmania at the asylum, the local community knew what to do, children and adults ran indoors and waited until the siren sounded again to indicate the all clear. What was this about? The siren indicated that a patient had escaped the hospital and different sounds meant different levels of alert and danger. How did visitors and the children feel about this? This conversation between New Norfolk Councillor James Graham, Anne Salt and Mark Krause discusses some of the stories about the alarm. Recorded during the restoration of the front gates in 2012.
“I think children’s reactions depended on if they had parents who worked in the hospital. As kids 10-12 years old, if the siren went off a group of us got on our bikes and went to see what ward the action was going on at. We were taught not to be scared of the people there just because they had physical or mental health issues…” Lyell Wilson
“The Lachlan Park Hospital will sound a siren when a patient is considered dangerous escapes” The medical administrator of the hospital (Dr J.R.C. Weatherly) said yesterday the alarm would be three ten-second blasts at five-second intervals. If the patient were recaptured within five hours of the alarm being given. an “all clear”, one thirty second blast would be sounded. De Weatherly said the siren would be tested each Friday at noon. The test would be a single 15-second blast. (Troubled Asylum)
httpvh://youtu.be/N7yrOFiU2Fw
This short film shows Ward 10 with its high, double fences and outer perimeter security system. There is a clear shot of the Ha Ha wall and dry moat which has since been filled in with waste. This footage, it is believed, was taken after an escape and shows the repaired fence and welded window frame. This is a silent piece of footage and the exact age is unclear. Anyone who could assist in determining the age please contact me on Facebook or via the comment section here.
My name is ********* and I worked at Royal Derwent from 1967 to 1978 and enjoyed my time in that position. It was sad at times but very rewarding as well. I know it makes us sad to think of the cruelty and sadness that took place in these dwellings. But as a mum of a 21 years old son who has Down syndrome I can understand the heartache of the parents that had to leave their loved ones in the hospital because they could not cope or did not know how to deal with their child’s disability.
Today we are so lucky, when my son was born I said to the Doctor what I am going to do and GOD bless his heart he said ********* take him home and love him. That is what we did and boy have we been rewarded, what a wonderful young man he has become. The love this man has brought to our home and the many values that we have learnt through him has been amazing. Wow we’ve been blessed.
But that did not happen for these mums and dads they were told to go home and leave them, told that their baby would never have any kind of life and they would never amount to anything. How very wrong the medical staff were. With lots of love and patience these beautiful people can make a difference. We look at these derelict and rundown buildings and hear the terrible stories about the history of this hospital but we never hear about the positive things about it. We hear about the cruelty and yes in the early years there was a lot of negative behaviour.
My mum worked there for 33 years and at first she said it was tragic, they had just started to trial the drug Largactil (an anti-psychotic drug) because a lot of the clients were very violent and many staff got hurt, beds was straw on the floor these people did not have a good life but things did improve in lots of ways.
There were some cruel staff but in my time there were a great many good compassionate staff (men and women) that cared about the welfare of these vulnerable people.
There were always three hot meals a day, regular showers and baths always a bed to sleep in. There were also different forms of entertainment, they had their own picture theatre where they watched movies and put on plays to entertain each other. There were socials, annual balls, Christmas parties where they would enjoy getting dressed up, a swimming pool and lots of recreational things to do and shopping trips for clients who were able. A lot of capable clients went out on day trips and they had their own church to go to Sunday services. The clients had their own friendship groups and they always knew they had a home. What I am saying is there were lots of things going on that was not quite right but there were a lot of very good things as well.
Volunteers restoring historic garden
A group of Tasmanians is starting to transform the grounds of one of the state’s most historic houses, at Willow Court in New Norfolk. Click below to watch News report
The Derwent Valley Council policy about the collection and de-accessioning of Willow Court artefacts has been released.
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)
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” /]
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;
