Royal Derwent Hospital – Page 8 – Willow Court Tasmania

Power to the Avenue

June 11, 2013 No Comments

Aurora’s activities today in the Avenue are working towards Willow Court having a good supply of electric power along with others in the Avenue, by the photos this is very close to finishing. The last photo shows a new power pole with a transformer in front of Bronte Ward ready and waiting to be connected. Connection will allow better security for the Historic Precinct of The Barracks, C & A Wards and Bronte Ward. Local businesses on the east side of George Street went without power for most of the day to cater for this connection, costing over $75,000.

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Catherine

June 9, 2013 No Comments

A card from Willow Court (The Hospital for the Insane) tells of Catherine, her life from admission to death, what happened to Catherine, who was she? It seems strange to only have a card that tells so little for a person. Was Catherine a forgotten person?

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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 7.30 Report 1991

May 31, 2013 No Comments

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-BEduVI_2I&feature=youtu.be

This is the first release of this story since 1991, this footage has been publicly screened and all people had given permission to be filmed and broadcast.

In 1991 ABC News recorded a story about a number of ex-residents of Willow Court. It was screened on the 7.30 Report as a 9 minute story of “institutionalisation to community” and followed the stories of Neil, Don, Jean and Ian. It is believed that Jean and Ian were the first couple to be married in Willow Court despite negative pressure to their marriage. They also interview the Hon. Judy Jackson MHA who was key in the decision to de-institutianlisl 300 residents with disabilities despite huge pressure from within her own political party. Where did they go? Staff and residents talk about their new life and how they felt about institutionalised care.

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Paranormal Documentary Privacy Issues

May 30, 2013 No Comments

“The Anti Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks was interviewed on ABC radio news
on Saturday regarding her concerns with the use of archival footage of
Residents of Royal Derwent Hospital being made public. While Commissioner Banks
acknowledged there was no evidence of discrimination in the documentary, the
use of the archival footage depicting young adults could breach the Personal
Information Protection principles. The Commissioner has referred the matter to
the Privacy Ombudsman who is in communication with the Councils lawyer on the
matter.”

“The Commissioners finding is the expected outcome of research and lobbying by
concerned community members who respect the privacy of individuals who lived at
Willow Court and their family members.”

This was a quote from an email sent to this website today. There are a number of concerned people and groups out there fighting for the rights of People who didn’t have a choice in appearing in this film.

The Lord Mayor Martyn Evans was quoted in the Derwent Valley Gazette (May 1st) as saying that “the Council had viewed the documentary three times and it had also been seen by State Archivist Ross Latham and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks. We can’t be accused of rushing anything through- this has all gone through the appropriate channels and processes”

While we agree that the processes should be followed we also have to acknowledge that these processes were not instigated by the Derwent Valley Council, instead they were raised by concerned Individuals, Parents and Advocates of the previous Residents. Council had approved this film without any of the due process including the Privacy Commissioner.

PS added 30/05/13

I spoke to a CEO of a disability service provider today who had been approached by the mother of an ex-patient of RDH and is concerned that her son will be in this film. At 84 years of age she shouldn’t have to go through this suffering for the benefit of some young person’s hobby. Why is this film maker so bent on presenting people with disabilities in such an unpleasant and insensitive way?

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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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Tasmanian Budget tomorrow

May 22, 2013 1 Comment

The Tasmanian State Budget will be handed down by the Treasurer on Thursday 23 May 2013.

We are interested to know how the State Government will look after it’s State Heritage Assets after Port Arthur announced that it needs 6 million dollars for restoration and ongoing maintain of the current structures. Mercury article.

Willow Court is also in need of more funding for this new financial year if restoration works are to continue. We are interested in looking at how the Tasmanian Government lead the way in restoring and protecting our Heritage sites of Tasmania. The full cost of restoration for Willow Court is in the order of 9 million dollars.

It is unclear if the Conservation Committee, Derwent Valley Council or Heritage Council have been lobbying for any funding.

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Want to add to the site?

April 26, 2013 No Comments

Not all posts are written by the website owner, I am happy to put posts up that pertain to Willow Court’s sensitive re-development. All posts submitted must have links to the quotes if they are being used or I must sight the original documentation. In particular we would like stories of the past from previous Residents, Staff and those people who have been connected with Willow Court in some way.

We are increasing our documentary library every month at the moment and we are happy to share works that you have permission and or copyright to share. The website has unlimited storage and bandwidth so can contain as much information as can be supplied. Digital loans of exhibitions can be catered for for long or short term loan period. Some shared material can be secured to only allow access to certain groups i.e.. Educational, Tourist, previous Staff, Residents or Parents and Friends groups. Passwords can be managed between those groups.

Any upload must comply with the groups objectives which can be summed up in this statement: DO NO MORE HARM.

Contact me through this site at mark@willowcourttasmania.org

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Friends of Willow Court Meeting

April 8, 2013 No Comments

The Friends of Willow Court have a meeting this Thursday evening at the New Norfolk Community House. Mr Brett Noble (Project Officer of the WCCC) is believed to be attending and will discuss the access to Willow Court while restoration projects are underway. It is believe that works will commence this month and continue for 6-9 months.

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Council infighting causes exclusion to Tourism Tasmania advertising campaign.

March 26, 2013 No Comments

Willow Court Heritage Precinct was visited by an International Travel Blogger and a International Photographer who were invited and contracted to write about regional Tasmania and the beautiful Derwent Valley on behalf of Tourism Tasmania. Cr Nicholson took the time out of his busy day of restoring his property after the resent fires through the Lachlan Valley to show the Site off. The following stories were included and will appear on the website however Willow Court will not appear.

Go Behind the Scenery website

24 March

Tassie140 Short story – Flywheel, New Norfolk There is lots to see at Flywheel, one of New Norfolk’s newest antique stores!

Tassie143 Short story – Flywheel, New Norfolk A selection of the beautifully printed stationary and cards available at Flywheel in New Norfolk

27-March

Tassie139 Donna Baird – Drill Hall Emporium, New Norfolk Donna at the Drill Hall Emporium

Tassie137 Donna Baird – Drill Hall Emporium, New Norfolk Just a small selection of the beautiful range of antiques available at the Drill Hall Emporium, New Norfolk

There will also be stories about Redlands Estate and The Agrarian Kitchen to come.

David the International Travel Photographer and the Travel Blogger have “chosen not to post about Willow Court”, It was believed “there was way too much politics around it”.

The visitors toured the site the day after the Long Table Dinner was canceled and we believe this is still the fallout from Cr Bromfield’s decision to stop the Long Table Dinner with her well informed decision to stop new volunteers with the skills to cook and serve alcohol being insured for the event. No insurance coverage during their volunteering meant this event could not go ahead. Cr Bromfield’s disappointing decision

The multimillion dollar advertising campaign will run for the next five years as Tasmania’s invitation to travelers and would not have cost the Council a cent in rate payer’s funds. It would have placed the Historic site in the minds of a diverse range of travelers that are looking for that “behind the scenery” Derwent Valley experience.

We are extremely disappointed by this decision and call for the Council to unite with their Special Committee’s in some commonality about the Heritage site.

You heard it here first advertising campaign inclusion