Vandalism continues

Vandalism continues to be a problem on both privately owned buildings at Willow Court. The oval wards and the old nurses home have been written on, “I’m Sorry” appears on the external wall of Derwent Ward which faces the Avenue. The writing on the old Nurses Quarters (pictured below) also faces the Avenue and has defaced the old sandstone foundation wall.

WC 050The oval Ward works have slowed and workers have not been present for some time, while at the Heritage precinct area, the Barracks is undergoing major works.

Anyone witnessing such vandalism should inform police.

 

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Disability History Month: Unpacking medieval myths

BBC Disability History Month

BBC

“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?

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Spring Growth on Tasmania’s oldest Grape Vine.

The Friends of Frascati have been busy tending the gardens around Frascati house and with so much rain fall everything is looking very lush and green including the old grape vine. Still yet to be identified as a particular variety. The vine was looking rather spending last Monday. Conservation Committee Chair person David Llewellyn has taken cuttings in the hope of identifying the variety and recently stated: “I have four of them growing at St Helelns but they aren’ big enough to identify as yet”. David is the owner of

Priory Ridge Wines

 

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Restoration update

From Brett Noble, Senior Project Officer Willow Court.

As many would have noticed, there is currently considerably activity at The Barracks.
Over the last couple of weeks, all the windows facing into The Barracks courtyard have been restored to working order.  The windows retain all the marks of their 180 years of life – patches, different paint layers, repairs, and breaks – but are now in working order.  Some very intriguing metal work, hand stamped with the ‘convict arrow’, was uncovered during this work.  The ‘convict arrow’ was also found on many of the window frames.
Work has also begun on a couple of the original doors, as a test of what this work will entail.
In addition, specialist renderers have been working on the verandah plinth, removing cement render and bits of loose render, ahead of applying a poultice.  The poultice will be on for a few weeks, to draw out the moisture and salts that had been trapped in the masonry, before a new lime render is applied.  Part of this work involved the removal of some of the brick pavers that were hard against the verandah plinth, and a little excavation along the face of the plinth.  This work has shown that along the southern side of the building the original ground level was much lower that at present.
Behind the scenes, the head contractor requests for tenders is nearing completion, which should see the selection of a head contractor in the next week.  As you will recall, part of the selection criteria for this work is the involvement of local sub-contractors.
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TasWater’s contrubution to the Heritage values?

mobile 024 The Derwent Valley Council has requested that above ground pipes installed by Taswater in “The Avenue” be relocated underground. A unanimous vote from all councillors in the October minutes “instructs” TasWater to reinstall them underground, in consultation with the Willow Court Senior Project Officer, Mr Brett Noble.taswater

These pipes throughout the Heritage area detract from the current restoration process by both the private owners and council owed properties and clearly shows TasWater’s lack of thought or communication.

 

 

A recent short documentary by film maker, Victoria Acuña showed the work that Mario Cortes has put into the old Administration Building, but the picture below shows how these pipes have detracted from the efforts of Mario to create a renovated art-deco beauty. View film here

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Merry Christmas Willow Court – Restoration underway.

willow court with brett noble 031“The Development Application (DA) has been approved and we are organising contracts and arranging for the work to be undertaken as per the DA documentation.  Some specialist works are already underway.  Asbestos has been removed from the buildings.  Should be quite active on site leading up to Christmas”

Brett Noble
Senior Project Manager (Willow Court Project)

 

 

Great news that things are moving forward for Willow Court with restoration works and that tradespeople will be onsite in bigger numbers before Christmas. Opening events will be soon arranged and we will soon be able to have public access. Expected time for opening would be February – March 2014.

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The Barracks west wing extention

I am attempting to find out what the lean-to (pictured below) which was attached to the outside wall of the Barracks was used for. I have a photo which is of the heavy security steel door on the inside which lines up with this 1981 photo of the side of the Barracks. What did it store and why such heavy security on the inside and on the outside it looks like a garden shed type construction? Any help would be appreciated.

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Back brace RDH

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.

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Royal Derwent Hospital Siren (New podcast)

siren 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)

 

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