Welcome to 2020

January 20, 2020 5 Comments

Hello Willow Court Supporters,

We start the year off knowing that the site has been given away by the very people who were elected to manage it, some has been given to the Arts Community while other parts to private businesses. I suspect there will be more news over the next few years about this and the methods that this was do and also the “independent” investigations into the processes used.

But the history is still alive and we at the Willow Court History Group still intend to gather what we can and share that knowledge in a respectful way. This website has clicked over 2 million views this year, which shows that people are interested in the history for personal, family or other research reasons.

This year it is my plan to have 4 face to face (non political) meetings a year where the history can be studied, shared and recorded. This idea is open to anyone with an interest in the site. I intend to have Guest Speakers to enhance our learning and enjoyment. I will announce the first of these in the coming weeks.

Until then happy New Year from us.

PS, still looking for venue. 03.03.2020

Global, Local

Sir John Gellibrand

October 20, 2019 No Comments

Click the picture below to hear a great podcast about Sir John Gellibrand from the lectures of the Tasmanian Historical Research Association. (55 minutes). Sir John was instrumental in the set up of Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital and a respected returned Service Man. The podcast helps us to understand the motivations that drove Sir John to not only get this up and running but other ideas to assisted returned service personnel.

Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital was joined to Lachlan Park Hospital by the sharing of staff and facilities before it formally joining the Hospital in 1968 and becoming part of the Tasmanian Mental Health Services under the common name of the Royal Derwent Hospital.

We have a lot of information and photos of the original Derwent building on the Millbrook Rise tab on this website. Click Here.

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Convict Women at the New Norfolk Asylum

October 8, 2019 No Comments

Female Convicts Research Centre

Present: Spring Seminar, Sunday 20th October

Topic: “A more hopeless class of subjects?”: Convict Women at the New Norfolk Asylum

Bookings to be finalised by Sunday, 13th October

Spring Seminar, 20th October 2019: Bookings are now open.

Topic: “A more hopeless class of subjects?” Convict Women at the New Norfolk Asylum

Further information and bookings available here.

Save the dates:

20th October, 2019. Spring Seminar, Topic: “A more hopeless class of subjects?” Convict Women at the New Norfolk Asylum. Venue: Hobart Town Hall

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Large numbers tour site

August 12, 2019 2 Comments

The first of two groups about to head off around the site.

This was posted on our Facebook Group a few days ago by Anne Salt who is a member of the Friends of Willow Court. I had the pleasure of assisting them on one Sunday with the tours of the site.

The Friends of Willow Court are overwhelmed by the interest in Willow Court’s history shown by people from all over Tasmanian, and the mainland. Over the last two open days, and from a private bus tour 286 people have visited the site. Many have expressed concern and disbelief that the Derwent Valley Council is in the process of subdividing and handing significant parts of this site to a private developer, without consideration for ongoing community access and interpretation.

One couple decided to let our Councillors know their thoughts on Willow Court, and the economic benefit to the district when the site is open. Hopefully the Councillors received, and read the email.

This is what the visitors had to say in part,

‘We are Tasmanians from the Launceston area. We came south specifically to New Norfolk for the weekend. We drove around the area, ate at a local bistro, filled the car with fuel at a local service station, stayed overnight in local heritage accommodation, had coffee at three different local cafes, purchased snacks and milk from a local corner shop, ate breakfast at a local café, purchased goods from a local antique shop and paid to attend the Willow Court Tour. In all, for the Saturday afternoon and Sunday we spent in New Norfolk specifically to attend a Willow Court tour we spent over $780. If it was not for Willow Court, we would not have visited at all.

We urge the recently elected local Council to look at some of the decisions that are being made and consider what their footprint on the local history may look like to visitors to New Norfolk in the coming years. Don’t let our grandchildren or great grandchildren (we are both 47 and don’t have grandchildren yet) not have the opportunity to visit this facility in the future if they wish. Keep it open, restore and upgrade the facility for Tasmanian locals, interstate and international visitors for generations to come.’

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Investigation into Council’s own actions

July 3, 2019 2 Comments

On the 20th June at the Derwent Valley Council meeting the General Manager instigated a Probity Investigation into the tender process for the Sale or Lease of Willow Court. He based this on “perceived” favourable treatment of the New Norfolk Rum Distillery proponent’s application.

He explained that there were four expressions of interest, one received during the allowed time period of the EOI and was assessed against the EOI criteria.
The three others unsolicited expressions of interest were assessed “on their own merits”, according to the General Manager on the audio recording of the last Council Meeting.

Today the same General Manager stood down after the cull of birds on public land owned by Council. An authorised Contractor undertook the poisoning and removal of a number of birds at Tynwald Park New Norfolk.

This raises big concerns and questions about the decision making ability of the General Manager, who runs the day to day operations of the Derwent Valley Council. Secondly we don’t know who was appointed as the “independent” investigator and why such a quick call for an investigation was made?

There has also been a major change to the Development Application from the Distillery proponents who have appealed a decision of the Derwent Valley Council to limit the tastings in the approved “tasting room” to rum produced on site by the proponents, to sales of other alcohol products from other producers.

This would effectively turn the application into an open hotel with distillery attached. This is still before the Planning Appeals Tribunal.

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The clean up begins

June 9, 2019 No Comments

The clean up of the rear Carlton Ward (Willow Court) Courtyard is nearing completion thanks to the Friends of Willow Court working bees. They have been able to reveal some garden beds after much weed and blackberry removal . These beds may have been used for Occupational Therapy for the people in Carlton (C) Ward (House). With just a few more bits of graffiti to be removed, the walled and gated area will now be a usable public space and fits into the T.R.A.C.E.S plan for activating the spaces on the site for public use.

Thanks to the GREAT volunteers for giving up two weekends to help clean up and find these garden beds. Helpers to continue activating our heritage spaces are always welcome and can contact the Friends of Willow Court to join in on the next Community Based Project. friendsofwillowcourt@gmail.com

The T.R.A.C.E.S Plan is as follows;

TRAILS and Tours.
Develop guided tours with Friends of Willow Court.
Engage with tourism operators to develop and promote.
Develop walking and driving routes.

RESTORATION and Reuse
**Clean up the courtyards.**
Staged repairs of buildings.
Develop training programs for young people interested in repairing historical buildings.

ACTIVATION and Access
Continue open days and events
Setup venue hire rates and rules.
Install internal gates to improve access.

CURATORS and Custodians
Engage with the community to collect stories.
Gather community history through schools and universities.
Align exhibitions with events in the Derwent Valley and Tasmanian arts and events calendar.

EMPOWERING
Develop a community garden project.
Establish a community kitchen.
Facilitate continuing relationships with DV Community House and Agrarian Kitchen.

SIGNAGE
Develop a signage strategy to contribute to the interpretation of New Norfolk and its history.
Promote signage for sites as landmarks within the town and the Valley.
Tree planting strategy to spatial links between Willow Court sites particularly High Street and The Avenue.

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Arts opportunity to invigorate the Valley

May 30, 2019 No Comments

A push for an Arts lead recovery at Willow Court is being proposed in this article from Ben Winspear in the Mercury Newspaper dated 3rd May 2019. This was closely followed by Charlotte Allen’s letter to the Editor today. Charlotte’s support for Willow Court to become an arts, education and multi purpose space came about from her successful advocacy for the Melbourne Abbotsford Convent which at one stage was earmarked, like Willow Court, to be sold off to private enterprise but now is a vibrant publicly owned education, arts and multi purpose centre. A new plan which keeps Willow Court in public ownership is to be released after the Derwent Valley Council gave permission for it to be shared. Details below.

A public meeting to present the new proposal to the community will be held at 6pm on Wednesday 5 June at the New Norfolk Lions Club meeting room, Humphrey St New Norfolk.

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Concerned staff 1990

May 27, 2019 No Comments

It’s been nearly 30 years since this concerned staff member raised the issue of not having supervision for violent/aggressive patients who were no more than children in mature bodies. How that was so wrong, integration had some issue along the way but in hindsight this was a great success for people living with disabilities and for basic human rights.

A big concern was that jobs were at risk and many trained nurses refused the offer of working as low paid support workers or social trainers in the community. But this was the end of large block treatment system, some say it was well overdue and other morn the loss of a community that spent 174 years together. Either way it is our memories that are still holding the information, much of it is not recorded. This is why we strive to collect, store and present a digital museum. If you are a custodian of memories from Royal Derwent Hospital or Willow Court Training Centre we would love to hear from you.

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Our Sites History

May 26, 2019 No Comments

Willow Court is significant to the Disability Sector! It has a rich and powerful history, and if we want to preserve it we need to take some positive action. We need as a sector to find ways to work with the council and community to assist them in their efforts to find the future direction for this site. We don’t have answers but as a collective group we can start to find them. What we do need is support! Please join this Facebook page and invite all people who you think have an interest and some passion.

Janet Presser. March 7, 2012

Janet and I (Mark Krause) started this site back in 2012, even though we had been involved in the sites history for nearly three decades and had been running tours since 2007 when I first started teaching. We have had many supporters over the years who have helped us through some difficult times as some of the behind the scenes politics got quite nasty, but one thing that still remains is a solid support base for the site and its history. This came about from the first call to action when the group formed in 2011 and planned a way forward.

Since then we have over 2.5k members on our facebook sites and our website 1.8 million hits. We have had many people use the site for reference material, tour information, general historic information, family history and followed the conservation of the heritage precinct.

The call could not be more needed than it is today as Willow Court is being considered for privatisation and other uses outside of the normal heritage agenda. So it is even more important that we expand the research base and offer this site as a public service for all to see and read so our heritage both physical and social is known and available to the community, whether for study, general knowledge or a support for the human rights of the people who were sent there because of their differences.

I need to thank those people who have helped along the way, including financial and moral support. The future now remains to gain as much history as can be gathered before the physical site is lost forever. If you enjoy research and have the time to offer I would be happy to hear from you. You can contact me on my email, mark@willowcourttasmania.org

Local

Bonnet call

May 22, 2019 2 Comments

Can you help remember the 57 (known) convict women who were at Willow Court?

Friends of Willow Court together with Dr Christina Henri plan to have a bonnet for each woman on display at Willow Court during Human Rights Week in December 2019.

If you would like to make a bonnet, or donate $10 to have a bonnet made on your behalf please let FoWC know. And please let others know about this important memorial to the forgotten convict women of Willow Court.