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?
The many roles of the Royal Derwent Hospital in the early seventies
• 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
ABC 7.30 Report 1991
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.
Paranormal Documentary Privacy Issues
“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?
Tasmanian Heritage Council Approved New Shopping Centre next to Willow Court
Council approved a Supermarket Development on the old oval precinct area and the Tasmanian Heritage Council also approved the plans at its February meeting, subject to several conditions including a stipulation that the building must be a natural stone or brickwork colour similar to the lime-wash finishes found on the earliest buildings at Willow Court. New Norfolk News Article
This will help the new complex be in sympathy with it’s heritage neighbours it is believed. This is something that planners will only have one chance at getting right and we are hopeful that this has had enough thought.
ABC Broadcast; Whose heritage is worth saving in Tasmania?
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.
Tasmanian Budget tomorrow
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.
Willow Court, New Norfolk, was the site of a wonderful event over the week-end
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Derwent Valley Players, in conjunction with the Friends of Willow Court, presented two original plays, written by Sharon Hutchison and directed by Vivienne de Bressac. Sharon played Matron Coates, Lin Hopkins was Mrs. Smythe-Jones, the Vicar’s wife, and Denise Rushworth was Sarah, the Matron’s maid.
The South Wing of the Barracks was transformed into a small theatre and a beautiful Tea Room, complete with white linen table cloths, flowers on every table and beautiful crockery. High tea was served between the two plays, with patrons being offered cucumber sandwiches, asparagus rolls, both chocolate and lemon cake, and little chocolate nibbles, not to mention scones, presented in lovely flowered boxes, raspberry jam and cream, and a choice of tea or coffee!
There were two performances each day, with great audience attendance for all four shows. The patrons left the Barracks with many a “thank you”, “it was wonderful” “we didn’t expect the tea room to be so lovely”, “the scones were delicious” “you’ve done a lot of work” and generally an air of great appreciation for the overall experience. A wonderful time was had by all.
We would like to thank Ilene, at Pennyworth, for the loan of much of the crockery, platters etc, her friend Kaye, for the generous loan of the beautiful table linen and Aurora Disability for baking the scrumptious scones. And, of course, those few members of FOWC who were able to help (you know who you are)
Cheers, Vivienne
Last event before closure for restoration
Friends of Willow Court & Derwent Valley Players will present:“Meet the Matron” and “Tea & Charity” with high tea
The Barracks, Willow Court
Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 May
1pm & 3 pm
A working bee will happen on Friday 10th May in The Barracks beforehand for Committee Members. Cost $15, tickets available from the Derwent Valley Council.
Want to add to the site?
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