Lakeside Mental Hospital
37°33′04″S 143°49′03″E / 37.55111°S 143.81760°E
| Lakeside Mental Hospital | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Wendouree, Victoria, Australia |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public |
| Type | Psychiatric |
| Services | |
| Beds | 900+ |
| History | |
| Opened | 1877 |
| Closed | 1996 |
| Links | |
| Lists | Hospitals in Australia |
| Other links | List of Australian psychiatric institutions |
Lakeside Mental Hospital, originally known as Ballarat Asylum,[1] later as Ballarat Hospital for the Insane and finally, before its closure, as Lakeside Psychiatric Hospital,[2] was an Australian psychiatric hospital located in the suburb of Wendouree, the north-western fringe of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
The hospital first opened in 1877 for the "imbecile and idiot" (low intellect) class of patient rather than patients with acute insanity.[3] It closed again soon after.[4] A reformatory for boys also operated on the site, and some of its buildings were reused when the hospital was reopened in 1893, specialising in the treatment of epileptics.[3] A brick building was converted into a ward to house 30 male patients. This was extensively damaged in a fire in 1917.[5] A report in 1895 said that the patients did not have enough warm clothing, and that they were shivering during the cold Ballarat winter.[6] Proposals to expand the asylum were mooted in 1909. Large scale extension and alteration were put forward by the state government in 1916.[7]
In 1934, the Ballarat Asylum was renamed Ballarat Mental Hospital and, in 1969, the name changed again to Lakeside Hospital.[4] Lakeside Hospital was decommissioned in 1996.[8]
The hospital at its peak employed about 600 staff and could hold 1500 patients.[4] The site was 83 hectares, of which 40 hectares was used as a farm.[4] Crops planted in 1910 included leeks, cauliflowers, onions, rhubarb, potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, celery, beetroot, peas, beans and parsnips.[9] In 1907, a Dr. Cherry reported that the patients helped to compress green fodder crops for storage by dancing jigs and reels on them to the accompaniment of a fiddle.[10]
The site is now used for the Ballarat Aquatic Centre, a number of sporting facilities, and the Lake Gardens housing estate. Some original building are still standing and have been renovated and reused.
Incidents[edit]
An outbuilding burned down in 1898.[11] In 1909, an incident between inmates resulted in the death of one by pick-axe.[12] In 1917, a large fire destroyed one of the wings which was formerly the boys reformatory school.[5] A patient committed suicide by drowning himself in Lake Wendouree in 1995 after it was announced by the Government that deinstitution would begin. The man was a long term patient. His disappearance was reported to the police, when staff took a group on a walk around the nearby lake. He was later found by a Lakeside nurse.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ University of Melbourne. Ballarat Asylum - Australian Psychiatric Care retrieved 5/5/12
- ^ University of Melbourne. Ballarat Hospital for the Insane - Australian Psychiatric Care retrieved 5/5/12
- ^ a b "Ballarat (Asylum 1877-1879; 1893-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1969; Lakeside Hospital 1969-1996)". Research Data Australia. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d Oliver, Jordan (13 May 2013). "Former Ballarat Lakeside Hospital staff meet again". thecourier.com.au. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Lunatic Asylum on fire". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 20 December 1917. p. 7. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ "The Wendouree Lunatic Asylum". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 2 August 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ The Argus. 11 October 1916. pg. 6
- ^ "Lakeside Hospital". www.findingrecords.dhhs.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "A storm in a garden". The Farmer and Settler. NSW: National Library of Australia. 7 January 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ "To make ensilage". trove.nla.gov.au. 24 May 1907. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ The Argus. 25 June 1898. p.10
- ^ Benalla Standard. 29 January 1909 p 4
External links[edit]
- "Stencil Plate - Ballarat Lunatic Asylum, Metal, circa 1900". Museum Victoria. 2013. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2013.