The Park Centre for Mental Health is a heritage-listed
psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
at 60 Grindle Road,
Wacol
Wacol is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Wacol had a population of 3,761 people.
Geography
Wacol is bounded to the west by the Brisbane River and to the north loosely by Wolston Creek. It is south-west of t ...
,
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainl ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia.
It is one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Australia. The hospital provides a range of
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
services, including extended
inpatient
A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health ca ...
care, mental health
research
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
,
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
and a high security psychiatric unit. It was designed by
Kersey Cannan and built from 1866 to 1923. It is also known as Goodna Hospital for the Insane, Goodna Mental Hospital, Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, and Wolston Park Hospital Complex. It was added to the
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...
on 21 October 1992.
The Wolston Park Hospital Complex, opened in 1865, occupies a site on the banks of the
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...
at Wacol and encompasses a number of mental health facilities and ancillary services operated by the Queensland government since inception of the asylum.
The hospital employs around 450 people, including 220
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
s and 20
doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
s. There are also another 80 allied health staff, and 50 administration personnel.
In addition there are 70 support staff, including maintenance, groundskeeping, security and laundry staff.
History
Planning
Prior to 1859, mentally ill people in the colony of Queensland had been sent to
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. Following the
Separation of Queensland
The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day State of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and created as a separate Colony of Queensland.
History
European sett ...
, they were lodged instead at the
Brisbane Gaol. In 1861 the government instructed
Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin
Charles Tiffin (1833–1873) was an English architect, who spent most of his career in Queensland, Australia where he held the post of Queensland Colonial Architect.
Early life
He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England where he studied und ...
to report on a suitable site and draw up plans for a 400-bed asylum. Tiffin recommended an area of land on the banks of the
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...
halfway between
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
, which was rejected by the
Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...
in favour of another site close by, upstream at the junction of the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek.
The site of the new asylum had "been formerly occupied by the residence of Dr
Stephen Simpson
Stephen Simpson (born 8 January 1984) is a South African-American professional racing driver currently competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and previously in the A1 Grand Prix, Champ Car Atlantic Championship and the Indy Pr ...
, the Commissioner of Crown lands."
Dr Simpson was appointed Commissioner for Crown Lands for the
Moreton Bay District in 1842 when the area was first opened up for free settlement following the closure of the
Moreton Bay penal settlement
The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement operated from 1825 to 1842. It became the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
History
The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement was established on the Redcliffe Peninsula on Moreton Bay in 1824, under the instruct ...
. He was also the acting administrator, until the arrival of
John Clements Wickham
John Clements Wickham (21 November 17986 January 1864) was a Scottish explorer, naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was first lieutenant on during its second survey mission, 1831–1836, under captain Robert FitzRoy. The young ...
, and a Justice of the Peace. Simpson's first home in the colony, built in 1843–1844, was at
Woogaroo
Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia. In the , Goodna had a population of 10,461 people.
Geography
Goodna is from the Brisbane central business district, being just outside the Brisbane City ...
. In 1851, when the opportunity to buy land in the area arose, he purchased 640 acres to the east and soon built
Wolston House
Wolston House is a heritage-listed museum and former homestead at 223 Grindle Road, Wacol, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1852 to 1860s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. It is now ...
further down the Brisbane River.
An 1861 survey plan indicates the presence of a house between the mouth of Woogaroo Creek and the small dam which still exists to the east of the current Wolston Park Golf Club clubhouse.
If this plan is accurate, the house, most likely Simpson's, would have been sited just south-west of the clubhouse. Late 1860s plans of the asylum's original buildings indicate that they were located at the east end of the current clubhouse.
Construction
Tenders for the first stage of construction of the asylum were let in 1863 and by the end of 1864 sufficient buildings were completed for the asylum to begin operation. The
Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum opened on 10 January 1865. On 12 January, seven prison warders (two of them women) and ten police constables escorted 57 male and 12 female lunatics from Brisbane Gaol to Woogaroo, travelling by river on the steamer ''Settler''. The 69 patients were accommodated in a two-storeyed brick building initially intended to be the administration block (no longer extant). Male patients were accommodated on the first floor and part of the ground floor. Females occupied a section of the ground floor. A tall timber fence surrounded the building and timber outbuildings accommodated a kitchen, bathroom and staff areas. Dr
Kersey Cannan was appointed as Superintendent and a residence was constructed for him on the site (no longer extant). This first stage of the asylum was located at the southern end of the site between the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek, with the river providing access to the site. Plans of the site made and in 1878, indicate that a cemetery or graveyard was established at the far western end of the site, near the confluence of Woogaroo Creek and the Brisbane River.
In 1866 a ward for fee-paying patients was erected on an adjacent ridge about to the east of the main buildings (later Female Wards 1 & 2). The building was constructed from local sandstone extracted from a nearby sandstone quarry formerly owned by
Joshua Jeays
Joshua Jeays (1812–1881) was a Leicester-born carpenter who became a successful developer, an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Brisbane City Council Archives
Personal life
Joshua Jeays was born in 1812 in Leicestershire, ...
, which was also the source of stone for the construction of
Parliament House
Parliament House may refer to:
Australia
* Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia
* Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia
* Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland
* Parliament House, Darwin, Parliame ...
in 1864. The superintendent Dr Canaan claimed responsibility for the building's design, based on principles recommended in the standard treatise on asylum construction, The Construction and Government of Lunatic Asylums of 1847 by
John Conolly
John Conolly (27 May 1794 – 5 March 1866) was an English psychiatrist. He published the volume ''Indications of Insanity'' in 1830. In 1839, he was appointed resident physician to the Middlesex County Asylum where he introduced the princip ...
. The Woogaroo Asylum was not, however, in a position to receive fee-paying patients and the building was unoccupied for two years until alterations were made so that female patients could be transferred to this block. A second storey was added, constructed to the design of Charles Tiffin in 1875, and other substantial alterations and additions were made to the building in both 1904 and 1923. This building accommodated female patients for over 100 years.
Inquiries
In 1867 the first of many Government inquiries into the operations of the asylum took place, with the Government appointing Dr
Henry Challinor
Henry Challinor (22 June 1814 – 9 September 1882) was a physician and politician in the Colony of Queensland.
Early life
Challinor was born in London, England. Studying medicine in London, where he became a member of the Royal College of Sur ...
to investigate conditions there. Two further inquiries occurred in 1869 - the first inquiry was conducted by public servants, and the second by a select committee of members from both houses of
Queensland Parliament
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...
. Dr Cannan was dismissed from his post as a result of the first inquiry. The second inquiry revealed a multitude of mistakes and incompetency and a number of its conclusions related to the inappropriate and insufficient accommodation on site and the improvement of cooking facilities and the provision of a decent water supply. On the recommendation of the select committee, the Queensland Government introduced the Lunacy Act of 1869, based on similar legislation in other Australian colonies and Britain.
It was not until a Royal Commission was established in 1877 to investigate Woogaroo Asylum and other reception houses in the colony that the Government was forced to take the continuing problems at the asylum more seriously. Despite the construction of two cottage wards in the early 1870s (no longer extant), overcrowding remained a chronic problem and the commission urged the construction of additional wards, improvements to existing cells, upgrading of services, the planting of shade trees, the establishment of recreation facilities and the provision of employment for patients. A modest building program began in 1878 with the construction of a cottage ward for 60 female patients and continued with a block of cells for troublesome female patients in 1879, two wards each for 35 patients in the male and female sections in 1880 as well as the construction of a kitchen and laundry building to service 500 patients (these buildings are no longer extant).
Expansion
![Wolston Park Hospital Complex - Bostock (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Wolston_Park_Hospital_Complex_-_Bostock_%282001%29.jpg)
A boom in the Queensland economy and a major increase in expenditure on public works was the impetus for a more substantial building program at the asylum during the 1880s. At the same time, the population of the state was increasing rapidly and accompanying social changes brought greater numbers of admissions to the asylum, then known as the
Goodna Asylum. The hospital population doubled in the two decades from 1880. Two new cottage wards (one of which is now known as Bostock House, 1885) and a refractory ward were erected in the female section and a new refractory ward was constructed (no longer extant) and major additions to the existing No 1 ward were undertaken in the male section. Despite this new work, conditions for patients scarcely improved as the additional accommodation barely matched the growth in patient numbers. New legislation was introduced with the Insanity Act of 1884 replacing the Lunacy Act of 1869. It was modelled on New South Wales legislation and reflected the growing medicalisation of the treatment of madness. The term lunacy was replaced by insanity and the institution where such persons were treated became known as a hospital for the insane rather than an asylum. This Act consolidated the State's role in the treatment and regulation of insane people and remained in force for over fifty years.
Flooding
In 1890 the asylum experienced severe flooding as the Brisbane River rose to a height of , the highest level ever recorded. The entire male section was inundated; buildings, fences and other structures were seriously damaged and patients had to be re-located. The decision was made to abandon the low-lying area near the river where the main male section was located and consolidate it on higher ground where two wards had already been erected. The relocation brought the complex closer to the
Main Line railway
The Main Line is a railway line in South East Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1865 and 1867. It commences at Roma St Station in Brisbane and extends west 161 km to Toowoomba. It is the first narrow gau ...
(opened in 1875), which replaced the river as the primary means of access to the hospital. The Recreation Hall was erected in 1890 and was used as a sewing room by female patients during the days and was also available for dances, concerts and church services.
The male section was further damaged by in the
1893 Brisbane flood
The 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred in 1893 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It was the ...
that also inundated the main staff residences. In line with the decision to relocate the male section on higher ground, work began on an outdoor recreation area and Fleming House, a two storeyed brick building with accommodation for 50 male patients, was opened in 1898. Verandahs were located at ground level on the northern side of the building, overlooking the cricket oval that had been laid out by patient labour. The same year, a substantial brick residence (now Manor House), replacing a timber house badly damaged by the 1893 flood, was erected for the new medical superintendent,
James Hogg
James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...
, appointed in 1898. The residence was located on high ground but with its main elevation facing south-east, away from the asylum complex. Most of the other staff resided off the site. For many decades the hospital was serviced by employees who lived in the local area and there are now a number of staff who have a family history of employment at the complex going back generations. During Hogg's period in charge, the complex became known as the
Goodna Hospital for the Insane.
Further expansion
The most significant building project of the early 1900s involved extensive alterations and additions to the original female ward. A new level was built on the existing building that significantly increased accommodation. A large two-storeyed block, the male no. 4 ward (no longer extant) was also completed, bringing the male section to a well-defined group of eight buildings. A new morgue and two brick bathroom blocks were constructed in 1902. (Both bathroom blocks remain, one of which is now known as Dawson Annexe).
Changes in treatment and accommodation from 1908
Following the sudden death of James Hogg in 1908,
Henry Byam Ellerton was appointed to replace him as superintendent of Goodna and Chief Inspector of Hospitals for the Insane. Conscious of the need to find the very best possible candidate, the Queensland Government had advertised widely for the position, including in Britain. Ellerton was chosen from a list of twenty-six applicants and had fourteen years experience in English asylums. He was an ardent advocate of "
moral treatment
Moral treatment was an approach to mental disorder based on humane psychosocial care or moral discipline that emerged in the 18th century and came to the fore for much of the 19th century, deriving partly from psychiatry or psychology and partly fr ...
" or moral therapy. Moral treatment marked a major turning point in an understanding of madness and insanity. Formerly regarded as the total absence or distortion of reason and incapable of cure, insanity came to be seen as a product of an immoral or defective social environment, thus mentally ill people could be improved in an appropriate and elevating environment. A critical aspect of moral treatment was the provision of a pleasant environment, with an emphasis on well-lit and ventilated buildings with adequate bathing facilities, reasonably sized rooms with sufficient openings and views to the landscape. Recreation and employment were also considered a vital part of the therapeutic process.
Ellerton was superintendent of the hospital for 28 years, retiring in 1936. In this period, Wolston Park acquired its modern form with the construction of the core of its buildings and the consolidation of the institutional environment. Ellerton's vision was to create an integrated and self-sufficient community, the grounds became gardens and wooden fences were replaced with less claustrophobic wire ones. A large bush house, 100 yards long and 20 yards wide, was established in 1911 to maintain a steady supply of pot plants for the wards and recreation hall and to provide seedlings and young plants for the gardens throughout the asylum (no longer extant). The institution was opened up to visits from relatives and friends and recreational activities became integral to the asylum's operations. While aesthetically pleasing gardens and views were considered parts of the therapeutic process, the grounds were also important to the public image of the institution. A pleasant landscaped environment with gardens, scrubs and open space suggested the asylum was a benign institution and belied its true character as a place where overcrowding was chronic and patients were strictly controlled and managed.
In 1916 the hospital was again improved with the addition of a ward for those suffering a physical disease as well as a mental disorder.
![Wolston Park Hospital Complex powerhouse (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Wolston_Park_Hospital_Complex_powerhouse_%282001%29.jpg)
During Ellerton's reign, existing male wards were demolished and Lewis House, Noble House and McDonnell House were completed in 1915. A new bridge over Woogaroo Creek was completed in 1916. A female admission ward, Anderson House, the hospital, the administration block, the powerhouse, water reservoirs and pumping stations were completed in 1917. The laundry was completed in 1918. Osler House, a ward for difficult female patients was completed in 1929 and Pearce House, for difficult male patients was completed in 1934. The male wards Gladstone House, Jenner House and Kelsey House were completed in 1936. Upon Ellerton's retirement, the male section comprised a total of 13 blocks, all constructed of brick and designed to accommodate between 20 and 120 patients. Despite the upgrading of facilities, overcrowding remained a chronic problem. The increase in beds from 1910 to 1936 failed to correspond to the increase in the number of patients.
Compared with the extensive building program in the male section between 1910 and 1936, improvements in the female section were extremely modest. Ellerton felt that the expansion of the female section was limited due to the topography of the Goodna site and advocated additional female wards at other institutions such as
Ipswich Mental Hospital
Ipswich Mental Hospital is a heritage-listed psychiatric hospital at 3 Parker Avenue, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Queensland Works Department and built from 1933 to 1940. It is also known as Ipswich Hosp ...
. In the period 1910–1920, the number of female inmates decreased by 20%, falling from 491 to 389 patients and the 1910 female population level was not regained until 1929. Male patients increased by 30% during this period, rising from 779 to 1010.
During Ellerton's period in charge, the asylum had undergone considerable material improvement and a number of essential services such as electricity, water and a hospital had been established. Many of the buildings were well designed and are excellent examples of the output of the
Queensland Department of Works during this time. Some of the buildings demonstrated a refinement in approaches to patient care, such as the small and domestic scale Anderson House that was designed to accommodate female patients when they were first admitted so they could be kept under observation and receive more individual treatment than was possible in a large ward. Recreational facilities had vastly improved and the complex now had three tennis courts, a viewing pavilion and terraces and an oval considered one of the best cricket grounds in the state. A golf course had been constructed by patient labour in the 1920s, becoming the well-regarded
Gailes Golf Club
The Gailes Golf Club is a golf club in Wacol, Queensland, Australia, 20 minutes south of Brisbane. It hosted the Australian Open in 1955 with the winner was Bobby Locke
Arthur D'Arcy "Bobby" Locke (20 November 1917 – 9 March 1987) was a Sou ...
, which continued to be a source of employment for patients in the upkeep and maintenance of the greens. Patients were also employed in farming activities that aided the hospital's self-sufficiency. Farm activities included a piggery, dairy, a small cattle herd, vegetable and crop growing including oats, maize and lucerne. However no new techniques or methods of treatment had been introduced. Even the later male wards, Gladstone, Jenner and Kelsey, were still firmly based on the moral therapy model despite their new designs with unusual, crab-like plan forms. The institutionalisation of people with mental illness in Queensland had become an efficient system of control and regulation with an emphasis on confinement rather than treatment or care. More patients than ever were admitted to Goodna and no other solution to the treatment of mental illness was even considered possible.
Ellerton was succeeded as Medical Superintendent by Dr
Basil Stafford, the former Superintendent of Ipswich Mental Hospital. Ellerton's retirement provided the opportunity to review the entire mental health system in Queensland and in particular, Ellerton's total commitment to "moral therapy". By the late 1930s
psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry.
Initial psych ...
was a well-established specialty internationally, though still in its infancy in Australia and Stafford was alert to the changes psychiatry was bringing to the treatment of mental illness. In 1937 he was sent by the Queensland government to attend the 2nd International Congress on Mental Hygiene in Paris and on a study tour of hospitals, psychiatric clinics and universities in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Change of focus from 1938
On his return, Stafford recommended various changes to the mental health system, including the implementation of new legislation. These recommendations led to the Mental Hygiene Act of 1938, which closely resembled the British Mental Treatment Act of 1930. The hospital was again renamed the
Goodna Mental Hospital and the hospital was reorganized into two units, one for the chronically ill requiring a secure environment and the other for acute and recovering patients. The Mental Hygiene Act of 1938 brought a focus on prevention and cure through voluntary treatment. Until this time hospitals such as Goodna received only certified patients, most of whom were sent there under a Magistrate's order. However, the transition to a less coercive approach to treatment occurred slowly and in 1947 Stafford reported that only 34 of the total 570 patients had been admitted under the voluntary provisions of the Act.
The ideas of modern treatment introduced by Stafford emphasised the development of a comprehensive psychiatric approach with adequate numbers of qualified medical staff. Insanity was seen as a disease of the brain and like any other disease required hospitalisation of patients and treatment with drugs. He noted:
"Modern treatment demands exhaustive mental and clinical case histories, as well as completely thorough physical examination. This cannot be done by a skeleton staff, however willing".
This approach also brought degrees of specialisation among the staff and hospital procedures. Stafford advocated the separation of chronic wards from those dealing with admission, convalescence and hospital cases. He believed that mental illness "demands active therapy, and treatment must not become merely custodial" and urged the use of new types of treatment such as
insulin
Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...
,
cardiazol
Pentylenetetrazol, also known as pentylenetetrazole, leptazol, metrazol, pentetrazol (INN), pentamethylenetetrazol, Corazol, Cardiazol, Deumacard, or PTZ, is a drug formerly used as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant. High doses cause convuls ...
and
electrotherapy
Electrotherapy is the use of electrical energy as a medical treatment. In medicine, the term ''electrotherapy'' can apply to a variety of treatments, including the use of electrical devices such as deep brain stimulators for neurological dise ...
.
![Dawson (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Dawson_%282001%29.jpg)
The first building at Wolston Park to reflect Stafford's modern ideas was Dawson House, a new female building completed in 1944. It provided accommodation for 60 patients and was located on a sloping site close to the existing female wards. It was recognised that a building with a basement could be built on such topography, with the basement accommodating treatment rooms for cardiazol therapy, insulin therapy,
malaria therapy The malaria therapy (or malaria inoculation, and sometimes malariotherapy) is a medical procedure of treating diseases using artificial injection of malaria parasites. It is a type of pyrotherapy (or pyretotherapy) by which high fever is induced to ...
, somnifaine or continuous narcosis therapy and other medical treatments. The most striking difference was that minimal attention was given to the outside environment - this building was inward-looking, signalling the demise of the significance placed on the environment in "moral treatment" and the increasing medicalisation of the treatment of mental health. Another important building project for female patients at this time was the construction of a special female recreation facility, which commenced in 1951 on an area of approximately on the western edge on the reserve, adjacent to the Brisbane River. The principal building within the area was the cafeteria with facilities to serve 500 patients (now Wolston Park Golf Clubhouse). Patients could spend the whole day in the recreation area without needing to return to the wards for midday meals. Other facilities in the area included a sewing room, tennis court, bowling green, a large playing field, viewing shelters and storage sheds. By 1957 more than 200 patients were regularly using the facilities, highlighting the rigorous separation of patients according to gender that operated in all facets of the institution.
By January 1942, 110 returned soldiers were inmates of Goodna Mental Hospital and the Australian Government expressed concern about the growing numbers being admitted. War veterans had become a significant minority of the hospital population since the final years of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and Ellerton had decided upon consideration, that using existing institutions was preferable to building new facilities. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, however, the Australian Government agreed to fund the construction of three special wards, with the Queensland Government agreeing to responsibility for the maintenance of the buildings and for staffing. Plans for a complete repatriation unit were prepared by the Works Department in consultation with Basil Stafford. Their design essentially resurrected the principles of "moral treatment" - the buildings were designed to minimise the sense of confinement associated with mental hospitals and freedom was emphasised by wide verandahs and dining areas opening onto grassed courtyards and lawns. Construction of the wards began in 1946, and the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion was opened by
Queensland Governor
The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor performs constitutional and ceremonial functi ...
John Lavarack
Lieutenant General Sir John Dudley Lavarack, (19 December 1885 – 4 December 1957) was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of Queensland from 1 October 1946 to 4 December 1957, the first Australian-born governor of that state.
Early l ...
on 26 January 1948. It comprised three wards each with accommodation for 88 patients and a kitchen/canteen block. A recreation hall was erected in 1950 and a cricket oval in 1954.
In the late 1940s, planning began for a new farm ward complex. Farm wards at the hospital had traditionally operated as semi-independent units where patients enjoyed greater levels of freedom and autonomy, unlike the main wards where people were locked in their cells or wards. A new site on the summit of a hill adjacent to the existing farm wards was chosen and two large wards with accommodation for 175 patients and a dining/recreation block were erected between 1953 and 1957. Patients included both "backward persons" and people who had responded well to treatment and had the potential for recovery and discharge. In 1958, part of the farm ward complex was set aside for patients regarded as "subnormal" and in 1964 a five teacher school was established to teach the 160 children who lived there. Gradually, all of this block became occupied by intellectually disabled children and was renamed the Basil Stafford Centre. In 1965 a new alcohol rehabilitation centre was also established, making use of the old farm ward buildings at the northern end of the site. Alcoholics had been patients at Wolston Park since the Inebriates Act of 1892 had allowed for their admission to designated institutions; however, there had been no specific facilities for them. New buildings were erected adjacent to the former farm ward including four wards, offices and an occupational therapy area. The new centre was known as the Wacol Rehabilitation Centre. Initially it served both male and female patients; later a separate complex was built for female patients requiring treatment for alcoholism (Melaleuca House and Poinciana House).
The hospital population peaked in the mid-1950s, with an average of approximately 2500 residents daily (not including Wacol Repatriation Pavilion patients) and 700 staff.
Decline in numbers
By the late 1950s the efficacy of large-scale, all-purpose institutions for the treatment of mental illness began to be questioned. It was recognised that patients became institutionalised to the extent that living in large institutions perpetuated their mental disorders and did not assist them to recover. The Division of Mental Hygiene embarked on a program of expanding acute psychiatric beds in general hospitals and transferring elderly senile patients from mental hospitals to nursing homes. This resulted in a decline in the number of patients at Goodna and in 1960, Director Basil Stafford was able to report that, for the first time, the hospital had an excess of beds. The complex, renamed the
Brisbane Mental Hospital, began to develop a different role. No longer did it cater for every type of patient from every part of the Queensland; instead the majority of inmates were long-term chronic patients. The new Mental Health Act of 1962 placed a greater emphasis on voluntary admission and the complex became known as the
Brisbane Special Hospital. In 1969, it was renamed
Wolston Park Hospital
The Park Centre for Mental Health is a heritage-listed psychiatric hospital at 60 Grindle Road, Wacol, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Australia. The hospital provides a range of mental ...
.
In 1976 the Minister for Health released a paper on the Care of the Intellectually Handicapped, which proved to be the catalyst for significant changes in the delivery of mental health services. A special Branch of Intellectually Handicapped Services was established within the
Health Department
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
in 1977, which took responsibility for the Basil Stafford Centre. Research into the long-term effects of institutionalisation and the lack of success in the treatment and care provided in institutional settings led to critical questioning of the institutional model for both mentally ill and intellectually and physically disabled people. In addition, the increasing criticism of conditions within mental hospitals and the abuse of patients' rights gave impetus to the development of alternative models, in particular, community-based mental health services. The community care model was adopted slowly in Queensland. Institutions were reformed, however, an emphasis on institutional care remained.
Short-term care with intensive treatment was the preferred model. Several major building projects, which reflected these changing ideas, were undertaken at Wolston Park during the 1970s, as well as extensive re-modelling of existing structures. In 1978, the Barrett Psychiatry Unit was established to provide acute care. It comprised eight separate buildings, a reception and admission block, three wards with 32 beds, two wards with 16 beds, cafeteria and medical officer's flat. In 1984 it expanded to include inpatients and specialised services for young people. A new medical centre opened in 1979 and in 1980 Nyunda Park was set up as an outdoor recreation area. The
John Oxley Centre, a forensic psychiatric unit, was built at the eastern side of the site next to the Brisbane River in 1990. A number of the 19th century buildings were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s, with renovation and rehabilitation of other remaining 19th century buildings occurring in the late 1990s.
In 1989 the
John Oxley Memorial Hospital, a special purpose secure psychiatric facility, was opened on the grounds of the Wolston Park Hospital; it has since been demolished.
Modernisation from 1996
As part of the 1996 Ten Year Mental Health Plan for Queensland, the main hospital became known as The Park Centre for Mental Health and has decentralised its extended care services with a greater emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery. The Park now provides clinical treatment and rehabilitation programs to patients from central and southern Queensland, including care for people with a chronic mental disorder and for people with a mental disorder who are also intellectually disabled, forensic care services and an extended treatment service for adolescents.
From 1999 to 2002 many new buildings were erected, including a large new maximum-security facility at the eastern edge of the site. Most of the new buildings are domestic in scale and character and include accommodation for patients and medical and administrative facilities. Some replace buildings erected during the 1970s, such as parts of the Barrett Psychiatric Centre.
In 2001 the hospital was renamed The Park Centre for Mental Health Treatment, Research & Education.
Description
The Wolston Park Hospital Complex comprises a number of public health institutions, several of which have been decommissioned. The complex includes The Park Centre for Mental Health (former Wolston Park Hospital), Basil Stafford Centre, Wacol Rehabilitation Centre (male and female), Wacol Repatriation Pavilion, Barrett Psychiatric Centre and the John Oxley Centre. Sections of the reserve are leased to the
Gailes Golf Club
The Gailes Golf Club is a golf club in Wacol, Queensland, Australia, 20 minutes south of Brisbane. It hosted the Australian Open in 1955 with the winner was Bobby Locke
Arthur D'Arcy "Bobby" Locke (20 November 1917 – 9 March 1987) was a Sou ...
and the Wolston Park Golf Club.
The site can be divided into the following major elements: Central administration area; Services support area; Former residences; Male area; Female area; Female recreation area; Wacol Repatriation Pavilion; Wacol Rehabilitation Centre; Basil Stafford Centre; Nyunda Park/riverbank area and the Grounds in general.
Central Administration Area
The central administration area includes the Administration building, the Former Hospital, Pump houses and reservoir, Chapel, and Visitor's Pavilion.
The Administration Building (1917) is a two-storeyed brick building with a
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
-tiled roof, decorative
flèche
Flèche or Fleche may refer to:
*Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire
*Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition
*Flèche (fencing), an aggressive offensive fencing technique
*Flèche (fortification)
A flèche ( Fr. for "arrow") is ...
and brick
chimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
s, designed to be the centrepiece of the institution.
Arts and Crafts
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
influences are evident in the massing of the
hipped roof
A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...
forms and the use of unpainted brickwork contrasting with coloured roughcast plaster above
sill height. The main entrance on the eastern elevation features an arched
port cochere, adjacent to an oval
driveway
A driveway (also called ''drive'' in UK English) is a type of private road for local access to one or a small group of structures, and is owned and maintained by an individual or group.
Driveways rarely have traffic lights, but some that bear ...
with formal landscape elements, including plantings of
cycad
Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk (botany), trunk with a crown (botany), crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants o ...
s. The entrance is given greater prominence by two tower-like wings with separate hipped roof located on either side of the port cochere. There is a
veranda
A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.
Although the form ''veran ...
h on the ground floor on the western elevation with brick and timber
piers Piers may refer to:
* Pier, a raised structure over a body of water
* Pier (architecture), an architectural support
* Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name)
* Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
and
stairs
Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...
located both centrally and at each end. Internally the building comprises office accommodation arranged off central hallways with regular arched partitions. The rooms generally have plastered masonry partition walls with timber joinery. The building has a central timber staircase and some stained timber and glass partition walls. An Honour Board is located in the entry hall on the ground floor.
![Hospital (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Hospital_%282001%29.jpg)
The Former Hospital (1917) is located to the north of the Administration Building, across grassed terraces built by patients. It is a low-set, single-storeyed, symmetrical brick building with hipped terracotta-tiled roofs and a decorative fleche, sympathetic in design to the Administration Building. The entrance is marked by a projecting entry
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
with
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
roof and the wings of the building extend to either side. A slightly elevated verandah with brick and timber piers runs the length of the front elevation of the building and floor to ceiling multi-paned
sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned window (architecture), paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double gla ...
s are located along all walls. Small windows are also located above the verandah roof and below the
eaves
The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...
of the main roof. The rear of the building has five small projecting wings, some no more than the size of a single room. The central projecting wing is the largest. It was the former operating room and has a five-sided projecting bay with large windows in each section. Timber sash windows with concrete sills and
lintels
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
are found throughout the building. The interior of the building contains office accommodation for clinical staff.
The pump houses and reservoir (1914) are located adjacent to Ellerton Drive, the principal access to the administration area. There are two timber pump houses, an elevated water reservoir and a second smaller reservoir. The northern pump house (1914) located closest to the road is sheeted with pine
chamferboard
Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of these terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping.
''Clapboard'' in modern America ...
s and has vented semi-circular openings above all its windows. It has a hipped
corrugated steel
Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a bu ...
roof with exposed
rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...
s and no
gutters. The second pump house (date unknown) is located to the east and sits beneath a large tree. It is a smaller building, clad in timber
weatherboard
Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of these terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping.
''Clapboard'' in modern Americ ...
s and has a pitched corrugated steel roof with galvanized iron
awnings
An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of Acrylic fiber, acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tig ...
over two windows. Both pump houses are empty. The main reservoir (1914) is constructed of rendered brickwork approximately deep, enclosed by a structure consisting of high cast iron
columns
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
which support an open,
lattice
Lattice may refer to:
Arts and design
* Latticework, an ornamental criss-crossed framework, an arrangement of crossing laths or other thin strips of material
* Lattice (music), an organized grid model of pitch ratios
* Lattice (pastry), an ornam ...
-framed perimeter
truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
. The truss supports a timber framed roof structure and the entire structure is clad on both the roof and walls in corrugated galvanized iron.
A Visitor's Pavilion (1920) is located further along Ellerton Drive, on the same side as the pump houses and reservoir but closer to the Administration Building. It is a small, low-set, hexagonal timber structure accessed by a short set of timber steps. The entry is a small projecting bay with a pitched roof, decorative timber mouldings, lattice and
balustrade
A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
. The building is clad in timber weatherboards, has timber framed windows and a painted corrugated steel roof with decorative
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
.
One chapel building (formerly the Chapel of Hope, 1961) remains of the three chapels originally erected around a ring road about east of the Administration Building. It is a simple, box-like structure with a low-pitched roof and wide eaves. It is of portal frame construction and is clad in corrugated
Colorbond
BlueScope Steel Limited is an Australian flat product steel producer that was Corporate spin-off, spun-off from BHP, BHP Billiton in 2002.
History
BlueScope was formed when BHP, BHP Billiton Corporate spin-off, spun-off its steel assets on 15 ...
steel sheeting. The building is now semi-integrated with a new building built on its western side. A tall, steel, open-frame tower is located on the eastern side of the front elevation. A statue of
St Dymphna
Dymphna is a Christian saint honoured in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. According to tradition, she lived in the 7th century and was martyred by her father.
The story of Dymphna was first recorded in the 13th century by a canon of ...
(the Catholic Patron Saint of the Mentally Ill) is located about to the east.
Services Support Area
The Services Support Area comprises the Recreation Hall, Laundry, Power House and Morgue and is located to the west of the Administration Building.
The Recreation Hall (1890) is a symmetrical rectangular brick building with a pitched roof. The front elevation has a central elevated doorway surmounted by a decorative circular window with coloured glass and
quoins
Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th century encyclopedia, t ...
accentuated in light, contrasting brickwork, a decorative detail that is repeated around the windows and doors. The building has a large central hall area with separate wings running down each side. The central hall space has a partly lined raked ceiling from which the lower members of the roof
trusses
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...
protrude and a timber floor. There is a raised timber stage at the southern end with a
proscenium arch
A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
with decorative
Ionic pilasters
In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...
on either side. A projection room is located at the northern end of the hall. Dark brick additions with
flat roof
A flat roof is a roof which is almost level in contrast to the many types of sloped roofs. The slope of a roof is properly known as its pitch and flat roofs have up to approximately 10°. Flat roofs are an ancient form mostly used in arid c ...
s run the full length of the building on both the east and west elevations and accommodate smaller recreation rooms and a kitchen.
The Laundry (1918) is a large single-storeyed brick building on concrete
foundations
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
, with a concrete floor. Its architectural details show an Art and Crafts influence. The building has four large gabled roofs, each of which has two raised
roof lantern
A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure.
A lantern roof wil ...
s that allow light to penetrate the large interior spaces of the building. Externally, the building sits on a face brick
plinth
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...
with roughcast
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
, painted pale yellow, above the windowsill level. The southern elevation is characterised by striking sets of windows under each gable - each section has a large central window with arched head and side windows, all highlighted with contrasting brick surrounds and accentuated
keystones
A keystone (or capstone) is the wedge-shaped stone at the apex of a masonry arch or typically round-shaped one at the apex of a vault. In both cases it is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allo ...
. A flat roofed verandah is located on the western elevation and is accessed by a concrete ramp. There are also a series of large timber double doors and sets of
louvres along this elevation. The eastern elevation runs parallel to the street and has regular sets of tall windows grouped in threes. The interior of the building has large concrete pillars supporting exposed
timber roof truss
A timber roof truss is a structural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. Trusses usually occur at regular intervals, linked by longitudinal timbers such as purlins. The space between each ...
es. Recent offices, meeting rooms and conference rooms have been constructed within the building and are enclosed with
plasterboard
Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick ...
partitions. A
canteen
{{Primary sources, date=February 2007
Canteen is an Australian national support organisation for young people (aged 12–25) living with cancer; including cancer patients, their brothers and sisters, and young people with parents or primary carers ...
is located in the northwestern corner of the building.
The Power House (1917) is an imposing red brick building with a substantial, octagonal brick
chimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
at its northwestern corner. It has two steel-trussed gabled roofs clad in corrugated galvanized iron with raised vented roof lantern running the length of the building. It is built on concrete foundations and contains
Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox is an American renewable, environmental and thermal energy technologies and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets across the globe with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, USA. Historicall ...
tube boilers. Regular arched openings are on all sides of the building; some have sets of nine windows and others have doors. All the arches are highlighted externally by the use of bricks of a slightly deeper red tone. Circular windows are located in the gable ends on the northern and southern elevations. The upper floor has recently constructed offices, built as a free-standing series of rooms within the larger interior space of the building. These offices are constructed of plasterboard. Some internal walls are finished to a height of six feet with white enamelled brick with green trim. The huge boilers and other engineering equipment are located on the ground floor.
The Morgue (1902) is a low-set single-storeyed brick building situated below the Power House, to the north. It has a simple rectangular plan form with a hipped corrugated iron roof with a small decorative fleche. A lean-to structure with large timber doors on the western end of the building is a hearse
shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-story roofed structure that is used for hobbies, or as a workshop in a back garden or on an allotment. Sheds vary considerably in their size and complexity of construction, from simple open-sided ones de ...
. The building has large openings with concrete lintels and sills, with boarded-up openings.
Former residences
The former Medical Superintendent's Residence and Assistant Medical Superintendent's Residence are located at the eastern edge of the site.
The former Medical Superintendent's Residence (1898) is now situated within the strongly fenced, high-security area of the complex and is used as office accommodation. It is a substantial low-set brick residence with a corrugated steel roof. It has an asymmetrical plan with projecting
bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room.
Types
Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or r ...
s and complex verandah forms. The eastern elevation has two projecting verandah wings with multi-faceted roofs and tall brick chimneys. The verandahs have timber balustrades,
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s and decorative
capitals
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
. Two service wings extend from the rear of the building. The residence has a generous entrance hall, several marble fireplaces and high-quality timber joinery throughout the interior.
The Assistant Medical Superintendent's Residence (1912) is located to the east of the former Medical Superintendent's Residence. It is a large timber dwelling set on stumps, with a hipped corrugated iron roof and extensive verandahs. The interior has timber joinery, two fireplaces and
pressed metal ceiling
A tin ceiling is an architectural element, consisting of a ceiling finished with plates of tin with designs pressed into them, that was very popular in Victorian buildings in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were also ...
s in the major rooms. Mature
palm trees
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
are formally set around the house and both residences are surrounded by terraced lawn areas. A concrete garden stair is located to the south of the former Assistant Medical Superintendent's Residence, leading to an unfenced former tennis court.
Male Area
The Male Area is an extensive area with a number of buildings grouped around the large Recreation Grounds. Lewis House, McDonnell House, Noble House, Osler House and Pearce House are all located along Barrett Drive to the west of the cricket oval. Fleming House, Gladstone House, Jenner House, Kelsey House and a former male bathroom are all located at the southern end of the oval.
Fleming House (1898) is a two-storeyed building located at the southeastern corner of the
cricket oval
A cricket field is a large grass field on which the game of cricket is played. Although generally oval in shape, there is a wide variety within this: some are almost perfect circles, some elongated ovals and some entirely irregular shapes with l ...
, amongst lawns and mature trees. It is constructed of light-coloured brick with narrow bands of red bricks at sill level on both floors and at the upper floor-line. It has a hipped roof with boxed-in eaves and decorative timber
brackets
A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...
. A detached bathroom building (1920) is centrally located on the southern elevation; it has a
pyramid roof
A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...
with a raised central roof lantern and a
lean-to
A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finn ...
addition at the rear with a brick chimney. There is a verandah on the ground floor on the northern side, overlooking the cricket oval. A centrally located metal staircase dominates this elevation of the building. Narrow
casement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly or in pairs within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows are often held open using a cas ...
s with concrete sills and lintels are found on all elevations.
![Kelsey (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Kelsey_%282001%29.jpg)
Gladstone House, Jenner House and Kelsey House (all 1936) are located to the east of Fleming House and are nearly identical in form, scale and detail. Like Fleming House, these buildings are situated to overlook the cricket oval. The buildings are all single-storeyed brick buildings with unusual crab-like plan-forms, set within gardens enclosed with low wire fences. The gardens are mostly lawn with mature trees such as
Poincianas. The central portion of each building comprises a large dining/day room with service facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms to the rear. The four wings of each building contain
dormitories
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
and single rooms. Each of the dining rooms has a large
roof lantern
A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure.
A lantern roof wil ...
with fixed glass panels that allow natural light to penetrate the room. Each of the buildings has terracotta tiled roofs and large casement windows which have aluminium security screens fitted on the outside.
![Noble 2 (2004)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Noble_2_%282004%29.jpg)
Lewis House, McDonnell House and Noble House (all 1915) are ward buildings of similar design, located along Barrett Drive. On the eastern side the buildings overlook lawns and the cricket oval. A service road runs along the western side and the surroundings of the buildings are paved in concrete with a raised garden strip containing mature trees between the buildings and Barrett Drive. Lewis House is situated between Kelsey House and McDonnell House and is a substantial two-storeyed rendered masonry building with a terracotta-tiled roof. It has gabled roofs with
parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...
ted gable ends and subtle
quoin
Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th century encyclopedia, t ...
s on the upper floor. The southern elevation has a projecting wing with pyramid-roofed pavilions at each corner and small square windows. The rest of the building has large casement windows throughout and is smooth rendered to sill height on the second floor and roughcast above. A short verandah with vertical timber louvres is located on the ground floor of the eastern elevation. McDonnell House is situated between Lewis House and Noble House. It is also two-storeyed and constructed of masonry but is more rectangular in plan with three short wings projecting on the western elevation. It has a large gabled roof and gabled roofs on the western wings, all of which have overhanging
eaves
The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...
. The roof is clad in dark concrete tiles and the building is rendered smooth up to sill height on the second floor, above which it is roughcast. There are two ground floor verandahs on the eastern elevation overlooking the cricket oval, either side of a central projecting gable. Noble House is almost identical to Lewis House but a concrete tiled roof has replaced the terracotta roof and it has a longer verandah on the ground floor on the eastern elevation.
Osler House (1928) and Pearce House (1934) are one-storeyed ward buildings and are virtually identical in design. They are located adjacent to Noble House, at the northern end of Barrett Drive. The buildings are brick with terracotta-tiled gabled roofs. The eastern part of each building is an elongated U-shape in plan, with two substantial rear wings running at right angles to the U. The eastern elevations have ground floor verandahs which have sheet steel barriers erected along the roofs to prevent patients from climbing onto them. Roof lanterns are located above the central hallway of the rear wings and are visible from the outside of the building although they are closed-in by recent false ceilings in the interior. The gardens are enclosed by tall wire security fences.
![Cricket pavilion (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Cricket_pavilion_%282001%29.jpg)
The Recreation Grounds is a large expanse of open space, around which the buildings of the male section are grouped. The cricket oval (1895) is the focus of this area. It is a large grassed oval with terraced edges planted with mature trees and lawn.
Tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be u ...
s,
bowling green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...
(1951), bowling green clubhouse (1968) and
plant nursery
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general p ...
(original bush house established 1911) are located at the northern end. The Cricket Pavilion (1910) is located at the southern corner of the cricket oval. It is a small hexagonal building with a rectangular wing with gabled roof located at the back. A small timber toilet block is located at the rear of the building. The hexagonal section is surrounded by a verandah with turned timber posts and dowel balustrade. It is of single-skin timber construction with timber chamferboards and exposed bracing. The roof has decorative
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
s and a small gable is located above the short entry stair.
Female Area
The Female Area comprises Female Wards 1&2, Anderson House, Bostock House, Dawson House and a former female bathroom.
![Female wards 1 & 2 (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Female_wards_1_%26_2_%282001%29.jpg)
Female Wards 1&2 (1866) is a large, two-storeyed timber and masonry building located on a ridge between Ellerton Drive and the Brisbane River. The core of the building is
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
with a number of large timber and brick additions. The sandstone core is long and rectangular in plan with a projecting two-storeyed bay with timber verandahs on the south elevation. Two elevated brick pavilions (
bathhouses) with raised roof lanterns, concrete floors and supporting posts are located either side of the projecting bay. Three-storeyed brick additions are located at each end of the building. These have corrugated iron roofs with small roof lanterns and regularly spaced sash windows. The main section of the building has three separate roofs, all corrugated iron. The largest is a hipped roof at the northwestern end; the central roof is a pyramid; and the southeastern roof is a smaller hip. A wide timber verandah with a
skillion roof
A shed roof, also known variously as a pent roof, lean-to roof, outshot, catslide, skillion roof (in Australia and New Zealand), and, rarely, a mono-pitched roof,Cowan, Henry J., and Peter R. Smith. ''Dictionary of Architectural and Building Te ...
runs the length of the north elevation at both levels and returns around at both the eastern and western ends of the building. It is enclosed with timber shutters on the top storey and has an arched timber
valance and timber posts at ground level. Sections of the verandah at the western and eastern ends have been enclosed with timber weatherboards. The sandstone part of the building has narrow, multi-paned sash windows and timber doors with
fanlight
A fanlight is a form of lunette window, often semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan. It is placed over another window or a doorway, and is sometimes hinged to a transom. Th ...
s. The interior of the building is gutted and only the timber floor joists and
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
columns remain. A small Shelter Shed (1929) is located to the south of Female Wards 1&2 and was used to separate troublesome patients from the main wards. It is a brick structure with a concrete floor and fireplace and a gabled corrugated iron roof. A tall timber
picket fence
Picket fences are a type of fence often used decoratively for domestic boundaries, distinguished by their evenly spaced vertical boards, the ''pickets'', attached to horizontal rails. Picket fences are particularly popular in the United States, ...
encloses the yard adjacent to the shed.
![Anderson (2001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Anderson_%282001%29.jpg)
Anderson House (1917) is located on Ellerton Drive, northeast of Female Wards 1&2. It is a single-storeyed, brick building with a hipped terracotta-tiled roof and a decorative fleche. The building is domestic in scale. It has a timber verandah with a skillion roof along the front elevation and has tall sash windows throughout. Its front garden is enclosed with a short wire fence and is dominated by a large spreading Poinciana tree. A small timber residence is located to the south of Anderson House. It is clad in weatherboards with a painted, corrugated steel roof. The front (eastern) elevation has a single gable roof and a small verandah.
Bostock House (1885) is located to the north of Anderson House and is also orientated to face Ellerton Drive, although it is set back within extensive lawns. It is a substantial two-storeyed building of polychromatic brickwork, with a projecting bay topped by a gabled roof on the north elevation, with ground floor verandahs located to either side. A circular window is located in the gable end. The main hipped roof and subsidiary roofs are all clad in corrugated iron. At the northern end of the building are two, single-storeyed attached pavilions; one is five-sided like a large bay window, the second is square with a pyramid roof. The southern end has a single-storeyed extension with roof lanterns. A two-storeyed timber, enclosed verandah with skillion roof is located at the rear of the building.
Dawson House (1944) is a sizeable brick building of two storeys with a basement, located on a sloping site behind Bostock House. The building is orientated to the north and is H-shaped in plan. The basement level is rendered and painted, while the rest of the building is dark face brickwork, harmonious with other brick buildings on the site. It has rendered strips painted cream which wrap around the building at the height of window sills and heads. The
facade is symmetrical with pared-back classical architectural detailing around entry doors and some sets of windows. Each floor of the building has long central hallways with rooms of various sizes to either side. The building has two interior staircases, a
lift
Lift or LIFT may refer to:
Physical devices
* Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods
** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop
** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...
and an external concrete fire escape stair. Windows throughout the building are multi-paned sash windows with painted cast iron security grills at low level.
A small brick building with a hipped roof is located between Dawson House and the Recreation Hall, which was originally built as a female bathroom (1902) but is now known as Dawson House Annex.
Female Recreation Area
The former female recreation area is situated in the western corner of the site. The area is bounded by Woogaroo Creek to the south and the Brisbane River to the north and is visually separated from the main hospital complex by bushland and mature plantings. Most of the area is now part of Wolston Park Golfcourse. The major building in the area is the cafeteria (1955, now golf clubhouse), a low-set brick building with a hipped roof and brick chimney. It overlooks the grounds and the river and has a lightweight steel roof over a terrace on the north elevation. A bowling green, shelter shed and tennis court are located to the north of the building.
Wacol Repatriation Pavilion
The Wacol Repatriation Pavilion comprises Wards A, B and C, Kitchen Block, Recreation Hall and Recreation Grounds and is located between Barrett Drive and Wolston Park Road.
![Kitchen (2004)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Kitchen_%282004%29.jpg)
Wards A and B (1948) are two similar U-shaped blocks that back onto Wolston Park Road. They are constructed of cream brick with hipped, corrugated colourbond steel roofs with boxed eaves. The wings of the buildings enclose grassy
courtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...
s, which are surrounded by verandahs. The Kitchen Block (1948) is located in the middle of the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion complex, between Wards A and B. It is two-storeyed and is constructed of the same cream brick with corrugated colourbond steel roof with fleche. It has an open-fronted canteen at the front of the building (facing northeast), opening via folding timber doors onto a terraced lawn area. The rear of the building is accessed by a service driveway from Wolston Park Road. Ward C (1948) is H-shaped in plan and is also constructed of cream brick with a hipped, corrugated colourbond steel roof. It is located at the end of Barrett Drive and has a roofed terrace on the northwest elevation. The Recreation Hall is located to the north of Ward C. The grounds consist of a mix of evenly sloped lawns with trees randomly planted between the buildings. Clumps of
Oleander
''Nerium oleander'' ( ), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the ge ...
bushes are formally spaced along both sides of the lower entry drive. A cricket oval (1954-5) is located to the southeast of the complex. The cricket oval has a white painted picket perimeter fence and a timber sight-screen.
Wacol Rehabilitation Area
The former Wacol Rehabilitation Area (now used by the Department of Corrective Services) is located in the northernmost portion of the site and comprises physically separate male and female sections, with the male section occupying former Farm Ward buildings. These consist of Quarter Way House, Farm Ward and Farm Sheds.
Quarter Way House (1918) is a timber residence erected for the farm overseer. It has a front verandah and rooms are accessed from a central hallway. The former Farm Ward (1916) is a largely timber building with a central core of brick that includes a brick
fireplace
A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design.
...
. It has a small brick
ablutions block at the southwest corner. The verandahs are enclosed with glass louvres and the interior is lined with Masonite. Two Farm Sheds (1916) are located across a road to the north of the former ward. They are timber-framed and clad in corrugated galvanized iron.
Basil Stafford Centre
The Basil Stafford Centre is located in the northern portion of the site and comprises the former Farm Ward Block, a school building and villa-style accommodation.
The former Farm Ward Block (1957) is a one and two storeyed, brown brick building with four distinct sections. Ward A occupies the single-storeyed section and Ward B is partly two-storey. The central part of the building contains the service areas. The building has hipped corrugated
fibre-cement roofs and high level, multi-paned sash windows throughout. The grounds of the building are landscaped with open terraces paved with stone from the hospital quarry. A concrete water tower is prominently located at the crest of the hill, adjacent to the former Farm Ward building.
Nyunda Park/Riverbank area
This area comprises a mix of open and enclosed bushland, a dam, picnic facilities adjacent to the dam, the John Oxley Centre and remnants of a sandstone quarry.
The John Oxley Centre (1990) is a low-set one-storeyed building clad in fibre-cement with a corrugated steel roof. The building is vacant and is surrounded by tall wire fences. Nyunda Park is an unused area of bushland with a large dam. There are two former sandstone quarry sites in this area, one of which is partly submerged by the dam. The second is adjacent to the riverbank and evidence of workings remain.
The Grounds
Two golf courses form the perimeter of the hospital complex along the southern and eastern edges. The Gailes Golf Course extends around the hillside between Wilruna Street and the railway line, the recent high security development at the eastern side of the site and the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion. The Wolston Park Golf Course is situated on the gently sloping hillside south of the Central Administration area and includes the land cleared between Woogaroo Creek and the female recreation area. The golf courses maintain the spacious, natural and open landscape setting of the complex. The site of the 1860s graveyard associated with the establishment of Woogaroo Asylum is located at the far western end of what Wolston Park Golf Course, and is a site of potential archaeological interest.
The rest of the grounds consist of a mix of open space areas with extensive lawns, clumps of scrub and numbers of mature trees. Formal gardens are found in the immediate environs of many of the buildings. Ellerton Drive is the formal road through the grounds from the Goodna entrance to the site and is flanked by an avenue of trees. The lower portion of the drive is lined with elms (
Celtis sinensis
''Celtis sinensis'' (English: Chinese hackberry; Chinese: ; Japanese: ) is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae, that is native to slopes in East Asia.
Description
It is a tree that grows to 20 m tall, with deciduous ...
), the middle portion alongside the reservoir is lined with
Hoop pines
''Araucaria cunninghamii'' is a species of ''Araucaria'' known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine, Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine. The scientific name honours the botanist a ...
and
Bunya pines
Bush tucker, also called bush food, is any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by Indigenous Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but it can also describe any native flora or fauna used for culinary or ...
and the top end of the drive is planted with large pines. The road has sandstone kerbing.
Facilities
The hospital currently can accommodate 192 patients through five clinical treatment and rehabilitation programs:
:* 51 beds for people needing extended inpatient treatment and
rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
;
:* 31 beds for people with a mental disorder who are also
intellectually disabled
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation,Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signific ...
;
:* 34 beds for people requiring medium security inpatient care;
:* 61 beds for people needing high security inpatient care;
:* a 15-bed
adolescent rehabilitation unit
The hospital does not provide
emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
, the closest
general hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
is the
Ipswich Hospital
Ipswich Hospital is a large district general hospital in Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is now managed by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust which was formed on 1 July 2018 by the merging of Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust w ...
.
Heritage listing
Wolston Park Hospital Complex was listed on the
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...
on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.
[
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
As the earliest and best-known public institution providing care and treatment for mentally ill and intellectually disabled people in Queensland, Wolston Park Hospital Complex is important in demonstrating the evolution of Queensland's history. The Woogaroo Asylum was founded by the Queensland government as the first publicly funded, mental health institution in the colony in the early 1860s and by the 1950s became the largest such institution not only in Queensland, but in Australia. The provision of health and welfare services was regarded as the responsibility of charitable and religious organizations in the 19th century; the care and treatment of mental illness was the one exception, thus the Wolston Park Hospital Complex demonstrates the role of the state in the care of mentally ill people since the 1860s. It demonstrates the changing practices in the treatment of mental illness: from a 19th-century asylum founded on confinement and separation, through moral treatment or therapy from 1909 to the 1930s, the drug and medical therapies of the 1940s (Mental Hygiene) and 1960s (Psychiatric Services) to the trend towards deinstitutionalization and community-based services by the 1980s. The physical evolution of the site highlights these changes as the complex has developed incrementally across the substantial 450hectare reserve, rather than intensively in layers in one area. The site is also significant in demonstrating the development of specialist mental health services for returned service personnel and intellectually disabled people.][
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland's history.
The site of an early ]graveyard
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
at the western end of what is now the Wolston Park Golf Course, near the confluence of Woogaroo Creek and the Brisbane River and associated with the first asylum buildings on the reserve, is an area of archeological interest with potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland's history.[
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
Wolston Park Hospital Complex demonstrates the principal characteristics and evolution of a major public health institution. The expansive grounds and distinctive groups of buildings at the complex evoke a strong sense of place. The self-contained nature of the place is reflected in the range of buildings and facilities on the site including ward accommodation, health and hospital facilities, administration buildings, staff quarters, recreation facilities, chapels and service buildings such as kitchens, laundries and a powerhouse. The grounds and landscaping are also important elements with recreation and agricultural facilities demonstrating the role of useful employment and recreation in the hospital's operations. The relationships between the buildings and other site elements are fundamental to our understanding of the functioning of the place as a mental health institution since the 1860s.][
A substantial number of buildings, structures and grounds elements survive from each major phase in the development of the institution.][
Significant 19th century elements include Female Wards 1&2 (1866), Bostock House (1885), the Recreation Hall (1890), Fleming House (1898), the former Medical Superintendent's Residence (1898) and the recreation ground (1895, redeveloped into cricket oval in 1910). The remnants of a sandstone quarry along the riverbank dates from the 1860s and was one of the first sandstone quarries developed in Queensland.][
Early 20th century elements include the three male blocks Lewis House (1915), Noble House (1915) and McDonnell House (1915), former male and female bathroom blocks (1902), the female ward Anderson House (1917), the former hospital ward block (1917), the Administration Building (1917) and the assistant Medical Superintendent's residence (1912); service facilities such as the morgue (1902), the reservoir (1914), pump house (1914), powerhouse (1917) and laundry (1918) and recreation facilities such as the cricket oval (1910) and the Cricket Pavilion (1910). Significant elements of the former farm ward complex include the Farm Ward (1916), two farm sheds (1916) and Quarter Way House (1918).][
Important elements from the capital works program of the 1920s and 30s include the Visitor's Pavilion (1920), Osler House (1929), the shelter shed at the rear of Female Wards 1&2 (1929), Pearce House (1934), Kelsey House (1936), Gladstone House (1936), Jenner House (1936) and the Gailes Golf Course (1922–25).][
Postwar elements include Dawson House (1944), the Female Recreation Area encompassing the cafeteria (1955), workroom (1950) and shelter sheds (1955). The remaining chapel (1961) demonstrates the provision of religious services and chaplaincy at the complex. Significant elements of the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion established post World War Two include Ward A (1948), Ward B (1948), Ward C (1948), kitchen and canteen (1948), and Recreation Hall (1950). The former Farm Ward Block (1957), now part of the Basil Stafford Centre, is also important.][
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
The Wolston Park Hospital Complex is important because of its aesthetic significance, which derives from the massing, architectural form and detailing of the buildings, the relationships between the buildings and the interplay between the buildings and the landscape and grounds.][
The aesthetic impact of the complex is heightened by its location on the top of a hill and its setting within extensive grounds that have a distinctive, natural landscape character. The complex includes a range of architectural styles and forms; from modest timber visitor pavilions through to imposing brick ward and administration buildings. Care in the design of hospital buildings and grounds reflects efforts to mitigate the stigma attached to mental illness, while at the same time the substantial and formal character of many of the buildings demonstrates strong State control and regulation of mentally ill people in Queensland.][
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
Wolston Park Hospital Complex is the longest operating mental health facility in the State and a distinct culture has developed around the institution. As such, Wolston Park Hospital Complex has a strong and special association for the Queensland mental health community including staff, patients, families, friends and advocates, both past and present. The complex also has social significance for the Queensland community in general, being synonymous with the treatment of mental illness in the State.][
]
Notable residents
Notable residents include:
* Frederick William Everest, double murderer
* Alexandre Arsène Girault
Alexandre Arsène Girault ( ; 9 January 1884 – 2 May 1941) was an American entomologist specializing in the study of chalcid wasps. An eccentric and controversial figure, Girault was also a prolific and dedicated entomologist. He published mor ...
, entomologist
* John Henry Nicholson
John Henry Nicholson (1838 – 1923) was a British-born, Queensland man of letters, teacher, writer and poet.
Life
John Henry Nicholson was born into a distinguished family of literary and scientific note, at Lyme Regis, Dorset, England on 12 ...
, teacher and writer
* Eddie Gilbert, cricketer
See also
*List of hospitals in Australia
This is a list of hospitals in Australia.
Australian Capital Territory
Public
* Calvary Public Hospital – Bruce
* The Canberra Hospital – Garran
* Queen Elizabeth II Family Centre – Curtin
* University of Canberra Hospital – Belcon ...
References
Attribution
Further reading
*
External links
Official site
Map of The Park Centre
(include some but not all buildings mentioned in this article)
Several photographs of the older abandoned buildings on the site of The Park, on Panoramio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Park Centre For Mental Health
Hospitals in Queensland
Medicare Australia
Buildings and structures in Brisbane
Hospitals established in 1865
Queensland Heritage Register
Wacol, Queensland
Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register
Mental health in Australia