How I spend my days
Thank you so very much for posting the photo of Woogaroo Asylum. My grandfather was a Warder at the Woogaroo Asylum in 1883 (from one of his children's birth certificates).
You have definitely captured something spectactular with your brilliant photography - thanks for sharing it.
All the best,
Bronwen....
How the passage of time and decay transform a once imposing and formidable building to a mere ruin - something benign and with artistic character they say! But through my mind's eye, I see superimposed over your photo, a scene so terrible and sickening that my heart sinks into a deep pit that I have not experienced for fifty years, when I last visited an inmate there. Your photo is meaningless art. I'd prefer one of rubble or ashes or bare dirt.
Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum 1865-now modern terminology dictates it to be called Wolston Park Hospital,as people who are ill in General Hospitals pre 1900 did not have the slur of ignorant people calling them Lunatics.This was the original home of Dr Stephen Simpson,from 1844-1852, when he moved 3klms down river to Wolston House,1852-1860.The doctor in 1835 wrote a medical treatice"The Practical Advantages of Modern Homeopathy.
I think the photo is amazing ... truly one worth publishing ... I would like to see more photo's of this building ... as ugly as what it may have been, when being thought of in todays terms; in its day it was what was seen as a necessity; not just an asylum but something that removed fears and tribulations about the mentally ill from the community .. unfortunate but true ... I just hope that this history of this place is preserved ...
Hello. I had a great grandmother by the name of Jessie Elizabeth Harvey or Jessie Elizabeth Magub who was placed in Goodna/Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in the 1800s by her husband. If anyone has any URL from which I can get information about her (her medical records/burial place etc) or if anyone is willing to visit a library/public archives for me, I would love to gain any information possible about her. My family feels that she was wrongly imprisoned, and we would especially like to know where she was buried... If anyone has any information on this, could they please email me at smagub@hotmail.com, with the subect line: Information About Jessie. E. H/M.
It would be a great help to me and my family. Thank you.
my grandfather's first wife died at Woogaroo Asylum in 1891 at the age of just 18 years old. the death certificate states enteric fever as the cause of death and that she was buried in the asylum cemetery. I am trying to find out about the circumstances of her death and how it was that she was in the asylum. any advice would be appreciated.
Can anyone help me with infomation on the history of Wolston Park we are not getting much infomation. We are interested in History and stories about the people that were inprison there.
PLease help us as I am writing a book about the house.
Thanks
Woogaroo Hospital has to be one on the most shrouded secret places in Queensland.
Don't look for any information about it's past, you won't find any.
So anyone looking to compare the treatments of patients past and present, ask them why?
I have been trying to get information on my grandfather who was admitted to Wolston Park in 1923 and died there in 1924. I have followed all the correct FOI processes but have been unable to access any information. I would like to hear from others who are trying to get information on their family who were patients there and if they have been able to access information. Please email me at mcgrath64@hotmail.com
Wow, my son and I went for a look at the old building today and it was a very scary and forbidding place. Gave us the shivers just looking at it from the outside. His girlfriend swore she saw someone in one of the upstairs rooms, apparently wearing glasses. She didn't seem concerned until she started thinking about how he could have possibly got there. Strange. It would certainly be interesting to know some of the stories and see more of the interior of the building. I had a distant cousin sent to Wolston Park but it was much later, approx 1950, so he would not have been housed in the original building. Has anyone found anything more about it?? I have some photos of the exterior that I took today. kelly_benson2003@yahoo.com
The Female Ward of 1866 was built of sandstone and was to have been for both Male and Female Paying Patients in early 1866 but as none were forth coming, the ward was taken over for 40 Female Patients who originally numbered only 12 were housed from 10th Jan 1865 till Oct 1866 with adjoining ward of the 57 Males 300 yards lower down the hill were the Wolston Park Golf Clubhouse is situated now.
Between these two present buildings will be the proposed Goodna Bypass Motorway and Bridges below across the Brisbane River and which will be built through the original residence site of Dr Stephen Simpson which the Qld Government bought from him the original residence in 1860. Source ref QSA, Microfilms MLA Papers,Q5-1868-69 pages 936+, Q6-1870-71 pages 951+.
It was amazing how many people your photo touched. I was browsing trying to find a way to get my older brothers records and found this disturbing photo. To the innocent it evokes the days gone by, history still standing only family and staff know the terrors behind that photo. Human testing and atrocities that we abhor in the second world war but were documented as happening at Wolston Park and other psychiatric hospitals, where women who were sane but not required anymore could be placed. Children who were born with physical not mental disabilities were hidden. This is a photo that should be enhanced and added on. The way that you feel walking through the park is prominant. It isnt just sight seeing, you feel something.
I have just found your photo and thank you immensely for bringing my great grandmother's death certificate to life (so to speak). Until now it has simply been a piece of paper, albeit with very sad undertones, but with no concrete information to assist me in filling in a very large gap in my family history.
My great grandmother was Isabella McCarthy. She died at the Woogaroo Asylum on 20 June 1889 at the "young" age of 36 after having five babies, only two of whom survived. She was buried at the Asylum Cemetery on 22 June 1889.
That begs the question - is the cemetery still identifiable? And also - are the graves marked?
I suspect, from family stories handed down, that Isabella was suffering from post-natal depression. Now I am on a mission to discover more about the circumstances surrounding her admission, the length of her stay and her death.....if I can!!??
Your photo has inspired me to make the trip to Queensland from Melbourne to have a look for myself.
Berris Aitken
berta8@bigpond.com
Hi
Just come across this discussion after seeing the current exhibition regarding the institution at the museum of brisbane (in city hall). It is deeply moving. Should you get the chance, I strongly recommend a visit.
Looking forward to going back to the exhibition, and also visiting the site.
I live 20min from the wolston mental institution, and when I was younger me and a few friends wanted to check it for ourselfs as we had heard many storys of what happend in the old abanded buildings.
How they had human testing, that's deaths were accuring rapidly, that the place was making litterly people insane, that the nurses were hunted with memories for the rest of there lifes, while we we're looking around it looked like and old prison, bars everywhere! Stains on walls and we had heard there was a cemetery.. But we could never find it. Its quite a big place and would be quite easy to get lost.
Also what id like to kno, is why there is soo many kangaroos around there, its like gards trying to keeps us from entering the forbidden
The history of this asylum is a disgrace! People were treated like animals and the wardens and so called Dr's families left today should look at the horrific conditions and realise that this is nothing to be proud of. I have studied this Institution for the past 12 months and the more i learn the more I am astonished. I have been inside the buildings in the last 12 months and not only is it a very cold and lonely left spirited ruin but also an embarassment to Qld's history. Governed by British law under the Insanity Act 1864 and then to the Lunacy Act in 1914, these patients whom were apparently recieving "health care" were not...Only to be tested like bloody rabbits.....First cemetary was placed in 1869, only 2 years after opening, and then, second cemetary placed in 1872 along with a morgue.....Oh and did i mention consolidary confindment for the first 44 years???? Imagine that, no family, no friends just horrid Dr's and wardens whom did what they felt was ambilical to the Australian Societies Democratical policies....Bloody Commonwealth BULLSHIT!!!!
I have just found out today by receiving my Great great grandfather's death certificate that he died in the Woogaroo Asylum in October 1900 he was only 33 years old. The cause of death is phthisis he was a miner and had only been in the country for 12years. The other thing is my grandmother work at the Wolston Park Hospital from the mid 50's until she retired in the mid 80's I had up until recently one of her uniforms. She didn't talk much about the place, all she said was that by working there it gave her a roof over her head and food on the table. My Great great grandfather who died there was my grandmother's ex husbands grand father. I would like to know why my Great great grandfather was sent there and not the Ipswich hospital. When I started researching my family hisotry my grandmother told me a couple of stories about what happened at the Wolston Park Hospital when she was there but I don't know if they happened or if they were only stories to scare me.
Wonderful photos!!!
For those folk looking to find info on family the Government does have the original admittance books dating from day one. They are usually of historic significance and not available to the public. I saw the original one for Sandy Gallop/Challinor Centre in the 80's before it was removed to the pits of hell. As far as records there was not a lot kept. Wonder why???? Good luck to any one trying to find them.
As far as the kangaroos.....the were there before the buildings went up and now like living there as it is rather peaceful, food is a plenty and roads are not used by many other than golfers and Park. prison and disability staff. Hard to use the back roads now (down near the old maintenance buildings and SO's rehab etc as the road has been closed off).
Now to the Park itself. Even though it has a rather sad past one must look past that just a little. If it was not for what they did and many other institutions around the world we would not have progressed. I do not for one minute agree with what they did. But they did not know any better and could only use the knowledge and resources available to them. Pretty much like what they do now. Some good....some bad.
I have spent a fair bit of time around WP grounds. The kangas have it right it. It does have a strange beauty and peace to it. The old cricket field, yards & buildings are quiet and somewhat eerie now. The views are some of the best you will find in Brisbane.
Good luck to the folk who are tracking down past family members.
This may help some.
Queensland State Archives Series, Insanity - Register of Patients.
Also check Insolvency, Intestacy And Insanity Office, Brisbane.
Register makes provision for recording the following: date of admission; name of patient; age on admission; names and addresses of relatives; property; date of discharge and death; and remarks.
AND
Administration of estates in insolvency, intestacy and insanity was combined in the Insolvency, Intestacy and Insanity Office from 1893 to 1916
May the thoughts and feelings that live deep in the people that see this photo be able to see and feel the calm that can be when you release the hurt and pain of the the injustices that we know that occured in this place was something that the ignorance and unknowing of the time produced. I am and I hope you are able to see that the universe can be more kind today in the judging of people and giving the most simplistic remedy of all, LOVE, CARING, and KINDNESS is so special.
I should add that indeed some of it has been burnt. The section through the lit door of the photo above, although it's still largely intact.
If you are looking for some histroy of the park, there is actually a museum, we had a display in Brissie for a while, and it will be permenently placed in the park sometime later this year, so they tell me. One of my clients was interviewed by the ABC show, I think it was called all in the Mind, and she has been an inpatient for about 30-40 years, and they also had interviews with old staff, who had worked there years ago and some who still do, I have a copy of the radio show, as my client gave me one. The park may have a tragic history, but the thing many people do not seem to understand is many of the clients felt it was home, and that the staff were like family, well some of us anyway, we are not all evil scientiss. And it was a place of sanctuary, because whether you like it or not psychiatric patients are often stigmatized in general society, whereas at the park, unusal behaviouris the norm, so they often form close friendships with other clients, and staff.
rest of the old buildings have been fenced off around the new complex. myself and a friend go walking up that way during the day enjoying the bush scenery and many kangaroos, amount of times we been up there seen people look like doing drug deals and graffiti and trashing the old buildings such a shame, we had the pleasure of walking thru john oxley memorial down near the lake building was complex and get lost easily in there and kangaroos called it home till it got burnt down also buildings up the back papoora house and others there looked after by corrective services being close to the prision. the old female ward is the most scary place of them all up there we went up there couple of nights ago after watching some teens dressed in black (goth) heading up there, followed them up there seen them stuffing with candles and doing some spirit thing ask me ur picking the wrong spirits.
I too, would be interested to know if there is still a visible cemetery there. My great great grandfather died there in 1887 after being institutionalised for 'melancholia'. I wonder if these days, he would be given anti-depressants and sent home!
I only found out recently discovered that my great grandmother was a patient there. She eventually decided to kill herself and i had heard a rumour of how she had done it but i am more interested in why.
I was looking into this place for a very long time with a friend of mine. We used to take people we knew to the house at night or during the day and to tell you the truth almost none of them ever will go back. I stopped looking into it because everything started getting way too wierd and I wasn't much of a "believer" before this place.
Not sure why anyone would want to know where the cemetery is but if you really want to know... all the "gravestones" got moved to Goodna Cemetery. But take my advice, you probably don't want to see it if you lost a family member as what they have done seems sickening. The gravestones are only marked with the letter "A" and a number. We figured this must be a number that was given to them inside the asylum. Every gravestone is about 30cm apart front-to-back and side-to-side.
I had pictures of the house inside and out and also these gravestones, but I had deleted them some time ago. This place really is not something that I would recommend for people to get attached to as it will only end in disappointment. There have been so many people trying to find information on people who were put in this place only to find 'half-filled' documentation. Nothing is straight to the point and no one will ever speak of this place. I wish I still had all the information I used to own to share it all with you but I dont. If I come across it all again or if the friend that did all this with me still has any of it, I will try to post it up
i WAS PLACED IN THIS HELL HOLE IN 1960 WHEN I WAS 16 YEARS OLD AND NONE OF YOU PEOPLE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT WAS LIKE, iWAS PUT IN 3 WARDS ALL UP, AND I SAW SOME OF THE MOST HORRIFYING THINGS IN THERE THAT NO YOUNG GIRL SHOULD HAVE TO SEE, THERE WERE OTHER YOUNG GIRLS OF THE SAME AGE AS ME IN THERE AS WELL BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT THEY DID TO YOUNG GIRLS WHO WOULD NOT CONFORM TO THE WAY THAT THEY THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE,I WAS CONSTANTLY PUT IN A STRAIGHT JACKET AND INJECTED WITH PARALDAHYDE{ A POWERFUL DRUG..?}.i WITNESSED THE MOST ATROCIOUS ACTS THAT NO PERSON SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE INCLUDING SHOCK THERAPY, BASHINGS AND ELDERLY WOMEN BEING IMMERSED INTO FREEZING BATHS AND LOCKED INTO THEM FOR HOURS ON END ,I SAW AN OLD WOMAN PICKED UP BY THE HAIR AND THE WHOLE TOP OF HER HEAD WAS PULLED OFF , BECAUSE I GOT UPSET I WAS PUT IN A STRAIGHT JACKET AND LOCKED IN A ROOM FOR 2 DAYS AND KEPT DRUGGED UP, IF I WAS TO TELL ALL OF YOU THE THINGS I SAW IN THAT PLACE YOU WOILD HAVE NIGHTMARES FOR WEEKS, AND THE PRESENT GOVT STILL DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT IT HAPPENED TO YOUNG GIRLS ,I STILL SUFFER TILL THIS DAY SO DONT ANY OF YOU PEOPLE SAY WHAT A LOVERLY PLACE IT IS UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED IN MY SHOES .
we were just there yesterday and we took alot of photos and there is no mirrors in this place but one picture reflected like a mirror and in the photo was two women and all of the other photos there was at least 5 orbs in each photo i am very interested to know about the history of this place.
hey all. if u look in the window on the left hand side right next to the fire place you will see a face. to my sister and i it appears to be a little girl.
One of my ancestors died in that place and his death cert states he is buried in the cemetery there, he was James Lawlor, b abt 1848 came to Australia from Ireland in 1863 and died in the asylum in 1886 aged just 38 the Superintendent at the time James B HOGG certifies the cause of death as "brain softening"?
this house is right next to the currently used wolston park, on a hill right next to the golf course
To all those people who have something to do with this place workers or patients, i think its discusting that you all seen to blame the building and not the evil and cruel doctors. Im not saying that they all were. But its wrong the way people keep putting the building down its a part of our history and even though its not a pretty past its still our past. I think that it should be restored to its origanal state to show future generations, the historical group are a joke if we dont restore the buildings from the past the good and not so good, we wont have a past to show except in books, and what a joke that is. Have you ever got a book on history and try to feel the texture of the area or place that you visit ,stuff that the buildings or what ever you were looking up then actually go to the place or feel the texture there is no comparison. I have been to the old building and yes there is a feeling of sadness but you cant just let the building go to waste just because we are trying to hide the sad past because its wrong and you cant because we all know how people are mistreated get over it people are still being mistreated in those places . the building has a lot of old charm that none of the buildings that are built these days has, its our history god damn it and we need to preserve what little we have. The historical society are the biggest joke since Austin Wells 'War Of The Worlds' so people dont blame the building its not its fault, it deserves a second chance maybe a museum it does not have to be all about the hospital maybe the history on the area could be an idea. If anyone has any information i would love to hear from you as i have had family members that were locked up in this place but i dont blame the building .
well obviously you have no idea or understanding in qld health. to restore the building involves a lot of money, I currently work for qld health at wolston park and we are severely understaffed, so what would you rather see, a restored building which will apparently not hide the past or more funding for further staff to give the current mental health consumers the care and support they deserve and need. think about it people, you can't be angry for what has happened in the past at this facility, it is pointless, the same concepts and practices were happening everywhere across the world at the same time. think about it in a 100 years from now, even though current practices are a lot more humane and empathetic, in future to come it will most probably be still considered barbaric. go and get some qualifications and actually give some time to these people before you string together a 3 minute unjustified spiel on a forum that what stimulates change by how??
This building by Charles Tiffen is such an important part of our social history. It is my dream and prayer to restore it one day and give it back to the people of QLD. We need to embrace it for the important function it served in the past. We need to educate generations to come that our history, good, bad or indifferent is "our history" and its upon the shoulders of previous generations that we have arrived at this destination that we can now afford to have opinions on what is good or wretched. We can expect to be criticised by future generations for things that are accepted practices today. The primitive practice of recrimination and finger pointing is such an unrefined sentiment and completely unnecessary. Let’s move on, and learn from our mistakes. Forgiveness is divine and if we hope to redress the past, we can start by starting to acknowledge the significance of these buildings, repair them and let them stand as homage to our development as a community.
Julius Freeman
ha, the whole place should b razed 2 the ground , ask a lot of the young girls who were incarcerated in that hell hole and see what they have 2 say, it has only taken the qld govt over 40 years 2 offer an apology 2 the girls in there and we were only 16/17 years old social history ,what a crock ,tell that 2 the girls who suffered in there hell hole more like it Barbara
i recently visited the asylum with my girlfriend and some other friends, i have many pictures of inside and out, some of the photos to my surprize had glowing orb like figures floting around us that i didnt notice till i got home and had a look at the pictures, i remember my friends uncle who had worked at the asylum he told us many stories of how patients would go missing and they wouldnt report it or even worse some would wind up dead. If anyone one is interested in seeing photos or knowing what i know just leave ur name and email and i will contact u.
i seen a girls face in one of the windows wen i first walked on the grounds of the asylum i also found some of there old medication bottles
Kody I'd love to hear more of what you know, my Great Grandfather was a patient from 1917 till his death in 1965, if anyone knows what the buildings that are left were used for I'd love to know also.
kody, carly and matt i would like to here from you both it would be great to catch up or just talk my email is , sigmaster01@hotmail.com thanks tom
Hi Kody,
Would you be able to email me some of the photos of both inside and outside the building. I'd really appreciate it!
fbland11@bigpond.net.au
cheers,
freya
Kody,
I've chosen to study the Goodna Asylum as my assignment for school. Would be really good if you could send me some photos you have.
Thanks heaps!