Mental Asylum Records
Also see Hospital Records.
Also see Benevolent Asylum Records.
OVERVIEW
Prior to the 2000s people with serious mental illnesses or disabilities entered or were committed to institutions such as asylums, licensed houses or receiving houses; the patients may have included people with dementia. Most of these were run by the colonial or state government.
The criminally insane were held at J Ward of Ararat Lunatic Asylum from 1886 to 1991. This was previously Ararat Prison.
For the period 1840 to 1986 inquests were mandatory if a person died in a government institution such as a lunatic asylum/ mental hospital. After 1986 inquests were held when a person died in a assessment / treatment centres registered under Alcoholics and Drug Dependent Persons Act or mental health institutions. See Inquests and Coronial Records.
MELBOURNE AND SUBURBS
- Yarra Bend, Fairfield (Asylum 1848-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1925)
- Collingwood Asylum 1864-1873
- Cremorne Asylum, Richmond 1868-1884
- Kew (Asylum 1871-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-c.1970s; Mental/ Psychiatric Hospital c.1970s-1988) (also known as Metropolitan Asylum or Willsmere Hospital)
- Kew Cottages (Kew Idiot Ward/ Asylum 1887-1929; Cottages 1929-1962; Training Centre 1962-c1997; Kew Residential Services c1997-2008)
- Northcote Inebriate Asylum 1890-1892
- Royal Park (Receiving House 1907-1959; Hospital for the Insane 1909-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1954; Psychiatric Hospital 1959-1999)
- Mont Park, Bundoora (Hospital for the Insane 1912-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1991; Psychiatric Hospital 1971-1991)
- Heatherton Hospital (previously known as Heatherton Sanatorium 1913-1974; Heatherton Hospital 1974-1995; Alfred Healthcare Group - Heatherton Campus 1995-1998)
- Bundoora Repatriation Hospital (previously known as Bundoora Convalescent Farm 1920-1924; Bundoora Repatriation Mental Hospital "B" 1924-1933; Repatriation Mental Hospital, Bundoora 1933-1993)
- Travancore (Special School 1933-1938; Developmental Centre 1938-1968; Psychiatric Development Centre 1968-1982; Child and Family Centre 1982-Present)
- Gresswell Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre , Macleod (previously Gresswell Tuberculosis Sanatorium 1933-1970)
- Larundel , Bundoora (Mental Hospital 1953-1991; Receiving House 1953-1959; Psychiatric Hospital 1959-1999)
- Plenty , Bundoora (Mental Hospital 1963-1991; Psychiatric Hospital 1971-1991)
- Dandenong Psychiatric Centre
- St. Nicholas Mental Hospital, Carlton
- Malvern Clinic
- Parkville (Psychiatric Unit 1966-1984; Adolescent Unit 1984-1991)
- Thomas Embling Hospital, Fairfield 2000-Present
- Sunnyside Licensed House, Camberwell 1905-1916
- Cloverdale Licensed House, Toorak 1906-1911
- Landcox Licensed House, Brighton 1906-1910
- Merton Licensed House, Brighton 1906-1954
- Mt Ida Licensed House, East Hawthorn 1906-1928
- Lara Inebriate Retreat 1907-1937
- Glen Holme Licensed House, Caulfield 1910-1922
- The Tofts Licensed House, Frankston 1910-1924
- Brightside Inebriate Retreat 1910-1945
- St Helens/ Pleasant View, Preston (St Helens Licensed House 1916-1928; Pleasant View Licensed House 1928-1953; Pleasant View Receiving House 1953-1962; Pleasant View Psychiatric Hospital 1962-1973; Pleasant View Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre 1973-1995)
- Belmont Licensed House, Kew 1922-1936
- Hillcrest Licenced House, Murrumbeena 1939-1950
REGIONAL AREAS
- Sunbury (Asylum 1879-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1962; Mental Hospital/Training Centre 1962-1985; Caloola Training Centre 1985-1992)
- Ballarat (Asylum 1877-1879; 1893-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1969; Lakeside Hospital 1969-1996)
- Ararat (Asylum 1867-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1993; Training Centre 1966-1993; Ararat Forensic Psychiatry Centre 1991-1997; Training Centre and Mental Hospital known as non-statutory name of Aradale)
- Bendigo Hospital, Receiving Ward 1873-1951
- Beechworth (Asylum 1867-1905; Hospital for the Insane 1905-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1967; Mayday Hills Mental Hospital 1967-1991; Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital 1978-1995)
- Castlemaine District Hospital, Receiving Ward 1873-?
- Geelong Infirmary, Receiving Ward 1873-?
- Upper Goulburn Hospital, Wood's Point Receiving Ward 1873-?
- Gippsland Hospital, Sale Receiving Ward 1873-?
- Warrnambool Mental Hospital
- Traralgon (Hobson Park Hospital 1963-1971; Mental/Psychiatric Hospital 1971-1995)
- Stawell Mental Hospital
- Sandhurst Boys Centre, Bendigo
- Shepparton (Ambermere Hospital late 1920s-1967; Ambermere Psychiatric Hospital 1967-1996)
GENERAL RECORDS
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
The Public Record Office of Victoria has records from institutions such as mental asylums and receiving houses that have now closed. The records that have been digitized on their website are given below by region.
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, ASYLUM RECORDS, 1853-1940
These include asylum records from the Public Record Office Victoria. They are searchable.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=61566
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, LUNATIC ESTATES AND REGISTER, 1867-1906
This collection contains an inventory book of estates belonging to mental health patients as well as a register of patients in mental health facilities in Victoria, Australia.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60712
FINDMYPAST - VICTORIA, MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS 1849-1919
This collection is comprised of both transcripts and images of the records from eleven different mental health institutions in Victoria, Australia. They are searchable.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/victoria-mental-health-institutions
MELBOURNE AND SUBURBS
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Yarra Bend, Fairfield 1848-1912
- Yarra Bend Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1849-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=2164556912
- Yarra Bend Asylum Index to Male and Female Case Books 1848-1912
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewConsignment&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Consignment%20Details&entityId=7422&consignment=P0001
Collingwood 1864-1873
- Collingwood Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1864-1873
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=0164556921
- Collingwood Asylum Register of Patients 1866-1871
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=3164556388
Cremorne, Richmond 1868-1884
- Cremorne Asylum, Richmond Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1868-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=3164556958
Kew 1871-1919
- Kew Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1871-1885
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=1164556967
- Kew Asylum Nominal Register 1871-1887
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=8164560328
- Kew Asylum Nominal Register 1877-1887
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=6164560337
- Kew Asylum: Nominal Register of Patients 1887-1898
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=4164560346
- Kew Asylum: Nominal Register of Patients 1871-1914
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=1164560355
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1871-1874
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=2164556725
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1874-1877
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=0164556734
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1877-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=8164556743
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1884-1888
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=5164556752
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1888-1892
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=3164556761
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1892-1896
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=1164556770
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1896-1905
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=9164556789
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1905-1909
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=7164556798
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1906-1913
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=5164556805
- Kew Asylum Register of Patients 1913-1919
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=3164556814
Royal Park 1907-1913
- Royal Park Hospital for the Insane Nominal Register of Patients 1907-1913
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewConsignment&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Consignment%20Details&entityId=7423&consignment=P0001
Sunnyside Licensed House, Camberwell 1905-1915
See St Helens Licensed House, Preston.
St Helens Licensed House, Preston 1905-1915
These records include those for Sunnyside Licensed House, Camberwell.
- St. Helens, Preston Case Book 1905-1909
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=6164556896
- St. Helens, Preston Case Book 1909-1915
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=4164556903
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA - GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES
The Genealogical Society of Victoria has indexes and digitised mental hospital records online in its Genealogical Index of Names (GIN). Mental hospital records included:
- Kew Asylum: case books 1871-1912
- Mont Park (?): asylum registers 1912-1955
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
SUNBURY
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Sunbury 1877-1920
- Sunbury Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1879-1885
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=7164556985
- Sunbury Asylum/ Hospital for the Insane Nominal Register of Patients 1877-1907
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=4164556333
- Sunbury Asylum - Register of Patients 1877-1891
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=0164556681
- Sunbury Asylum - Register of Patients 1891-1905
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=8164556690
- Sunbury Asylum - Register of Patients 1906-1913
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=6164556707
- Sunbury Asylum - Register of Patients 1913-1920
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=4164556716
BALLARAT
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Ballarat 1877-1907
- Ballarat Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1877-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=9164556976
- Ballarat Asylum/ Hospital for the Insane Nominal Register of Patients 1893-1907
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=6164556324
ARARAT
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Ararat 1867-1906
- Ararat Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1867-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=8164556930
- Ararat Asylum/ Hospital for the Insane Nominal Register of Patients 1867-1906
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=7164556360
BENDIGO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Bendigo 1874-1908
- Receiving Ward, Bendigo Hospital Register of Patients 1874-1908
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewConsignment&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Consignment%20Details&entityId=7493&consignment=P0001
BEECHWORTH
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF VICTORIA - MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
They have digitised the following mental asylum or receiving house records:
Beechworth 1867-1912
Beechworth Asylum Alphabetical Lists of Patients 1867-1884
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Item%20Details&entityId=6164556949
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1867-1872
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=5164556618
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1872-1879
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=3164556627
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1879-1888
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=1164556636
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1888-1895
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=9164556645
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1895-1901
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=6164556654
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Male Patients 1901-1905
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=4164556663
- Beechworth Hospital for the Insane Case Book of Male Patients 1906-1912
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=2164556672
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Female Patients 1878-1892
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=3164556574
- Beechworth Asylum Case Book of Female Patients 1892-1904
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=1164556583
- Beechworth Asylum/ Hospital for the Insane Case Book of Female Patients 1904-1911
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=9164556592
- Beechworth Hospital for the Insane Case Book of Female Patients 1906-1912
http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewItem&entityId=7164556609
NEWSPAPERS
Newspapers may include articles of news where the circumstances under which a person has been committed to a lunatic asylum/ mental hospital are recounted. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
