April 2017 – Willow Court Tasmania

Retired Historian, Peter MacFie to lead Fiddle Excursion

April 26, 2017 7 Comments

Retired Port Arthur Historian Peter MacFie will lead the Fiddle Excursion through the Derwent and Lachlan Valleys on Sunday the 14th of May 2017. His extensive research of convict musicians at Port Arthur and a successful sell out Sorell tour, will make him the ideal person to explain the history of Alexander Laing, his music and connection to the community and the people.

Anne Salt, Chairwoman of the Friends of Willow Court sat with Peter and heard that there were a number of fiddle players at Port Arthur, but Alexander Laing was the one musician who had the skills to play and write.

Some ticket still remain for sale, but this is limited because of the coach size and early sales. Visitors will experience historic homesteads and buildings in the region, light lunch, afternoon tea and a separate tour of Glen Derwent. Another local Historian will tell the history of the places visited and there will be live music from Alexander Laing tunes played by Folk Trio, Green Hills Gathering at each venue. Two solders, in original uniform will escort visitors throughout the day.

ST MATTHEWS ANGLICAN CHURCH
WILLOW COURT BARRACKS
FRESCATI HOUSE
STEPHEN STREET CEMETERY
ST PAULS UNITING CHURCH
LACHLAN HALL
GLENLEITH
GLEN DERWENT

This is a National Trust Heritage Event.

Click images above for ticket sales or contact the Derwent Valley Council.

ONLY A FEW TICKETS REMAINING

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Don’t you know there’s war on?!

April 25, 2017 2 Comments

During war years there are many changes, shortage of staff and the stopping of building programs. The first World War was no exce6ption. The planned recreational hall was drawn up and amounted to a cost of 1000 pounds, it was to be on the same site as the Administration Building and was to be a main hall of 90 feet by 60 feet with a stage of 20 feet by 60 feet and there were to be two clock rooms and a bio-scope platform, but the Government of the day decided against building while the country was at war. However extensions to the laundry and the additions of a new hydro-extractor, drying machine, washing machine and six-roller mangle were welcomed at the hospital. We also see the long serving Dr MacFarlane taken ill and being temporarily replaced. By 1915 Dr MacFarlane, after 34 years of service to the hospital died after “a short illness”.

A new Doctor was appointed as Superintendent, Dr E. Sydney Morris had a big job ahead. The defense Department wrote to the Hospital in 1915 and asked for “separate treatment, terms etc. for Returned Soldiers”. After each war the population of the hospital had a dramatic increase. Returning Soldiers, and families baring the stress and strain of having family away and being killed all added to the greater number of patients the hospital would have to cope with, often during difficult financial times.

The rise of admissions was evident during the First and Second World Wars and you can also see a rise between 1899-02 during Australia’s involvement in the Boer War.

“The war has somewhat depleted our staff, there being at present two clerks and ten attendants serving with the forces”, it was also noted in the report that the death of Private A. A. Anderson was recorded with great sadness. This wasn’t going to be the last sad news for the staff at the hospital, the war had only just begun. Dr Morris resigned and enlisted by 1918 and Dr Lalor from Victoria’s Kew Mental Hospital was to be appointed Acting Medical Superintendent.

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Changing and evolving ideas of disability support

April 24, 2017 No Comments

This organisational chart from 1973 today looks very different with the roll out and empowerment that comes with the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australia is falling into line with it’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and previous theories of Normalisation and Social Role Valerisation (SRV). Today’s idea of person-centred-practice fits neatly into the NDIS model. This has been a major change in attitude of policy makers driven by self advocates and families for a number of decades.

Each organisation chart opens up in a separate tab. The idea of the NDIS placed the person in control of their support services.

The structure of a Medical Hospital Model at RDH in 1973.

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Royal Family at the Hospital?

April 18, 2017 No Comments

From: The Hobarton Mercury Mon 10 Mar 1856 Page 3

THE LUNATIC ASYLUM, NEW NORFOLK.
ON Wednesday, en route to Hamilton, we stopped at New Norfolk for a short time, and
being desirous to inspect the Lunatic Asylum, we proceeded thither, accompanied by a friend, and, introducing ourselves to Dr. Houston (Dr. George Francis Huston), were very politely received by that gentleman, who afforded every facility to the object of our visit. Under
his guidance we viewed every part of the establishment, and we ware much gratified with the good order, cleanliness, and general arrangement.

There are about two hundred patients, male and female, for whose comfort every means are supplied: they are carefully classified with Nos. 1, 2, and 3 classes, according to the particular nature of their maladies, cells being appropriated to the more furiously maniacal: of these there are several, and we witnessed two poor fellows whose abhorrent antipathy to bright colours, red or scarlet particularly, we were informed, excited a paroxysm.

Instances of extraordinary delusion are common: one remarkably fine woman fancies herself a princess, with a duke for a father and a duchess for a mother, and who very graciously held out her hand for us to kiss. Another young female imagines herself to be twelve hundred years old, and requested our assistance to procure for her a comfortable cottage. The majority of cases are those of melancholy and idiotic madness, sad enough, indeed, but not so terrible as raving madness.

The dietary is ample, even luxurious, and the garden set apart for the recreation of those who are in a condition to enjoy it, is in first-rate condition. An excellent feature in the management is the employment of patients in gardening, milking the cows, and other occupations, calculated to find them pleasurable and healthy employment: some patients engaged in this manner receive extra rations of milk, rice, &c., while the occupation
itself is a well-prized indulgence. In fact, the whole arrangements of the establishment are most admirable, and reflect the highest credit upon the superintendent, Dr. Houston (Dr. George Francis Huston), whose attention to the health and comfort of the unfortunate inmates are worthy of all praise. As in England, so here, the old system of coercion, except in cases actually
requiring it, is abolished, and the soothing treatment is fully appreciated by those who are enabled to judge of and feel its influence.

The expressions of gratitude, nay, even of affection, towards the worthy doctor are warm and sincere, and it is pleasing to witness in so melancholy an abode this due appreciation of conduct so judicious and inestimable.

In conclusion, we may add that we were pleased, yet saddened, with the result of our
visit; pleased with the kind attention of the medical officer, and indeed of all his subordinates, and with the arrangements provided for the comfort and well-being of the poor patients; – saddened by the contemplation of so many of our fellow creatures afflicted with the most grievous and melancholy of all maladies–loss of reason.

Original story HERE

This story was written 6 months after the Hospital had changed practices from being run by the Imperial Government to having autonomy along with the Colony This change and hand over of the New Norfolk establishment was on October 18th 1855.

This was an important time because we start to see better record keeping practices develop around patient notes and treatments. The visit by the reporter wasn’t a coincidence, this is how news was gathered and the Hospital had just been criticised for the lack of documentation and also the total lack of any form of investigation into complaints nor inquests conducted.

Dr Huston, as it was reported was actually Dr. George Francis Huston and was most likely very excepting of the visiting reporter and wanted to show off the Hospital, and clearly the visitors were impressed. However the quote from Gowlland’s book paints a very different picture of the time:

From An Imperial to A Colonial Establishment with the change in responsibility came the establishment of a Board of Commissioners who were given charge of the New Norfolk Hospital and the first snapshot of conditions within the Hospital. The Commissioners were to find much wrong with the Hospital as indicated in their initial report to the Governor: …

its condition very far behind that of similar institutions in the Mother Country. The internal accommodation of the several buildings were small, badly constructed, ill ventilated, dark dismal, while the day rooms, so called, afforded very inadequate convenience for the purpose intended. The yards and grounds were subdivided by high walls, and the spaces allotted for exercise and outdoor recreation were of the most limited character (Quoted in Gowlland 1981: 50).

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Future plans for Archaeology at Willow Court in 2018 and 2017 Report

April 13, 2017 4 Comments

The outcomes of the 2017 field season included:
 The excavation of three underfloor areas beneath rooms in the Barracks (the old
hardware store room, pharmacy and Assistant Superintendent’s office) and the
excavation of three trenches at the rear of Frescati.

 To enable the excavations at the Barracks, floorboards were removed from parts of
the floor of the hardware store and pharmacy. These were removed by the Centre for
Heritage at Oatlands. These boards will be replaced by the Centre for Heritage at
Oatlands. No boards were removed in the Assistant Superintendent’s office.

 The artefacts from the Barracks included hundred of pieces of butchered animal bone
(mainly sheep and cow), buttons, clay pipes and discarded medical equipment. This
will all be documented, analysed and interpreted by Flinders University Honours
student, Calvin Logan, as part of his Honours thesis. A copy of this thesis will be
provided to the DVC upon completion at the end of 2017.

 The excavations at the rear of Frescati did not reveal any outbuildings and contained
very few artifacts. A short report on these trenches will be provided to the DVC upon
completion in late 2017.

 A Community Open Day held on Sunday 12th February. We estimate that c300 people
attended this event.

 A special ‘Kids’ Dig’ was trialed as part of the Open Day and was very successful.
Feedback from parents indicated that it was both engaging and valuable.

 50 year 7 history students from Ogilvie High School visited the site on Friday 17th
February.

The Council provided the following ‘in-kind’ and financial support for this project, all financial assistance was requested to be allocated to the Willow Court Reservation Fund 2016 budget allocation as noted in the decision of the Council. This excludes the cost of time allocated to this project by indoor staff.

Future plans for Archaeology at Willow Court in 2018 (YET TO BE APPOVED)
Several community members asked whether they could participate in the excavations in
future. To facilitate this we would like to excavate next year in the Carlton (C Ward) yard, at the location of the former Gentlemen’s Cottage (A Ward above). This is a large outdoor area that could easily accommodate community participation. We would like to invite members of the community to take part in all aspects of the archaeology for the duration of the field school (to be held in February 2018 – precise dates to be advised).

Flinders University, the University of Tasmania and the University of Canberra are interested in applying for two grants for various aspects of Archaeology at Willow Court.