There Was Once an Asylum
This site not only provides an overview of mental health history and its implications for Goodna but also explores the complex relationship between memory and history
There are stories we may never know, but this site uncovers the history, revealing the layers of understanding that form the foundation of the present.
It is done in a way that honours the patients, clients, and the people.
Basil Stafford Centre
The Basil Stafford Centre is highly intact and comprises a complex of low-set buildings and landscaped grounds, set amongst bushland and located along an elevated ridgeline in the northern portion of the hospital site.
Established as a farm ward for adults, the complex also illustrates its subsequent use and evolution as a centre for the treatment of intellectually disabled children and adolescents spanning broad-based institutionalisation through to individual care in domestic-scaled villas.
The features of the Basil Stafford Centre of state-level significance include:
• Layout of Buildings and Landscapes, Views
• Farm Ward Building and Grounds (1954-6)
• School Building for Child Patients with Intellectual Disabilities (1967) and Swimming Pool (c1973)
• Villas (c1978)
Layout of Buildings and Landscapes,
Views Historically set apart from the main hospital and surrounded by bushland, the Basil Stafford Centre is accessed via Aveyron Road which approaches from the southeast and connects with the former Farm Complex to the southwest.
Expansive views of the surrounding landscape are offered from the road along the ridge and from the hilltop position of the main complex. The main complex is laid out with the elongated three-block Farm Ward Building fronting Aveyron Road, with open terraces between it and the School Building and Swimming Pool to the rear (north).
The generous grounds comprise a mix of landscaped open terraces (former exercise yards with perimeter fence) dotted with mature trees that gently slope down to the north and bushland.
The Villas are located downhill to the east and set amongst light bushland.
The views of state-level cultural heritage significance include:
• Extensive views that unfold from and along Aveyron Road and Quarry Drive, through and across the adjacent bushland and spanning the surrounding countryside
• Wide northern and southern views from the Farm Ward Building, terrace and immediate surrounds to distant horizon hills
• Attractive open views across the terraced lawns dotted with mature trees and framed by adjacent bushland
• Between the Farm Ward Building and School Building, demonstrating their visual and functional relationship.
Farm Ward Building and Grounds (1954-6)
The Farm Ward Building is a highly intact sprawling face brick building positioned on the crown of a hill, which is the highest part of the hospital complex site and from all sides of the building are extensive views out to the surrounding landscape.
Purpose-built in three successive stages as male wards for incarcerated patients, it expresses its original use through architectural details and features designed for incarcerated patient management, including efficient and logical room layouts, high levels of natural light and ventilation to the interior, provision of communal ablutions, patient wards of dormitories and single rooms, and security and observation of occupants.
In 2020 the building is vacant and most later fabric has been removed.
The original corrugated asbestos roof sheets have been replaced with metal sheets of the same corrugation dimension.
The original ceilings and eaves (sheets and battens or fibrous plaster) have been replaced with flat plasterboard throughout.
Features of the Farm Ward Building and Grounds of state-level cultural heritage significance also include:
• Massing, form, construction: one-storey with partial lower ground floor, lowset, freestanding brick, steel, and timber-framed structure; steel- and timber-framed verandahs/porches and hip roof
• Plan form: building in three parts – centre block (communal recreation and dining, servery kitchen, rear loading dock), and a long branching wing (dormitories, single patient rooms, communal ablutions) either side – Ward Block A (east) and Ward Block B (west) – connected to the centre block by breezeways; northern verandah on eastern wing; large open-air terrace on northern side of the centre block; lower ground floor under northwestern end of north wing (treatment rooms)
• Architectural detailing for incarcerated patient management (security, safety, hygiene, moral treatment): orientation and wide north-south views out from the rooms on the northern side of the building and from the northern central terrace out to the grounds on this side and beyond to distant horizon hills efficient and logical room layouts: wards of dormitories and single rooms (primarily on northern side of building); wide central corridors; large communal ablutions for males only and large dressing room with two separate doors into each for sequential disrobing area (and its soiled linen hatches/chutes), ablutions room, and robing area (and its clean linen dispensary); small communal dormitory ablutions for males only; visitors’ room; examination room; centralised services rooms and supplies stores (attendants’ rooms, linen mending rooms, kitchenettes); large central communal dining and recreation room; treatment and therapy rooms (separated to lower ground level) o robust and cleanable/hygienic materials and finishes: face brick exterior walls, sills, and lintels; concrete floors (verandah and subfloor level); timber floors (interior generally); terrazzo floors, wall panels, and cubicle partitions (main entrances, ablutions, kitchens); plaster interior walls with scribed detail at waist height; ceramic wall tiles in wet areas (pale yellow, mottled pastel blue, and black); steel pipe balustrades; steel-framed windows, ribbed and clear glass, and metal hardware; metal watergoods measures for safety, security, and observation of patients: rounded and coved external and internal wall and floor corners; observation doors and windows; recessed light and power switches with protective covers; metal grille over internal stair down to lower ground level high levels of natural light and ventilation to the interior: spacious rooms with high ceilings and large windows; multi-paned, timber-framed windows, doors, and fanlights and their original brass hardware; metal mesh fanlights
• Original joinery: wall-mounted bench seats; clean linen dispensary benches in dressing rooms; storeroom shelves; soiled linen hatches
• Original sanitary ware: single small, raised bath in communal ablutions room (excludes all other baths); ceramic urinals; metal ablution troughs; foul linen troughs.
• Variations in details between wings (evidence of construction stages)
• Early alterations for use in the treatment of children with intellectual disability
• Grounds, including ground forms, open space and extent of grounds curved paths and driveways around open front lawns, accessing separate recessed entrances to Ward Block A (east) and Ward Block B (west) open paved terrace around northern side of central Dining and Recreation Block, with perimeter spoon drain and free-standing water fountain gently sloping open grassed terraces (former exercise yards with perimeter fence), dotted with mature trees and framed by bushland mature trees, including poincianas, leopard trees (Flindersia maculosa), jacarandas, frangipani (Plumeria spp.), mangoes, silky oak, eucalyptus, bookleaf pines, and hoop pines, including row of five along Aveyron Road o curving vehicle access road (Quarry Drive) from Aveyron Road with bitumen surface and concrete edges concrete landscape stairs and paths.
School Building for Child Patients with Intellectual Disabilities (1967) and Swimming Pool (c1973)
The School Building for Child Patients with Intellectual Disabilities is a highly intact face brick building comprising four connected wings surrounding a grassed courtyard.
Purpose-built as a school and training centre for children of the adjacent hospital ward building, the school building expresses its original use through architectural details and features designed for child patients with intellectual disabilities, including efficient and logical room layouts, high levels of natural light and ventilation to the interior, increased provision of toilets, and high levels of security and safety of occupants.
In 2020 it was used as an office building.
Features of the school of state-level cultural heritage significance also include:
• Form and construction: slab-on-ground, one-storey, brick and timber-framed structure; four connected wings surrounding a rectangular grassed play courtyard and also forming a semi-enclosed western service courtyard; broad verandahs and large undercover area facing courtyard; clerestory, pyramid, and gable roofs
• Robust and ‘natural’ materials: face brick exterior and interior walls; floors – concrete and clay pavers; clear-finished timber board-lined walls and ceilings and laminated beams; flat sheet lining to partitions and soffits, and textured panel lining to classroom ceilings with cover strips; glazed ceramic tiled floors and walls (bathrooms, kitchens); terrazzo partitions (bathrooms); concrete roof tiles
• Architectural detailing for incarcerated child patients with intellectual disabilities (security, access, safety, and hygiene): efficient and logical rooms layout: controlled main entry at northeast corner past staff and administration spaces in eastern wing; general classrooms (north wing) each with large store cupboard and immediate access to an adjacent toilet; larger manual training, domestic science rooms, and other training rooms with store cupboards and materials store area; large hall (south wing west end) with projection booth and projection window; central undercover area with bench seats; central ablutions block (south wing); and administration offices (east wing and south wing east end) measures for security and safety of patients: metal bars over external operable windows; half-glazed doors and large windows; compound floor plan with controlled entrances; sliding (rather than swing) doors and windows; wide doors and single floor level omitting steps and raised thresholds o high levels of natural light and ventilation to the interior: spacious rooms with raked ceilings; large operable and fixed windows; fixed and vented clerestory windows; roof ventilator
• Original joinery: clear-finished doors (boarded, flush panel, louvred, some with amber tinted glass); fixed and awning windows
• Metal-framed windows (louvre and sliding)
• Courtyard – open lawn area; perimeter concrete spoon drain and its metal grate.
The Swimming Pool (c1973)
Located adjacent to the school building on its west side.
It is a concrete in-ground shell with a rectangular pool of lap lanes connected by a narrow swimming channel to a smaller rectangular wading pool.
It is surrounded by a wide concrete apron and a small face brick kiosk with a flat roof stands at the north corner of the apron.
Later pool sheds, stands, shade structures, and a tall brick fence have been added to the pool, which are not of state-level cultural heritage significance.
Features of the Swimming Pool of state-level cultural heritage significance also include:
• concrete in-ground pool shell (wading pool with physical disabilities access, connecting swimming channel, and pool of lap lanes)
• concrete apron
• Small kiosk with a flat roof at the north corner and its concrete ramp.
Villas (c1978)
The Villas (c1978) comprise two adjacent groups of buildings in bushland at the eastern part of the Basil Stafford Centre area, along Aveyron Road.
Built as patient accommodation of a more suburban domestic nature, in 2020 the small buildings continue in this use but have had their interiors replaced for modern patient care standards.
The building’s interiors are not of state-level cultural heritage significance, as are non-original external alterations and additions such as tall fences and courtyards.
Features of the Villas of state-level cultural heritage significance also include:
• Site layout and landscape: two groups of four identical villas and two identical common rooms in mirror-reverse layouts amongst a light bushland setting
• Form and construction: one-storey freestanding brick and timber-framed structures, with clerestory roofs (villas) and pyramid roofs (common rooms)
• Robust external materials: face brick and weatherboard walls; concrete tile roofs.
Basil Stafford Centre Helicopter Crash 2001
The pilot of an Enstrom 280C helicopter was to conduct about 30 joyflights during the afternoon. Each flight was planned to last for about 3 minutes and carry two passengers. The flights commenced at approximately 1330 Eastern Standard Time and were to be finished by last light, which was 1758. The aircraft was refuelled twice during the afternoon, with the helicopter shut down and fuel transferred from jerrycans. The second refuelling was completed at about 1745.
Passengers then boarded the helicopter for the twenty-seventh flight of the afternoon. Witnesses reported that transition from the hover to forward flight appeared normal, and that they had then stopped watching the helicopter. A short time later they heard the sound of impact. The helicopter had struck a tree prior to impacting the ground. The occupants were not injured.
The pilot reported that the helicopter's engine did not appear to gain full power during the transition and climb and that he deliberately did not correct a minor out of balance situation to avoid overpitching the rotor. He assessed that there was sufficient engine power available to clear the trees and continue the flight. The area beyond the trees was clear so that if a problem occurred after he cleared the trees, he could have allowed the helicopter to descend to gain performance and continue the flight. The pilot said that the engine turbo-overboost light did not illuminate as it had done during previous departures.
The air temperature was about 28 degrees C. Witnesses reported that the wind at ground level had been calm during the day. The pilot reported that about 20 minutes before the accident, Archerfield Tower, which was about eight kilometres east of the accident location, reported the surface wind at Archerfield to have been easterly at 12 knots. Throughout the afternoon, movement of the tree tops had indicated a steady wind. However, the pilot said that he did not have an opportunity immediately before the takeoff to confirm the wind strength.
The pilot held a Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Licence and had accumulated 200 hours total flying experience and 130 hours on the Enstrom.
A comprehensive examination of the engine found nothing that might have prevented it from operating normally.
In line with a normal diurnal wind variations, it is possible that the wind was beginning to die at the time of the accident (dusk). Because of the added fuel, the helicopter's all up weight was higher than for the previous takeoff. Both of these changes, either separately or in combination, would have increased the power required for the helicopter to maintain the previously flown departure profile. The pilot would have needed to adjust the departure path or transition technique to account for the decreased performance available. The investigation was unable to determine if maximum engine power had been achieved.
Because no fault could be found with the engine, it was considered likely that the departure path or transition technique had not been sufficiently adjusted to account for the changed conditions. The pilot's low level of experience and the repetitive nature of the flying may have also been factors in the accident.