Wacol Repatriation Complex Towards the end of World War 1, the hospital began receiving a new type of patient - those with mental disorders specifically caused by involvement in the war. 'War veterans' became an increasingly significant minority among the inmate population as the war finished and soldiers returned home. With the Commonwealth Government establishing special hospital facilities for the treatment of physically injured, the question of establishing separate facilities for veterans with mental disorders was raised. HB Ellerton discussed the issue in his Annual Report of 1917 and commented that, while the idea had some merit, it was better to treat war veterans in an established institution such as Goodna. He argued that in a separate institution, inmates would not have access to 'experienced medical officers, specially trained and qualified matrons and nursing staff'. Ellerton also argued that veterans would have to be accommodated in hospitals of ordinary design. Such accommodation, he maintained, would be 'wanting other accommodation as found in all mental hospitals such as is provided in the yard gardens, and extensive grounds, out-door recreations, in-door amusements, and entertainments, and finally, occupations under those qualified to supervise their work.'s• With the onset of World War 2, the question of special facilities for the treatment of returned soldiers was again raised. By January 1942, 110 returned soldiers were inmates of the Goodna Mental Hospital. The Commonwealth Government expressed concern about the growing number of soldiers being admitted to Goodna and approached the Queensland Government about constructing purpose-built facilities. A review found that at least eighty beds were required for those whose condition was precipitated by war service."° The Commonwealth agreed to fund the construction of three special wards and the Queensland government was to be responsible for the maintenance ~£ the buildings and staffing. The Repatriation Commission was to pay for the treatment on a per capita basis." The Works Department prepared plans for a complete repatriation unit in consultation with Basil Stafford, the Director of Mental Hygiene. The unit was designed to be self-contained with three wards and kitchen/dining facilities. According to Stafford, the buildings were based on 'modern design' concepts, but were essentially the old principles of moral therapy resurrected and reinterpreted. The buildings were designed to eliminate the idea of confinement usually associated with mental hospitals, with freedom emphasised by wide verandahs and patients' dining areas opening directly onto grassed courtyards and lawns.62 Specially designed steel frame windows were included in the design to give protection to the patients without the need for iron bars or grating, to give the illusion of freedom." Construction on the buildings commenced in 1946, and the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion opened on 26 January 1948, when Governor John Lavarack opened it. The complex comprised three similar ward blocks with accommodation for 88 patients and a kitchen/canteen block. A recreation hall was completed in the 1950s. Patients constructed a cricket oval in 1954-55. Ward A Ward A is a single-storey brick building erected in 1948. It was to accommodate ex-servicemen requiring treatment for mental disorders. Ward A was one of two similar U-shaped blocks. It was constructed of cream brick with a roof of red asbestos cement tiles. The building comprised a main block containing a lounge, a recreation room, fifteen single bedrooms, a kitchen, ironing rooms, nurses' rooms, a lavatory, a bathroom, and an ancillary room. rooms. Two wings projected from the centre block. One contained offices, doctors' and examination rooms, store rooms and a spacious visitor's room; the other, nine bedrooms and a lavatory. A boiler room was constructed underneath the bathroom. The kitchenette and laundry were designed for patients' use to give them a feeling of independence by providing facilities for preparing light refreshments or doing small laundry and pressing. The verandah opened onto a grassy, terraced lawn. Renovations to the building in 1975 reduced the number of single rooms, as several were converted to provide toilets and showers to be shared by the adjacent rooms on each side. 1948: Two wards, a kitchen and a recreation block opened 1950: theatrette provided to the lounge room 1975: conversion of some rooms to bath/toilet facilities Ward B This building was erected in 1948 to specifically accommodate ex-servicemen suffering mental disorders. Previously returned ex-servicemen had been accommodated in the general section of the Goodna Mental Hospital. Ward B was similar to Ward A in construction. Ward C This building was erected in 1948 specifically to accommodate ex-servicemen suffering from mental disorders. Ward C differed from the other two wards with its H-shaped plan form. One wing contained two fifteen-bed wards. The centre section comprised ten single rooms, a nurses' room, bathrooms, lavatories, a kitchenette, and a laundry. An occupational therapy room was built in the basement in 1957, and that same year Ward C was converted to a closed ward for restless repatriation patients whose behaviour was unsuitable for the Wacol Pavilion. A verandah was added to Ward C in 1958/9 for occupational therapy, and the dining room was enclosed in 1965. To provide additional external shaded areas, a large open roof area was attached to the north-west elevation in 1990. 1958: occupational therapy area 1990: open covered area Kitchen/Canteen This building was erected as a cafeteria block for the Wacol repatriation pavilion in 1948. It contained a dining room, kitchen, scullery, cool rooms, preparation rooms, store room and lavatories. The cafeteria-style dining room could accommodate 96 diners. An open-fronted canteen teen, flanked by flower boxes, was built underneath the front portion of the building for the use of patients and friends and opened onto a terraced grassed lawn. Grounds The grounds of the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion comprise a mix of evenly sloped lawns with trees randomly planted between the buildings. Oleander clumps were formally spaced along both sides of the former entry. A cricket oval is situated to the southeast of the complex. It was built by patient labour in 1954-5 and features stone retaining walls, a white picket fence, and a timber sight screen. Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Dining block being built at the Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view Dining block completed at the Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland 1955-1975. Click to view 1961 Overhead Click to view 2026 Overhead Click to view Dining block abandoned at the Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland early 2000s Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Wacol Repatriation Pavillion, Wacol, Queensland Click to view Recreation Ground Click to view The new road Click to view Click to view Layout Plan Click to view

The many who cared for the patients Jean Ritson and Iris Florence in their nurse's uniforms at Goodna Hospital, 1940 Click to view Nurse Ritson. Jean Ritson in her nurse's uniform after her graduation, 1956 Click to view 1956, Nurse Jonic at the Brisbane Mental Hospital 1st year trainee psychiatric nurse in the uniform of that time. Mid to dark blue dress with white cap. Click to view Nurses at Goodna. On the occasion of the retirement of Matron Alice Richardson in 1960 Click to view Brisbane Mental Hospital-1950s from left Nurse Klaptotz and Nurse Jonic Click to view Brisbane Mental Hospital - 1050s Unknown Nurses except the Far-Right back row, Nurse Eremic. Click to view Deputy Charge Nurse - Irene Dziopa (nee Rosolak) 1965 Click to view Brisbane Mental Hospital-1950s, from left, Nurse Jonic, Mid front row Nurse Zabava, Rear behind her Nurse Wasawoda, right front Nurse Klaptotz the other Nurse right at the rear is Nurse Torak, Click to view The nurse identified is Lenie van Oudtsheusen, later Lenie van Wyk. The back row on right is Ray Wagner. The man second from the right is Colin Cooper. Ron Broad (front row - glasses) also was the Principal Nursing Officer at Wolston Park. Here we the Ipswich Mental Hospital Nurses Graduation taken in 1956. Click to view Around 1962-3. Outside nurse's quarters at the intersection of Ellerton & Boyce Roads Click to view Brisbane Mental Hospital-Mid Fifties, Nurse Jonic, Nurse Klaptotz, Nurse Wasawoda Click to view Nurses on the first day of operation of the new Rec Centre which is now the Wolston Park Golf Club Click to view 1957 Nurses Graduation invitation card for Novakovic family to attend Click to view Edith Jones who nursed here at the hospital during the 50's and 60's as a sister and Assistant Matron. Click to view In 1955 near the Riverside Ballroom was a croquet & lawn bowls area. Click to view In 1955 near the Riverside Ballroom was a croquet & lawn bowls area. Click to view School of nursing with Judy Boyd & Regina Kilminster Click to view Social Retraining Unit, Wolston Park Hospital, October 1971 Click to view Sewing and Ironing in Domestic Retraining Unit, Wolston Park Hospital in 1971 Click to view First group that passed in advanced education at Wolston Park. David Fuller Click to view Sister Joan Peters One of the longest serving nurses to work at the Hospital Click to view Sister Joan Peters One of the longest serving nurses to work at the Hospital Click to view Sister Joan Peter's outside Ellerton house before she became matron, she wouldn't wear her veil she wanted to be normal for the patients Click to view Sister "Sonja" Sisters - Braidwood, Florence, Stevens Click to view 1958 photo outside the "Hospital Ward" now Gunni House Click to view The patient's friend The Patient’s Friend refers to a position held within Wolston Park Hospital, which represented the Office of the Patient’s Friend. The Office of the Patient’s Friend and associated position was established in 1977 to serve as an advocacy role for the individual rights of patients in their treatment plans and to provide protection from abuse and unnecessary controls. The patient's friend - Psychologist Nadia Beer Psychologist Nadia Beer was Australia's first patient advocate to work in a psychiatric hospital. Nadia started at Wolston Park Hospital as a psychologist in the early 1970s and established the first 'Office of the Patient's Friend' within a psychiatric hospital in Australia. The "Office of the Patient's Friend" opened its doors in 1977 and was the first patient advocacy service to operate within an Australian psychiatric hospital. Part advocate, part whistleblower - running the service has taken a mighty amount of steel and a heart of gold. 30 years later. We have learnt that Nadia has since passed away. The patient's friend: Dennis Manning Dennis Manning started as a nurse in 1956 at age 18. He worked with Nadia Beer in the Office of the Patient's Friend for nearly 20 years. Dennis was also a union representative. Many of his family members have since worked at Goodna. Mr James Clifford, of Goodna FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS IN QUEENSLAND. ONE OF THE FIRST WARDERS AT THE WOOGAROO ASYLUM. A RESIDENT OF GOODNA FOR 50 YEARS. (By "Red Gum."). It is 58 years since Mr James Clifford, a well-known resident of Goodna, arrived in Moreton Bay on the sailing ship Blenheim. Mr Clifford was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and left in 1857 as a strong and vigorous young fellow. His first employment, after reaching Queensland, was at Redbank, at the late Mr. "Tinker" Campbell's boiling-down establishment, Mr Clifford having been engaged on the punts plying between Redbank and Brisbane. He was in the service of Messrs. John Campbell and Son and another (the last-named having been the Capt. "Bobby" Towns, who had a steamer or two at this time running in the river trade between the metropolis and Ipswich) when they developed the coal mine at Redbank. Mr Clifford recollects the late Mr William Simpson, subsequently a Hotelkeeper at Redbank, supervising the colliery work. One of Mr Clifford's shipmates (the late Mr William J Reed, well known in Goodna) accepted an engagement as a blacksmith at the coal mine. During his trips to and from Brisbane, Mr Clifford became acquainted with the late Dr S. Simpson, of Wolston, who was a New South Wales Commissioner for the district (this was before separation), and who had at that time a dairy farm on Woogaroo Creek, the site of the Goodna Asylum for the Insane. Punts conveyed stone from Jeay's Quarry at Woogaroo, overlooking the Brisbane River, to the Brisbane Gaol, which was then being erected on the "Green Hills" (now Petrie Terrace), the late Messrs. Andrew Petrie and Sons having assisted in the building of the old "stone jug." During Mr Clifford's voyages on the Brisbane River, he frequently passed the steamers Bredalbane, Ballarat, the Hawk (on which he remembers seeing the veteran Capt. Geo. Holt, who afterwards conducted a bakery establishment in Bell-street Ipswich), the Brisbane, and a little vessel named the Premier. He mentioned the names of Captains. Geo. West, Rooney and Murphy. Among other things, he brought from Brisbane on Mr Campbell's punt were the slats now on the roof of the Palais Royal Hotel, the late Mr George Thorn, snr, having previously purchased them in the old country, for the purpose of covering his palatial private residence, then being erected on the corner of Brisbane and East Streets. While employed at Redbank, tidings came of the discovery of the Canoona gold diggings, Rockhampton way, to which he, along with many others, rushed, making the passage in the Yankee schooner Vanquish, which vessel took three weeks to get to its destination. The now-flourishing central city of Rockhampton was then a huge "canvas town," with between 15,000 and 25,000 people camped in tents on the banks of the Fitzroy River. Rich patches of gold were unearthed here and there, but the Canoona area was too small to support the thousands of prospectors who were on the scene. The field was a failure, and the diggers became very riotous indeed; the late Sir Maurice (then Col. Lo'Connell), with his force of native police, was called upon to quell the disturbances. Mr Clifford returned to Rockhampton, and he stated that he was a member of the first Customs crew established at "Rocky" by the New South Wales Government and that the "boss" of that service was the late Capt. Wm. Till, a noteworthy old Northern navigator. Tired of this life, Mr Clifford started on the "Wallaby," following many occupations, stopping at different stations just, as he said, " to earn the price of a pair of boots." His first place of call was at Messrs. Archer Brothers' station, Gracemere. Here he tried his hand at shearing; thence on to Port Curtis; afterwards to Mount Larkin, camping at this station in the hut in which the blacks had previously massacred a Mr Daniel Young, although Mr Clifford did not know of this dreadful occurrence at the time. The blacks were very troublesome in that part of the State, but he always managed to keep on good terms with the aborigines; at any rate, he trusted them no further than he could see them. Mr Clifford next wandered into Maryborough and from thence across to Gayndah. He worked for several months in the Burnett district. It was all paper money, I.O.Us, or cheques in those days, and at periods he had in his possession I.O.Us sufficient to fill a bucket. They were always honoured, however. Travelling by way of the Dawson, where he worked on the respective stations of the late Hon. Wm. Yaldwyn and the late Mr Pollett Cardew, and where he met the Fraser brothers, he subsequently reached "Myall Creek," now known as Dalby, thence on to " The Swamp" (Toowoomba). While here, Mr Clifford heard of the Tooloom diggings, near Warwick, but the gold having fizzled out, he made tracks towards Ipswich, calling in and working at both Gatton and Laidley, ultimately reaching Redbank, putting up at the residence of his sister (the late Mrs Thos. Doonan), delighted that he had had enough of bush life. Obtaining employment in the Government road gang (with Mr Waine as overseer), he worked on the roads between Ipswich and Rosewood. He was employed at the One-Mile Bridge, the Three-Mile Bridge, and he states that the makings of the cutting approaching the Three-Mile Hotel (the proprietor of which was Mr. "Billy" Marks) must have cost at least "a guinea an inch." He was also employed in putting down the "corduroy" (logging) road at the Seven-Mile Creek. Accepting an engagement with the late Mr Thomas Green (a well-known Ipswich contractor), he assisted Mr Green in building the old Goodna Bridge for the coaching traffic. This was about the year 1864. Subsequently, he obtained employment from Messrs. Godfrey and Johnson, the contractors for the first Asylum brick wards, erected on the bank of Woogaroo Creek. "Previous to the roof being completed," said Mr Clifford, "the late Sir George Ferguson Bowen (the first Governor of Queensland), expressed a desire to inspect the then new asylum building. His wish was gratified, and he, the late Hon. Ratcliffe. Pring and others climbed the ladder to the roof. After admiring the wild but pretty surroundings, the vice-regal party proceeded to descend, but, to their astonishment, they found that the ladder by which they had ascended was removed. "Realising the position of affairs, Sir George Bowen promptly responded to the hint," remarked Mr Clifford, "and advanced the wherewithal to thoroughly 'wet the roof.' And the vice-regal party reached terra firma amidst hearty cheers and much laughter." On the completion of these asylum wards, Mr Clifford joined the institution as a warder on the 10th of January 1865. Mr Clifford assisted, half a century past, in transferring the first batch of patients from the Brisbane Gaol (in which institution lunatics were previously confined) to the Woogaroo Asylum, to which his sister (the late Mrs Thos. Doonan) was the first chief nurse appointed. Before this, the gaoler and his wife acted as superintendent and matron respectively, and the clerk to the Brisbane Gaol acted as clerk to the gaol asylum. The first doctor in charge of the Woogaroo Asylum was the late Dr K. Cannan (grandfather of Lieut.-Col. J. H. Cannan, in command of the 15th Battalion of Infantry, at the Dardanelles). Mr Clifford says cricket was first introduced to the institution during Dr Cannan's regime, and he was among the first players. The matches were carried out in front of the old wards, on the site of the present kitchen garden. The Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, now termed the Goodna Asylum for the Insane, has since grown to vast dimensions, and the methods adopted in the treatment of the inmates seem, remarked Mr Clifford, to be more on the hospital system than formerly. He joined the Government service in 1865 and retired on a small pension in 1896, having served over 30 years as a warder at the institution, during which he married. He served under Dr K. Canaan, Dr H.Challinor, Dr Jaap, Dr P. Smith, and Dr R. B. Scholes (all since deceased). In addition to playing cricket at the institution, Mr Clifford engaged in other pastimes, such as stone and hammer throwing and jumping. He was a prominent athlete in the early days, competing at most of the St. Patrick's Day and Caledonian sports gatherings of years ago. Mr Clifford made Goodna his home, and he is now enjoying the fruits of his industry while engaged at the Goodna Asylum. The halfway "village" between Ipswich and Brisbane, he has seen under all conditions. He can also call to mind when Redbank was a bustling centre during the early sixties and, as is the case today, preparing meat for export was the chief industry there. Redbank was also the principal coal centre, with the fuel raised there keeping the steamers and the metropolitan industrial places going. He recalls that Mr Patrick Michael Hanrahan opened the Redbank Inn in 1864, and that the hotel and property were purchased the following year by the late Mr William Simpson. The old Redbank Inn was a landmark for nearly 42 years. Referring particularly to the late Mr John Campbell, the head of the firm of Messrs Campbell and Son, and another, Mr Clifford says he had many conversations with him. He was called "Tinker" Campbell because he was a tinsmith in America or Nova Scotia. Mr Campbell came to Australia about 77 years ago. He settled for a period in the New England district, New South Wales, then crossed the border to Moreton Bay, now Queensland, where he engaged in squatting until he established the boiling-down works at Redbank, and also developed the coal industry at that centre. Referring to Goodna, Mr Clifford styled Mr Charles Holmes "the father of the village," and then, in a conversational way, he stated that he recollected the parents of Mr Holmes keeping the Coach and Horses Hotel, on a site above the bridge which spans Woogaroo Creek, on the Brisbane Road. Mr Clifford also remembered when the late Mr Matthew Goggs purchased the late Dr Stephen Simpson's property at Wolston, where he subsequently resided. He mentioned the busy times of the coaching days, when Woogaroo was the halfway stopping place, and spoke of the late Mr William J. Reed as having been the first blacksmith to establish himself alongside the main coach road. He recalled that Mr J. Woods ran mail coaches, as did Mr John Nolan and Messrs. Cobb and Co., which brought to mind the opening of the Royal Mail Hotel by the late Mr John Drysdale. Years subsequently, his old shipmate, Mr W.J. Reed, the blacksmith, established the Prince of Wales Hotel. The late Mr Dan Macfarlane, the butcher, was referred to as a splendid stamp of a man and "a regular character"—good-natured, and generally well-liked. Mr Clifford admitted, however, that he had a poor memory and gave that as an excuse for not mentioning more names of old identities. Still, amongst other incidents, he remembered the animation during the construction of the railway line through Goodna, connecting Ipswich and Brisbane. "Goodna," said Mr Clifford, " has had two significant setbacks—the floods of 1890 and 1893, and we had a most anxious time during the '1893 floods at the Goodna Asylum, as all the lower wards were underwater, and nurses worked like a Trojan in looking after the inmates. We were practically cut off from the outside world for several days, the Goodna Asylum property being then surrounded by water." In conclusion, Mr Clifford said that Goodna had expanded, the residents having built on higher ground, and with such fine backcountry as the Redbank Plains, he seems to think that Goodna's time is yet to come. Mr Clifford, who was for several years a publican in "the village", has always evinced a keen interest in the welfare of that centre, and St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church there bears many marks of his generosity. In 1896, he presented the rich-toned bell that summons the adherents to their devotions. Subsequently, he gave magnificent gifts in the form of two stained-glass windows—one at the altar and one at the choir, both depicting scenes both artistic and devotional in beautiful colours. These were erected in memory of Mr Clifford's son, and bear the following inscription: - 'To the glory of God and in loving memory of John Edward Clifford, born 29th December 1875, died 20th February 1902, aged 26 years. Eternal rest give unto him, 0 Lord." Mr Clifford, who has one son alive, Mr James Clifford, jnr, of Wynnum, is still hale and hearty and is living in retirement, his residence commanding a lovely view of Goodna and its surroundings. The Prince of Wales Hotel on Brisbane Terrace, Goodna, was established in 1865 by William James Reed. He first applied for a Publican license in August 1865, stating that the house consisted of 3 sitting rooms, five bedrooms, and family living quarters. Over the years, the hotel hosted land auctions, lodge meetings, and magisterial inquiries. In 1873/7, 4 Ann Thomas, William Reed's sister-in-law, held the license, and he reapplied to become the licensee in 1875. In 1878, he was declared insolvent, and Mr Clifford, a Warder at the Woogaroo Asylum, became the owner and leased the hotel to Mr McNamara. The hotel subsequently burned down in January 1880. Dr John Waller His medical career took him to many facilities before his retirement in 1997, Wolston Park Hospital (1970–74) being one of them. Dr John Waller gave Mater 19 years of dedicated service, serving as Medical Superintendent of Mater Adult Hospital from July 1978 to July 1995, when he was appointed Executive Director of the hospital, a role he held until his retirement in July 1997. Having graduated from The University of Queensland in 1956, he began his medical career as a resident at Royal Brisbane Hospital, before further developing his career with medical and administrator roles at Thursday Island Hospital (1958–59); Dalby Hospital (Medical Superintendent, 1960–62); Brisbane Chest Clinic (1962–66); Wolston Park Hospital (1970–74); Royal Brisbane Hospital (1975–76) and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth (Deputy Medical Superintendent, 1976–78). Dr Waller commenced as Medical Superintendent of Mater Adult Hospital on 3 July 1978. His numerous achievements included overseeing the planning and relocation of Mater Public Hospital to Mater Adult Hospital (now Mater Hospital Brisbane) in 1982. In later years, he led the hospital through change and advancement amid budgetary constraints. His able stewardship led to his appointment as Executive Director of Mater Adult Hospital in July 1995. Throughout his tenure at Mater, Dr Waller was highly regarded for his compassion for patients and staff. Dr Waller excelled in many areas of his profession, including serving as State President of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators, President of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association, and rising to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. In the 1997 Australia Day Honours List, Dr Waller was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to medicine and medical administration. Dr Waller officially retired from Mater on 6 July 1997. Kevie Halls Kevie is a long-time resident of Gailes, a former Wolston Park Hospital Nurse, and a noted photographer and historian of Goodna, Gailes, and the surrounding districts. He was also a former Vice President of the Goodna District Rugby League Football Club Old Boys and a good contributor to those in need in our community. Death of Mr Simon Kelly 1898 1/2 Click to view Death of Mr Simon Kelly 1898 2/2 Click to view Death of Mr T L Parker 21 May 1923 Click to view The Late Mr. H.C. Gimson. of Goodna a most popular official of the Goodna Asylum 22 May 1915 Click to view Funeral Notice for Percival Livingstone Pascoe, dispenser, Goodna Hospital. 20 May 1922 Click to view LATE DR. J. O'BRIEN. Funeral on Saturday September 1915 Click to view Funeral of Dr Caldwell June 1919 Click to view Death of Mrs John Neil 1899 Click to view Late Mr Geo Hine 1920 Click to view Death of Mr. William Aylott 1900 Click to view 1904 FUNERAL NOTICE. The Friends of Mr. HUGH CARTER (Warder, Asylum, Goodna) Click to view Death of Mrs Elizabeth Campbell 1926 Click to view 1929 obituary for Mr Thomas Moore Smith Click to view 1917 obituary for Mrs J Butler Click to view Late Mr. Martin Mulroney 1918 Research Note: Received an appointment at the Goodna Asylum for Insane, and was from there transfer- red to Sandy Gallop, in charge of the first batch of patients for that institution. Click to view Rev. Matthew Foggon 1936 Click to view Rev William Richer 1924 Click to view Death of Dr. K. I. O'Doherty 1905 Click to view Death of Dr. Henry L'Estrange 1930 Click to view obituary of Mr. Thomas Dellaway 1945 Click to view

Shane Barnes Collection Photos taken by Shane Barnes since 2019 Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view

The Powerhouse Built-in 1917 The powerhouse was erected in 1917, replacing an earlier building on the site. The new powerhouse was another initiative of HB Ellerton and part of his plan to create a modern mental hospital. The institution's expansion and the need to replace kerosene lighting with electricity made a new powerhouse necessary. The building was designed on the advice of the tile electrician and engineer, Mr Burrows. Construction began in 1916, but delays in receiving machinery and boilers from England because of the war meant the powerhouse was not operational until late in 1917. With the boiler room closing on 28 February 1998, another chapter in the complex's interesting history ended. Folklore has it that one of the boilers was sunk in a ship during transit. Hospital records support this. The 1917 Annual Report stated that although the building itself was completed early in 1917, "with the exception of the accumulators, none of the machinery arrived until the year was well advanced". The report further states that the war caused the delay in receiving the machinery, as part was commandeered for war purposes when it was ready on the wharf for shipment, and other portions were on ships sunk by submarines. Morrie Sams, boiler attendant, who has been employed at the Wolston Park Hospital for the past 18 years, said this is the only steam boiler of this type still running in Australia. The boiler is fully manual. Everything is done manually, from shovelling coal to adding more water to cool the boiler if it gets too hot. Before closure, the boilers ran year-round, with one boiler online for 12 months while the second was offline for maintenance. In the past, the boiler house ran two shifts, but as patient numbers declined. In 2025, it remains largely intact. The building comprises two parts: a large double-height boiler room and an adjacent single-storey engine room, whose floor is at the level of the boiler room's upper gallery. The building includes an open ‘coal bunker’ on the side of the boiler room, and a tall freestanding brick chimney. In 2020, the boiler room was vacant, retained its boilers and was used as a store for a considerable amount of hospital paraphernalia. The engine room has partitions and is now used as offices, including a small hospital museum. Chronology: 1917: building construction was completed 1920: disinfectant room added 1944: curved galvanised iron awnings added to coal bunkers 1945: conversion of disinfectant room to a change room 1957: additional coal bunkers to the western elevation 1958: workshops added to the southern elevation. Powerhouse Click to view Coal Bunker 2022 Click to view Coal Bunker 2022 Click to view Former Workshops Click to view Former Workshops Click to view Powerhouse 90s Click to view Chimney 2023 Click to view Chimney 2023 Click to view Chimney 2023 Click to view Chimney 2023 Click to view Inside Chimney Click to view Inside Chimney Click to view Unknown Structure Click to view Coal Bunker Click to view Rear Entrance Click to view Inside Click to view Inside Click to view Engine room 2022 Click to view Engine room 2022 Click to view Workshops Click to view Coal Bunker 2000 Click to view Inside 2000 Click to view Inside 2000 Click to view Inside 2000 Click to view Inside 2000 Click to view

Miscellaneous Files 1877 Royal Commission letter click to view Admission Register Wolston Park Hospital Case Book E (Male and Female Admissions) from 08-May-1875 – 09-May-1920. Ward Book 1922/23 Part 1 of 3 Ward Book 1922/23 Part 2 of 3 Ward Book 1922/23 Part 3 of 3 State Archives general notes from the year 1879 Royal Commission on the Management of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum and the Lunatic Reception Houses of the Colony - Report (Q Pp 1877 v1: 1073-1253) [1877] QldRoyalC 2 (15 May 1877) Research Guide to mental asylum records at Queensland State Archives Wolston Park Hospital, 1865–2001: A Retrospect Register of letters received 1878/79 Charitable institutions of the Queensland government to 1919 Commission of Appointment - Commissioner re Enquiry Lunatic Asylum, Woogaroo ‘Façade of success’ Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum 1865-1969 The early history of psychiatric nursing in Queensland Royal Commission of Inquiry into Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum and the Lunatic Reception Houses of QLD Casebook "A" of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum: patient demographics and diagnoses Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Council TUESDAY, 17 AUG 1869 Woogaroo Asylum An Act to Consolidate and Amend the Law relating to the Insane. ASSENTED TO 2ND SEPTEMBER 1884 The road to recovery - a history of mental health services in Queensland 1859-2009 Going Up the Line to Goodna Wolston Park cricket Pavilion Conservation Plan Wolston Park Hospital University of Queensland Neuropsychiatric Unit Opening Day October 16 - 1972 1972 UQ Neuropsychiatric Guide Paper on the Park 1 Paper on the Park 2 Paper on the Park 3 Barrett Adolescent Centre Options Study 2015 1877 QUEENSLAND WOOGAROO COMMISSION REPORT

Barrett Centre Opened in 1979, the Barrett Centre was named in honour of Dr R.H. Barrett, a former psychiatrist who was Deputy Medical Superintendent it was a 160-bed unit for acute admissions and shorter-stay patients, distinct from the longer-stay patients in other wards at Wolston Park Hospital. By 2000, the Barrett Centre had been decommissioned ahead of the broader Wolston Park Hospital closure, and many of its structures were later demolished (excluding the Barrett Adolescent Centre). 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, a cafeteria and a medical officer's flat. The Barrett Adolescent Centre (BAC) was a public mental health facility that operated between 1983 and January 2014 on the campus of The Park – Centre for Mental Health at Wacol. It provided extended inpatient treatment for adolescents with severe and complex mental illnesses and treated patients aged between 13 and 18 years old. It had a capacity for 15 inpatients, five-day patients, and a small number of outpatients. There was also a waiting list for inpatient or day-patient admission. The clinical director of the BAC, a psychiatrist, led a multi-disciplinary team of medical, nursing and allied health staff. An on-site school, the Barrett Adolescent Centre Special School (BACSS), operated from 1985 and was managed by the Department of Education. On 6 August 2013, the then Minister for Health announced that the BAC would close. Two processes were set in place. The first was to identify appropriate alternative services for the then patients, and the second was to develop a new suite of services intended to cater for adolescents with extended treatment needs, including those who might otherwise have been admitted to the BAC. West Moreton Hospital and Health Service (WMHHS) undertook the first process. Children’s Health Queensland HHS (CHQ) led the second process. Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry Report Volume 1 JUNE 2016 Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry QLD Health Response Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view

Cafeteria Built-in 1954 The cafeteria, also known as the Riverside Ballroom, is a low-set brick building with a hipped roof, located in the centre of the area. It is long and narrow, stretching along the east/west ridgeline and has many windows on its northern side with impressive views across the recreation area’s amphitheatre to the Brisbane River and landscape beyond. Built initially as the communal dining room that could seat 500 patients, along with a servery, wash-up room, preparation room and stores, staff rooms and lavatories and patients' abulations and lavatories. It remains largely intact and, in 2020, serves as the clubhouse for the Wolston Park Golf Club. Minimal alterations include a freestanding, open-sided shelter on the northern side; replacement of the roof cladding from corrugated asbestos sheets to corrugated metal sheets; rearrangement of the ablutions; insertion of folding partitions into the long dining room; and replacement of the folding doors on the northern side of the dining room. Features of the Cafeteria of state-level cultural heritage significance also include Form and layout: long, narrow building with short projecting blocks for ablutions and kitchen; hipped roof; long dining room with views and access out to the north, servery bar and access to the kitchen at the south, large fireplace at the east, and access through to the ablutions at the west Curvilinear paved terrace on the northern side with a brick window and flower boxes. Materials: face brick walls and squat chimney; flat sheet-lined eaves; timber floor in the dining room; original partitions (timber-framed, flat sheet-lined; flat sheet-lined ceilings with timber battens Servery bar Original windows and doors Immediate landscape surround: adjacent lawn areas and a row of three mature bookleaf pines (Thuja orientalis) to the southwest. Research Note Another important building project undertaken by Dr Basil Strafford for female patients at the time was the construction of a dedicated female recreation facility, which commenced in 1951 on approximately 2.5 hectares on the western edge of 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 Club house]. Patients could spend the entire day in the recreation area without returning to the wards for midday meals. 1950 plan Click to view 1950 plan Click to view First day of operation in 1954 Click to view Ballroom after 1954 opening Click to view Fireplace 1953 Click to view Ballroom 2024 Click to view Rear entrance Click to view Chimney with a curious extension Click to view Curious extension Click to view Looking towards the ballroom from the front Click to view Kitchen entrance Click to view Side entrance Click to view Rear entrance Click to view Gardens and ballroom Click to view Gardens and ballroom Click to view Gardens with louvres Click to view Another entrance at the rear Click to view Location of the toilets Click to view Location of the toilets Click to view Ballroom 2024 Click to view Ballroom 2024 Click to view 161727967_10160697747206521_7856219398783697524_n.jpg Click to view Fireplace with sandstone rock, brick and original timber floor Click to view Fireplace with bricks Click to view Fireplace with sandstone rock Click to view

Spirits of the Past The site is widely regarded as one of Australia's most chilling and haunted locations, with numerous reports of paranormal activity linked to its long and dark history of patient abuse and mistreatment. Opened in 1865, the site includes a few abandoned, decaying buildings alongside some restored ones. Alleged Spiritual Activity Urban explorers, paranormal investigators and curious visitors, as well as the site administrators of this page who have visited abandoned sections of the hospital complex, have reported eerie experiences, often attributed to the lingering spirits of former patients and staff. Reports include: Hearing disembodied voices and footsteps in parts of the facility where the floorboards no longer exist. Feeling as if someone grabbed their shoulders or experienced unexplained physical contact. A general feeling of dread and a sense that something "quite evil" lurks within the walls. The history of the hospital provides a sombre context for these beliefs, including: Widespread abuse: Allegations of sexual assault, beatings, chemical restraint, and neglect from the 1950s to the 1980s have been widely reported. Unmarked graves: Hundreds, potentially thousands, of patients who died at the asylum were buried in unmarked graves in 3 cemeteries located across the complex, with many remains later moved to Goodna, adding to the sense of restless spirits. Wrongful confinement: Many patients, including children who were wards of the state, were wrongfully placed in adult mental health facilities despite not having committed a crime or necessarily having a mental illness, and enduring significant trauma. Some experiences are documented by witness accounts Reports from some current staff indicate that Dawson House is haunted by various noises, including the internal lift moving and operating independently. The remains of unknown blood are located in the Morgue fridges. The spirit dressed in white has been seen wandering the former female division's surroundings. A male spirit seen sitting in the recreation hall appears to be facing the stage and waiting for something to start on stage. The "red-eyed " spirit stares in the dark in the hallway of the former male division building. A spirit by the name of "Eliza " who appears to be living within Old Women's 1 & 2, who is very interactive but only towards females, but does make herself known to males by making sounds within the building. A friendly young female who giggles and skips on the rear ground-floor verandah of Old Women's 1 & 2, who is interactive for a short time, notes how she died, and even says goodbye. A male spirit located within Old Women's 1 & 2, the western lower section, who whispers in your ear, "Help me, I'm trapped" . Another unknown spirit is located within Old Women's 1 & 2 and whispers in your ear, "Help Her" . A group of unknown spirits has been observed walking together on Ellerton Drive near Boyce Road. Please Note: As researchers documenting the history of this complex, we want to make it clear that we are NOT paranormal investigators, nor are we experienced in this field, despite claims made by the paranormal community who want access to this site for their own benefit. For the public, we discourage attempts to access the site or interact with certain spirits, as they possess serious negative energies. If you decide to do it, it's at your own risk

Debbie Manson Painting Collection Former patient Debbie Manson, who suffered immensely at the hands of staff as a young lady, uses painting as therapy, releasing the captured grief with emotion Titled: Bailley Henderson Hospital Click to view Titled: Tribute to Paul former child patient of WPH Click to view Titled: Ballie Henderson Hospital Toowoomba Click to view Titled: A Morgue Trolley Click to view Tribute: Jo a former nurse of WPH Click to view Titled: Dearly Missed. Tribute to former patient of WPH Click to view Titled: Ipswich Mental Hospital, Recreation Hall Click to view Titled: Pearce House WPH Click to view Titled: ///// Window in Osler House Click to view Titled : View from window in Bostock House WPH Click to view Titled: Room in Osler House WPH Click to view Titled: Tribute to Father Wally. Click to view Titled: A Nurse call button in Osler House. Click to view Titled: Ipswich Mental Hospital Operating Theatre Click to view Titled: Ipswich Mental Hospital Male Ward 2, Visitation Shelter. Click to view Titled: Woogaroo Asylum Click to view Titled: Long Days Click to view Titled: Tribute to Rhonda.T. Former patient of WPH Click to view Titled : Keep the memories alive. Tribute to former patient WPH Click to view Titled: A L/H (Osler House WPH) Click to view Titled: Patients working the vegetable garden 1960s WPH Click to view Titled: Beautiful Butterfly, Tribute to former patient WPH Click to view Titled: Long days and sleepless nights. Old Women's 1 & 2 WPH Click to view Titled: A tribute to a patient at Dunwich Asylum Click to view Tilted: John Oxley Memorial Hospital WPH Click to view

Miscellaneous Photos from our Facebook group Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view