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Cemetery Sites “Many burials occurred at the institution from the 1890s to 1944. Between 1895 and 1912, more than 1500 patients died there and were presumably buried in a cemetery, no 2 and possibly some no 3. In addition, the remains of staff members and their families were interred in the cemetery. Between 1914 and 1940, approximately 4670 patients died – an average of 155 per year. With perhaps few exceptions, all would have been buried in the hospital cemetery. A new plaque (post-2007) states that ‘approximately 200 bodies’ were transferred to Goodna Cemetery. The highest number on the grave markers is 2,300.” From the Blake, ‘Wolston Park - Police Academy Cultural Heritage Survey. Archaeological excavations at and in the vicinity of the three previous cemetery locations could elucidate the existence, character, and scope of interments. Coupled with the identification and examination of related artifacts and features, this research can provide insights into the treatment of the deceased patients and the burial customs at the hospital, the spatial organisation and layout of graves, as well as the scale and techniques of reburials. "The asylum of the nineteenth century, and the mental hospital after it, were not intended to function as hospices for the dying or depots for the senile and abandoned aged. But in an era when there were few other options for residential care for the physically as well as mentally ill, the mental hospital was the final resting place for many... " Finnane, Mark (2008) Wolston Park Hospital, 1865-2001: Early articles relating to the complex's cemeteries May 1869 Click to view September 1926 Click to view July 1939 Click to view Cemetery Reserve Click to view Cemetery Reserve Click to view Cemetery Reserve Click to view Cemetery Site 1 (Early Asylum Site 1865) Historical records indicate that the Early Asylum Site included a cemetery near the confluence of the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek, at the southern end of the site, with the river serving as an access point. Site plans from around 1869 and 1878 reveal the establishment of a cemetery at the far western end, close to where Woogaroo Creek meets the Brisbane River. The severe floods of February 1893 caused significant damage to the male quarters and submerged the primary staff residences along with the original cemetery. There is potential for archaeological findings at the original asylum cemetery site, which may contain interments, stone and metal grave markers, and various artefacts and features related to the asylum's burial practices. During research, Mr James Clifford, who is mentioned on the Caring page, also certified burials at site 1 Location Survey Plan Click to view 1944 Image overhead corner was left untouched as framing was being conducted Click to view Untouched in 1961 Click to view Location today is part of the golf course near Woogaroo Creek Click to view Cemetery Site 1 currently apart of the Golf Course Click to view 1869 newspaper artricle Click to view 1913 newsaper article Click to view 1901 QLD Government Estimates Meeting Click to view Visit the Debbie Manson Research page Click to view Visit the Debbie Manson Research page Click to view Cemetery Site 2 (1895 - 1912) The second cemetery linked to the hospital is situated on the western flank of the Male Patients Area and presents archaeological potential. Historically, it lay to the north of the main hospital structures and west of the cricket field. The cemetery operated from 1895 to 1912, after which it was closed to facilitate the construction of two-story male wards, and burials were believed to have been transferred to a third cemetery by 1913. The site was later used for housing (1910s-c1958) and for kitchens and workshops (1970s), which have since been relocated or demolished. Possible archaeological remnants in this vicinity may include burials, reinterments, stone and metal grave markers, and various artefacts and features related to burial customs. According to the heritage report between 1895 and 1912, more than 1500 patients died there and were presumably buried in cemetery no 2 and possibly some in no. 3 1944 overhead with location circled Click to view Heritage register report location Click to view Current location today Click to view location of site 2 early 2000s Click to view Click to view November 1899 article Click to view October 1910 article Click to view June 1911 article Click to view Cemetery Site 3 (c1913-1945) The third cemetery associated with the hospital is located immediately northeast of the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion Complex and exhibits archaeological potential. This area served as the hospital's cemetery from around 1913 to 1945, after which the burials were transferred to Goodna Cemetery. Cleared initially, the site now features regrowth bushland, flanked northwest by Wolston Park Road and a carpark, and southeast by Orford Drive, both roads elevated above the cemetery's ground level. Possible archaeological remnants in this vicinity may include burials, reinterments, stone and metal grave markers, and various artefacts associated with burial customs. A few years ago, a bushfire went through the former site, and old headstones were still found amongst the burnt-out scrub September 1926 Click to view Queensland Times newspaper article Click to view 1946 newspaper article Click to view 1946 exhumation Click to view November 1946 Click to view 1947 article Click to view 1961 Click to view Site today Click to view Site today Click to view Site today Click to view Site today Click to view Site today Click to view Site today Click to view 2025 Click to view The Bottom Drawer Book Articles By Lisa Joy Lost remains of Wolston Park Mental Asylum patients buried in trenches. An aerial photo and a sharp memory: location of missing Wolston Park Mental Hospital patients identified Site of asylum’s hidden and forgotten cemetery acknowledged on Qld Heritage Register Mental asylum mass exhumations and missing remains: the tale of Wolston Park’s lost and forgotten patients.

Early Road Network The roads and pathways are no less integral to the story of the development of the site than individual buildings. Most existing roads and pathways are significant for how the site functioned. Roadways are significant for their location and alignment. Material was quarried on site and laid by patient labour. The main driveway is of special significance. It was constructed in the l870s and partly realigned in 1913-6s and broadly followed the alignment of an earlier road. The new driveway was constructed to facilitate easier entry to the site and to serve as the principal entrance. A new bridge was constructed across Woogaroo Creek, and trees were planted on each side of the drive to form an avenue. The first bridge was timber with sandstone abutments and replaced a bridge that was further upstream. The new bridge created a shorter route from the train station from the site to Ipswich Road in a more direct line with the railway station. The bridge was 180 feet long and 19 feet in breadth and was built using recycled masonry from Old Men's 1 & 2, which was under demolition at the time. The bridge eventually collapsed in 1956. A study of vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns was considered in the early 90s to determine the viability of re-establishing bridge access over Woogaroo Creek. This would enable the main point of address for the whole complex to be re-established. The existing access road to the north could then be limited to service access. Boyce Road (by 1896) is now the main entrance to the site, running roughly east to west from near the Ipswich Motorway and connecting to Ellerton Drive. Ellerton Drive (c1870s, partly realigned 1913-6) is the connecting road running roughly south to north from the Female Patients Recreation Area to the Central Administration, Services, and Staff Residences Area. It has been partially removed at its southern end, where it historically crossed Woogaroo Creek on a sequence of bridges (a footbridge in the 1870s and a road bridge by 1896) that provided the main entrance to the site; however, this route remains open space. Hogg Lane (by 1896) and Barrett Drive (by 1986, and its extensions by 1932 and 1948)75 are secondary roads that separate the Central Administration and Services Area from the Male Patients Area and serve the rear of the male patient wards. Wolston Park Road runs roughly south to north, connecting the Central Administration Area to the northern parts of the site and was historically another main entrance to the site from the north. Only the southern section (by 1896) of this road is of state-level cultural heritage significance, comprising only the portion of the road running from Ellerton Drive to its intersection with Explorers Walk. The two long farm roads, Explorers Walk (south to north) and Aveyron Road (east to west), run from patient wards to the northern farm area. Only the road routes are of state-level cultural heritage significance; none of their infrastructure or materials are. The following road networks are of cultural heritage significance: Boyce Road Ellerton Drive Hogg Lane Barrett Drive Wolston Park Road (Ellerton Drive to Explorers Walk) Farm Roads Explorers Walk Aveyron Road Local History: The day the bridge across Woogaroo Creek, Goodna, collapsed - with a car on it! The bridge across Woogaroo Creek collapsed in about 1957 or 1958. One of the legends arising from the collapse has it that taxi driver Toby Rissman was driving over it at the time. After the collapse, the only access to the campus was via the level crossing at Wacol Station. A "temporary" detour was built about a mile or so down Brisbane Road. This detour ultimately morphed into Boyce Road, one of the main entrances to the hospital. It had been deemed uneconomical to replace the bridge, which is sad because we were deprived of the beautiful, tree-lined avenue from the bridge up the hill to the main Hospital. Patrick Boyce Photo Gallery 1 First Bridge over Woogaroo Creek, Brisbane Terrace Goodna, 1907 Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Woogaroo Creek Bridge Click to view 29 January 1956 Click to view The day the bridge collapsed Click to view Remains of the bridge abutment today after the collapse in 1956 made out of recycled sandstone from old men's 1 & 2 Click to view Boyce Road Click to view Boyce Road Click to view Boyce Road Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive Click to view Ellerton Drive 1949 Click to view Ellerton Drive 1949 Click to view Wolston Park Road southern section (Ellerton Drive to Explorers Walk) Click to view Wolston Park Road southern section (Ellerton Drive to Explorers Walk) Click to view Ellerton Drive and curving toward the Assistant Medical Superintendent’s Residence. Click to view Hogg Lane Click to view Hogg Lane Click to view Hogg Lane Click to view Barrett Drive 1938 Click to view Barrett Drive late 2000s Click to view Photo Gallery 2 1939 Main Entrance gates Click to view Todays remains Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Take a Google Streetview tour

Riverbank & Nyunda Park Area This area comprises a mix of open and enclosed bushland, a dam, picnic facilities adjacent to the dam and was the location of the former John Oxley Centre. It has remained substantially undeveloped throughout the history of the institution and was prominent in the outlook of the female wards. This area is an important component of the landscape character of the site, and contrasts with the more open and developed golf course area. This area also contains two former sandstone quarry sites, which were worked by Joshua Jeays. Stone from these quarries was used in a number of buildings in Brisbane and Ipswich, the most notable example being Parliament House. It was also the source for the stone used in the female no 1 ward and later in kerbing for the driveways. One site is adjacent to the riverbank and has evidence of workings remaining, while the other site is partially submerged by the dam. Former Sandstone Quarry and Track (1860s) The area west of Explorer’s Walk contains a series of quarry workings where stone was extracted from outcrops along the sandstone ridge. This quarry was one of the first sandstone quarries developed in Queensland. It was owned by Joshua Jeays, and sandstone from the quarry was used in the construction of Parliament House in 1864. The quarry is regarded as significant as one of the first sandstone quarries in Queensland. There are two main workings (north and south) and other smaller workings scattered around the centre of this area. The workings are evidenced by worked faces (vertical) and benched areas (horizontal). They are accessed by a track along which stone was transported to a jetty on the river, approximately 600m to the north. A second track diverts southeast to access the main hospital complex. Northern workings, comprising a group of four faces and benches that step down towards the river; the largest face (closest to the river) is approximately 80m in length. Southern workings, comprising a single face and bench approximately 50m in length. Smaller workings, comprising a collection of worked faces scattered throughout the centre of the area. Early tracks, including route, clearing and formation. Stone jetty remnants along the riverbank (not sighted in 2020), timber bridge remnants, located along the track approximately 60m southeast of the jetty remnants (not sighted in 2020). Hospital Dump Sites The Hospital Dump Sites comprise a series of medium- to high-density artefact scatters located adjacent to a modern powerline easement north of the former Quarry Workings. The scatters contain discarded material associated with the hospital and farm complex, with some evidence that it has been deposited systematically, grouped by type. The largest scatter contains a concentration of glass, ceramic, and metal kitchenware and tableware, including large and small fragments of white-glazed earthenware and stoneware jugs, cups, and other vessels; white-enamelled metal jugs and pans; and assorted metal containers and utensils. Other scatters contain collections of metal milk cans, water tanks, bed frames, wire fencing and electrical equipment. Tracks and sandstone ridge Click to view 1860s track today Click to view 1860s track today Click to view 1860s track today Click to view 1860s track today Click to view 1860s track today Click to view Strange site along the track Click to view Early maps had shown this area as horse stabling area Click to view Early maps had shown this area as horse stabling area Click to view Early maps had shown this area as horse stabling area Click to view Early maps had shown this area as horse stabling area Click to view Hospital Dump 1961 Click to view Hospital Dumpsite today Click to view Hospital Dumpsite today Click to view Hospital Dumpsite today Click to view The Quarry site that is partially submerged by the dam. Click to view 1946 Image Click to view

Timeline of History Establishing Queensland's first asylum The site opened in 1865 as the Woogaroo Asylum and occupied 311.05 hectares on the banks of the Brisbane River at Wacol, approximately 19km southwest of the Brisbane CBD. One of only three institutions for people with mental illness established by the Queensland Government during the 19th century, it later incorporated several mental health facilities and ancillary services. Since the late 20th century, new uses for some areas of the site have evolved, with the repurposing of buildings. Before 1859, people within the later colony of Queensland, who were certified as insane, were sent to Sydney. Immediately following Separation, they were loaded at the Brisbane Gaol. In 1861, the government instructed Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin & Richard Suter, an architect with an interest in the design of asylums and hospitals, to report on a suitable site and draw up plans for a 400-bed asylum. Tiffin recommended an area of land on the banks of the Brisbane River halfway between Brisbane and Ipswich. This site was rejected by the Government in favour of a nearby site, upstream at the junction of the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek at Woogaroo (Goodna). The site of the new asylum was originally part of the lands of the Yuggera Ugarapul People. The residence of Dr Stephen Simpson, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Moreton Bay District, had occupied it. Simpson was appointed in 1842 when the area first opened for free settlement following the closure of the penal colony. An 1861 survey plan indicates the presence of a dwelling between the mouth of Woogaroo Creek and a small dam that still exists east of the current Wolston Park Golf Club clubhouse today, known as South Dam. Late 1860s plans of the asylum's original buildings indicate that they were located at the east end of the current clubhouse, where the current car park is located. Asylum Era (1865 - 1908) Tenders for the first stage of construction of the asylum were issued in January 1863, and by the end of 1864, sufficient buildings had been completed for the asylum to begin operations. Woogaroo Asylum opened on 10 January 1865. On 12 January, seven prison warders (two of them women) and ten police constables escorted 57 male and 12 female inmates from Brisbane Gaol to Woogaroo, travelling by river. The 69 patients were accommodated in a two-storey brick building originally intended as the administration block. Male patients were accommodated on the first floor and part of the ground floor. Females occupied a section of the ground floor. A tall timber fence surrounded the building, and timber outbuildings accommodated a kitchen, bathroom and staff areas. Dr Kersey Cannan was appointed as Superintendent, and a residence was constructed for him on site, northeast of the main asylum buildings. This first stage of the asylum was located at the southern end of the site between the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek, with the river providing access. Site plans dated c1869 and 1878 indicate that a cemetery was established at the site's far western end, near the confluence of Woogaroo Creek and the Brisbane River. An 1878 survey plan shows the developments on the asylum site: men’s ward, hospital, cottage, a steam saw beside Woogaroo Creek, land under cultivation, a footbridge over Woogaroo Creek, wharf into the Brisbane River, and on the ridge to the north of the main buildings, the female ward and a doctor’s house to its south. In 1866, a ward for fee-paying patients was constructed on an adjacent ridge approximately 400 metres northeast of the main buildings. The building (later Female Wards 1 and 2) was built from local sandstone extracted from a nearby quarry owned by Joshua Jeays, which also supplied stone for the construction of Old Government House (1862) and Parliament House (1865) The superintendent, Dr Cannan, claimed responsibility for the building's design, based on principles recommended in the standard treatise on asylum construction at this time. However, the Woogaroo Asylum was not in a position to accept fee-paying patients, and the building remained unoccupied for two years until alterations were made to facilitate the transfer of female inmates to this block. A partial second storey was added, constructed to the design of Charles Tiffin in 1875, and other substantial alterations and additions were made to the building in 1905-6, 1923, 1937 and 1951. This building accommodated female inmates for over 100 years, and was the first of several in the separate ‘female area’. In 1867, the first of many Government inquiries into the asylum's operations took place, with the Queensland Government appointing Dr Henry Challinor to investigate conditions there. Two further inquiries occurred in 1869. Dr Cannan was dismissed from his post following the first inquiry. The second revealed numerous errors and incompetence, and several of its conclusions concerned the inadequate and inappropriate on-site accommodation and the need for improved cooking facilities and a reliable water supply. On the recommendation of the select committee, the Queensland Government introduced the Lunacy Act 1869, based on legislation in other Australian colonies and Britain. It was not until a royal commission was established in 1877 to investigate Woogaroo Asylum and other reception houses in the colony that the government was forced to take the continuing problems at the asylum more seriously. Despite the construction of two cottage wards in the early 1870s, overcrowding remained a chronic problem, and the commission urged the construction of additional wards, improvements to existing cells, upgrades to services, the planting of shade trees, the establishment of recreation facilities, and the provision of employment for patients. A modest building program began in 1878, with the construction of a cottage ward for 60 female patients, and continued with a block of cells for troublesome female patients in 1879; two wards, each for 35 patients, in the male and female areas in 1880, as well as the construction of a kitchen and laundry building to service 500 inmates [these buildings are not extant]. A boom in the Queensland economy and a significant increase in expenditure on public works were the impetus for a more substantial building program at the asylum during the 1880s. At the same time, the state's population was increasing rapidly, and accompanying social changes led to increased admissions. The hospital population doubled in the two decades from 1880. Two new cottage wards (Female no 6 ward, 1885, later known as Bostock House; and a refractory ward) were erected in the female area, while in the male area, a new refractory ward was constructed [not extant] and significant additions to the existing Male no 1 ward were undertaken. Despite this latest work, conditions for patients scarcely improved, as the additional accommodation barely kept pace with the growth in patient numbers. The Insanity Act of 1884 introduced new legislation, replacing the Lunacy Act of 1869. Modelled on New South Wales legislation, it reflected the growing medicalisation of the treatment of madness. The term lunacy was replaced by insanity, and the institution where such persons were treated became known as a hospital for the insane rather than an asylum. This Act consolidated the state's role in the treatment and regulation of ‘insane’ people and remained in force for more than 50 years. The institution was renamed Goodna Hospital for the Insane in the same year. In 1890, the asylum experienced severe flooding when the Brisbane River rose to 40 feet (12.19m), the highest level ever recorded. The entire male area was inundated; buildings, fences, and other structures were seriously damaged, and patients had to be relocated. Consequently, the low-lying area near the river was abandoned, with the main male area moved to higher ground to the northeast, where two male wards had already been erected [not extant]. The relocation brought the complex closer to the railway line (opened in 1875), which supplanted the river as the hospital's primary means of access. A Recreation Hall was erected in 1890, serving as a sewing room for female patients during the day and as a venue for dances, concerts, and church services, as well as a temporary timber building to alleviate overcrowding. In 1892, a substantial two-story brick building for male patients was opened. Severe flooding in February 1893 further damaged the male area. It inundated the primary staff residences and the original cemetery, as well as the original two-story brick building, which then comprised the Woogaroo Asylum and was situated on Woogaroo Creek. Local Mrs Carroll vividly remembers the destruction of this building in the flood of 1893, and the great difficulty of rescuing the 400 patients, which had to be effected in the middle of a pitch-dark night, with heavy rain pouring down, and the creek a seething, rapidly spreading body of water. The rescue was splendidly effected, and only one life was lost, that of a patient who jumped from a boat and was swept away by the rushing water. Following the decision to relocate to higher ground, work began on an outdoor recreation area and two similar single-storey wards to accommodate 75 patients each (by 1896) [not extant]; male no 5 ward (later Fleming House), a two-storey brick building (c1896); and a second two-storey block (male no 10 ward) opened c1900. These buildings overlooked the cricket oval that had been laid out by patient labour. In 1898-9, a substantial brick Medical Superintendent’s Residence, plus outbuildings [later Manor House, Offices], replacing a timber house badly damaged by the 1893 flood, was erected for the new medical superintendent, James Hogg, appointed in 1898. The residence was located on high ground with its main elevation facing southeast, away from the asylum complex. Ellerton Drive, Hogg Lane, and the western half of Boyce Road had been formed by 1896 to link buildings and areas on the site. The southernmost part of Barrett Drive led to a new cemetery (cemetery no 2) established north of the asylum buildings and adjacent to the cricket ground, which was used until the early 1910s. From 1898, the complex was known as the Goodna Hospital for the Insane for the next 42 years. The most significant building project of the early 1900s involved extensive alterations and additions to the original female ward. The first floor was extended across the entire building, which considerably increased the accommodation. A large two-storeyed block, the Male no 4 ward was also completed, bringing the male area to a well-defined group of eight buildings. A new morgue and two brick bathroom blocks were constructed in 1902 (the Female Bathroom Block was later known as Dawson Annexe, and the Male Bathroom Block was later converted into a pathology laboratory). Moral Treatment or Therapy Era (1909 - 1937) Following the death of James Hogg in 1908, Henry Byam Ellerton (c1871-1951) was appointed as Medical Superintendent of Goodna and Chief Inspector of Hospitals for the Insane. Conscious of the need to find the very best possible candidate, the Queensland Government had advertised widely for the position, including in Britain. Ellerton was chosen from a list of 26 applicants and had 14 years of experience in English asylums. He was an ardent advocate of 'moral treatment' or ‘moral therapy’. Moral treatment marked a major turning point in the understanding of madness and insanity. Formerly regarded as the total absence or distortion of reason and incapable of cure, insanity came to be seen as a product of an immoral or defective social environment; thus, people with mental illnesses could be improved in an appropriate and elevating environment. A critical aspect of moral treatment was the provision of a pleasant environment, emphasising well-lit, well-ventilated buildings with adequate bathing facilities and reasonably sized rooms with sufficient openings and views of the landscape. Recreation and employment were also considered vital parts of the therapeutic process. Ellerton was Superintendent of the hospital for 27 years, retiring in 1936. During this period, Wolston Park assumed its modern form through the construction of its core buildings and the consolidation of its institutional environment. As Ellerton's vision was to create an integrated and self-sufficient community, the grounds were converted into gardens, and wooden fences were replaced with less claustrophobic wire fences. A large bush house, 100 yards long and 20 yards wide (91.44m x 18.29m) [not extant], was established in 1911 to maintain a steady supply of pot plants for the wards and the Recreation Hall and to provide seedlings and young plants for the gardens throughout the hospital. The institution was open to visits from relatives and friends, and recreational activities became integral to its operations. While aesthetically pleasing gardens and views were considered integral to the therapeutic process, the grounds were also important to the institution's public image. A pleasant, landscaped environment with gardens, bushland, and open space suggested that the hospital was a benign institution and belied its true character as a place where overcrowding was chronic, and inmates were strictly controlled and managed. During Ellerton's administration, an extensive building programme was undertaken, with Ellerton providing specialist input at the design stage for medical buildings. An Assistant Medical Superintendent’s Residence (later Offices) was added east of the male area, and the Recreation Hall extended to its front (south) in 1912. Existing male wards were demolished, and Male no 9 and 10 wards (later Lewis House), Male no 11 ward (later McDonnell House) and Male no 12 and 13 wards (later Noble House) were completed in 1915.15. The Hospital Ward Block (later Hospital) was completed. A cedar, three-panel, World War I (WWI) Honour Board was unveiled in 1916. A new main entrance bridge over Woogaroo Creek, a female admission ward, Female no 7 ward (later Anderson House), the Administration Block (staff offices in 2020), the Powerhouse (offices, stores and small hospital museum in 2020), water reservoirs, and pumping stations were completed in 1914. The Laundry was completed in 1918. Male no 14 ward (later a ward for difficult female patients; afterwards Osler House) was completed in 1929, and Male no 15 ward for difficult male patients (later Pearce House) was completed in 1934; while the Male no 6, 7 and 8 wards (later Gladstone House, Jenner House, and Kelsey House respectively) were completed in 1936. Upon Ellerton's retirement, the male area comprised 13 blocks, all constructed of brick and designed to accommodate between 20 and 120 inmates. However, the upgrading of facilities and the increase in beds from 1910 to 1936 failed to offset the rise in patient numbers, and overcrowding remained a chronic problem. Compared with the extensive building program in the male area between 1910 and 1936, improvements in the female area were extremely modest. Ellerton felt that the expansion of the female area was constrained by the site's topography and advocated additional female wards at other institutions, such as Ipswich Mental Hospital (established 1878) and Toowoomba Mental Hospital (established 1890).19 However, a brick and concrete shelter shed with a fireplace was added near Female wards 1 and 2 in 1929 for ‘difficult patients. During 1910-20, the number of female inmates decreased by 20%, from 491 to 389, and the 1910 level of female population was not regained until 1929. The number of male patients, including war veterans, increased by 30% during this period, rising from 779 to 1010.21. The second cemetery (cemetery no 2), located north of the main buildings and adjacent to the cricket ground, closed in the early 1910s to allow construction of the two-storey male wards, which opened in 1915. A third cemetery (cemetery no 3), located in the northeast sector of the hospital site, appears on 19th-century survey plans. Still, it is unclear whether it also operated in the late 19th century alongside cemetery no. 2. Nevertheless, cemetery no 3 became the sole cemetery for the hospital from 1913 until 1945, as Ellerton reported in 1913 that the ‘disinterment of remains from [the] old cemetery and re-internment in[to the] new cemetery – to make room for new wards’ had been completed. During Ellerton's tenure, the institution underwent considerable material improvements, and several essential services, including a hospital, electricity, and water, were established. For example, pump houses, a water tower (demolished) and a rendered brick Reservoir, located adjacent to the main drive (later called Ellerton Drive) and connected to the Brisbane pipeline from Mount Crosby, were completed in 1914. Also formed was the backbone of the road network and upgraded paths that became the basis of the current layout. The main drive from Goodna (Ellerton Drive, 1870s) was realigned opposite the female wards for their extension c1913, and its level was altered. Foundation stones and kerbing and guttering stones for the drive were quarried from the sandstone ridge beside the river, while the surface gravel came from gravel pits in the institution’s grounds. After a new bridge was erected over Woogaroo Creek in 1916, a new road connecting with Ellerton Drive was formed in 1917 and planted with bunya pines and fig species. Hogg Lane, accessing Male no 5-8 wards, had been formed by 1896. Barrett Drive, which led to the cemetery. 3 (truncated in 1946), was established by 1932 28 but may date to the cemetery's inception in 1913. The track to the new Farm Ward (1916; realigned and upgraded to a road in 1950; later renamed Explorers Walk) was also constructed during this period. Many of the new buildings were well-designed and excellent examples of the Queensland Department of Works' output during this period. Some of the buildings demonstrated a refinement in approaches to patient care, such as the minor, domestic-scale Female no. 7 ward (later Anderson House), which was designed to accommodate female patients upon admission for observation and to receive more individualised treatment than was possible in a large ward. Recreational facilities had vastly improved, and the complex now included three tennis courts, a Cricket Pavilion, terraces, and a Cricket Oval (later the Recreation Ground, now known as the Eddie Gilbert Memorial Field), considered one of the best cricket grounds in the state. A golf course was constructed by patient labour in the 1920s and became the well-regarded Gailes Golf Course (1925), which continued to employ patients in the upkeep and maintenance of the greens. A small hexagonal, timber Visitors Pavilion was erected near the main drive within the landscaped Visitors Garden (1912) below the Administration Block in c1920.32 Patients were also employed in farming activities that aided the hospital's self-sufficiency and conformed with the moral therapy model of treatment. Farm activities included a piggery, a dairy, a small cattle herd, and vegetable and crop production, including oats, maize, and lucerne. These activities were extended with the addition of a Farm Ward (1916; later Community Hall, Pappora) [not extant], attached masonry Kitchen with scullery (c1916), masonry Dairy (1916), Sheds (1916) [not extant], and an Overseers Cottage (1918; later Quarter Way House, Residence) [relocated onsite], all about two kilometres northwest of the main hospital complex, set in a rural landscape with mature plantings, built landscape works, and views. However, no new techniques or treatment methods had been introduced. Even the later Male Wards 6, 7, and 8 (Gladstone, Jenner, and Kelsey) remained firmly grounded in the moral therapy model, despite their new designs featuring unusual plan forms. The institutionalisation of people with mental illness in Queensland had become an efficient system of control and regulation, with an emphasis on confinement rather than treatment or care. More patients than ever were admitted to Goodna, and no other solution to the treatment of mental illness was even considered possible. Mental Hygiene Era (1938 - 1962) Ellerton was succeeded as Medical Superintendent by Dr Basil Stafford, the former Superintendent of Ipswich Mental Hospital, in 1938. Ellerton's retirement provided the opportunity to review the entire mental health system in Queensland and, in particular, Ellerton's total commitment to moral therapy. By the late 1930s, psychiatry was a well-established specialty internationally, though still in its infancy in Australia, and Stafford was alert to the changes psychiatry was bringing to the treatment of mental illness. In 1937, he was sent by the Queensland Government to attend the 2nd International Congress on Mental Hygiene in Paris and to undertake a study tour of hospitals, psychiatric clinics, and universities in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. On his return, Stafford recommended various changes to the mental health system, including the implementation of new legislation. These recommendations led to the enactment of the Mental Hygiene Act of 1938, which closely resembled the British Mental Treatment Act of 1930. It required active treatment for the mentally ill, attempted to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness, and allowed for voluntary admission to mental hospitals. Until this time, hospitals such as Goodna received only certified patients, most of whom were sent there under a magistrate's order. However, the transition to a less coercive approach to treatment was slow, and in 1947 Stafford reported that only 34 of the 570 patients had been admitted under the Act's voluntary provisions. The changes were mirrored by the institution’s renaming to Brisbane Mental Hospital in c1940. The ideas of modern treatment introduced by Stafford emphasised the development of a comprehensive psychiatric approach supported by an adequate number of qualified medical staff. Insanity was seen as a disease of the brain and, like any other disease, required hospitalisation of patients and treatment with drugs. 'Modern treatment, ' he noted, 'demands exhaustive mental and clinical case histories, as well as in-depth physical examination. This cannot be done by a skeleton staff, however willing. This approach also introduced a degree of specialisation among staff and hospital procedures. Stafford advocated separating chronic wards from those for admission, convalescence, and hospital cases. He believed that mental illness demands active therapy, and treatment must not become merely custodial, and urged the use of new types of treatment such as insulin, cardiazol, and electrotherapy. The first building at Wolston Park to reflect Stafford's modern ideas was Female Ward no 4 (later Dawson House), completed in 1944. It accommodated 60 patients and was located on a sloping site near the existing female wards. It was recognised that a building with a basement could be built on such topography, with the basement accommodating treatment rooms for cardiazol therapy, insulin therapy, malaria therapy, somnifaine or continuous narcosis therapy, and other medical treatments. The most striking difference was the minimal attention paid to the external environment; this building was inward-looking, signalling the decline in the importance placed on the environment in 'moral treatment' and the increasing medicalisation of mental health treatment. Another critical building project for female patients at this time was the construction, between 1951 and 1955, of a special female recreation facility of approximately 2.5 hectares on the western edge of the reserve, adjacent to the Brisbane River. The principal building in the area was a brick Cafeteria with facilities to serve 500 patients (later the Ballroom at Wolston Park Golf Clubhouse). Patients could spend the entire day in the recreation area without returning to the wards for midday meals. Other facilities in the area included a packing shed, sewing room [not extant], tennis court [not extant], bowling green [later putting green], a large playing field, nine viewing shelters [not extant] and storage sheds [one extant]. The grounds were landscaped by staff and inmate labour. By 1957, more than 200 patients were regularly using the facilities, underscoring the institution's rigid gender-based segregation across all facets. In 1956, a small brick and timber Visitors Shelter [not extant] was erected west of Ellerton House on Ellerton Drive. By January 1942, 110 returned soldiers were inmates of Goodna Mental Hospital, and the Commonwealth Government expressed concern about the increasing number of admissions. War veterans had become a significant minority of the hospital population since the final years of WWI, and Ellerton had decided that using existing institutions was preferable to building new facilities. During World War II (WWII), however, the Commonwealth agreed to fund the construction of three special wards, with the Queensland Government agreeing to responsibility for the maintenance of the buildings and staffing. The Department of Public Works prepared plans for a complete repatriation unit in consultation with Basil Stafford. Their design essentially resurrected the principles of 'moral treatment' – the buildings were designed to minimise the sense of confinement associated with mental hospitals, and freedom was emphasised by wide verandahs and dining areas opening onto grassed courtyards and lawns. Construction of the wards began in 1946, and Governor John Lavarack opened the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion on 26 January 1948. It comprised three wards: Wards A, B, and C (later named Jacaranda, Silky Oak, and Lilly Pilly, respectively), each accommodating 88 patients, and a Kitchen/canteen block. An Occupational Therapy and Recreation Hall was erected in 1961. A cricket oval (later called Sports Oval) in 1954- 55.41 In 1943, the Superintendent of the Goodna Hospital had advised the Director General of Health and Medical Services that the existing burial ground (cemetery no 3) was ‘almost completely occupied’ and a new one was needed. Instead, the Department of Health and Home Affairs decided to use the local Goodna cemetery and ‘provide a motor hearse for funerals. Another possible reason for closing the cemetery was the proposed location of the new repatriation buildings between the male area and the cemetery. After the cemetery closed, headstones and grave markers were relocated to the Goodna cemetery. Bodies were re-interred, but the number is uncertain. In June 1947, the Courier Mail reported in a critical article on the hospital that the patients were ‘to disinter 4000 bodies from the hospital cemetery and re-bury them in Goodna town cemetery’. However, a heritage plaque at Goodna cemetery notes that 192 bodies from the former Woogaroo Asylum were exhumed and relocated to two areas of the Goodna general cemetery, along with about 2,300 grave markers. Between 1946 and 1951, as part of the site's agricultural expansion, a large dam was constructed south of the farm and irrigation plants were installed. A pumping station on the northern side of the lake supplied water from the dam to both the farm and the vegetable gardens near the male wards. The pre-existing track (later Explorers Walk) between the leading hospital site and the farm was realigned around the dam. In the late 1940s, planning began for a new farm ward complex. Farm wards at the hospital had traditionally operated as semi-independent units, in which patients enjoyed greater freedom and autonomy, unlike the central wards, where patients were locked in their cells. A new site on the summit of a hill east of the existing farm wards was chosen, and a building comprising two large wards, Farm Ward Block A (east) and B (west), with accommodation for 175 patients and a central dining/recreation block, was erected in stages between 1953 and 1957. Access was via a road completed in 1952, which partly follows a small track evident by 1946 (now called Aveyron Road). Patients included both people with intellectual disabilities and people who had responded well to treatment and had the potential for recovery and discharge. In 1958, part of the farmward complex was set aside for patients regarded as having intellectual disabilities and in 1964, a five-teacher school was established to teach the 160 children who lived there. In 1967, a new school building, providing educational and therapeutic facilities comprising classrooms, manual training, domestic science, and special-purpose rooms, grouped around a central courtyard, was completed. Gradually, this complex became occupied by children with intellectual disabilities and was renamed the Basil Stafford Centre. Villa-style patient accommodation was constructed nearby by 1978. 49 From an early period, visiting clergy conducted religious services, but the government provided no specific facilities until after the appointment of three full-time chaplains to the Brisbane Mental Hospital in 1959. To assist them in the conduct of services and in the counselling of patients, three chapels of similar design were erected in a semi-circular pattern at the eastern end of Ellerton Drive in 1961. These were the Anglican Chapel of Christ the King [not extant], the Roman Catholic St Dymphna Chapel, in honour of the Catholic Patron Saint of people with mental illnesses [not extant], and the Council of Churches’ Chapel of Hope (later renamed the Chapel of Resurrection, adapted for use as the Forensic Administration after 1996). In 1963, Brisbane Mental Hospital was renamed Brisbane Special Hospital. Psychiatric and Expanded Services (1962 - late 1970s) The hospital population peaked in the mid-1950s, averaging approximately 2500 residents per day (excluding Wacol Repatriation Pavilion patients) and 700 staff. However, by the late 1950s, the efficacy of large-scale, all-purpose institutions for the treatment of mental illness began to be questioned. It was recognised that patients became institutionalised to the extent that living in large institutions perpetuated their mental disorders and did not assist them in recovering. The Division of Mental Hygiene within the Health Department embarked on a program of expanding acute psychiatric beds in general hospitals and transferring elderly senile patients from mental hospitals to nursing homes. This resulted in a decline in patient numbers at Goodna, and in 1960, Director Basil Stafford reported that, for the first time, the hospital had an excess of beds. The complex began to develop a different role. No longer did it cater for every type of patient from every part of the state; instead, the majority of inmates were long-term chronic patients. The new Mental Health Act of 1962 emphasised the integration of psychiatry with other services and placed a greater emphasis on voluntary admission. The complex was known as Brisbane Special Hospital at this time; in 1969, it was renamed Wolston Park Hospital. With the reduction in long-term patients at the hospital, the old farm ward buildings at the northern end of the site were repurposed in 1965 as a new alcohol rehabilitation centre, known as the Wacol Rehabilitation Centre. Alcoholics had been patients at Wolston Park since the Inebriates Act of 1892 allowed for their admission to designated institutions; however, there had been no specific facilities for them. New buildings were erected adjacent to the former farm ward, including four wards, offices, and an occupational therapy area. These were a 1960s brick building [not extant]; a new Farm Ward (later called Weeroona), a two-storey brick building designed by Bligh, Jessop, Brentall and Partners, and completed in 1965, which initially served both male and female patients; and a separate complex for female patients (Melaleuca House and Poinciana House) [not extant], designed by Des Hanman & Associates and established in 1974. De-institutionalisation Era (late 1970s) In 1976, the Minister for Health released a paper on the Care of the Intellectually Handicapped, which catalysed significant changes in the delivery of mental health services. The Intellectually Handicapped Services branch within the Health Department was established in 1977 and took responsibility for the Basil Stafford Centre. Research into the long-term effects of institutionalisation and the lack of success in the treatment and care provided in institutional settings led to critical questioning of the institutional model for people with mental illnesses and people with intellectual or physical disabilities. In addition, the increasing criticism of conditions within mental hospitals and the abuse of patients' rights gave impetus to the development of alternative models, in particular, community-based mental health services. The community care model was adopted slowly in Queensland. Institutions were reformed; however, an emphasis on institutional care remained. Short-term care with intensive treatment was the preferred model. Several major building projects, reflecting these changing ideas, were undertaken at Wolston Park during the 1970s, as were extensive remodelling of existing structures. In 1978, the 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. In 1984, it expanded to include inpatients and specialised services for young people. A new medical centre opened in 1979, and in 1980, Nyunda Park, which included extensive bushland, Joshua Jeays’ former sandstone quarry, a dam, and tracks, was established as an outdoor recreation area. The John Oxley Centre, a forensic psychiatric unit, was built on the western side of the site, adjacent to the Brisbane River, in 1990. Several 19th-century buildings were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s, with renovation and rehabilitation of other remaining 19th-century buildings occurring in the late 1990s. At the time, the Wolston Park Hospital Complex was entered into the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. Queensland Health owned the entire site, along with Gailes Golf Course and Wolston Park Golf Course (established c1975), both of which were leased. Afterwards, the Basil Stafford Training Centre was transferred to the Department of Community Services. In contrast, the northern sector of the site was transferred to the Department of Corrective Services, with maximum-security facilities, the Wolston Correctional Centre and Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre opening on this land in 1999.57 The Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, opened to the south of the Basil Stafford Training Centre in 2001.58 In 2020, a new youth detention centre (West Moreton Youth Detention Centre) is under construction beside (northeast of) the existing youth detention centre.59 As part of the 1996 Ten-Year Mental Health Plan for Queensland, Wolston Park Hospital was formally closed in 2001. The main hospital became known as The Park - Centre for Mental Health and decentralised its extended care services, placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery. The Park provided clinical treatment and rehabilitation programs to patients from central and southern Queensland, including care for people with a chronic mental disorder and for people with a mental disorder who also had an intellectual disability; forensic care services; and an extended treatment service for adolescents. New buildings were added, and some of its historical buildings were renovated. Most of the new buildings were of domestic scale and character and included accommodation for patients, as well as medical and administrative facilities. Some buildings were replaced in the 1970s, such as parts of the Barrett Psychiatric Centre. In December 2007, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) acquired a large portion of the former Wolston Park Hospital site, which included more than 30 buildings and other infrastructure, for the site of a new Police Academy and other police functions, including a Centre for Forensic Investigation, specialist operational facilities, and a warehousing and archiving facility. A master plan for the proposed development of the site was created in 2008. In 2009, an additional 41ha, including the early farm site, was acquired by QPS for use as the driver training facility under a memorandum of cooperation with the Department of Corrective Services. Since 2011, QPS has undertaken site infrastructure and landscaping changes to roads and paths, services, open space, and car parks; conserved and adapted six existing buildings for new uses; and added new buildings to the site. In 2020, a 37.75-ha parcel of land on the eastern edge of the site remains undeveloped.63 This was part of a 591-acre (239ha) Reserve for a Cemetery at Woogaroo (R591) gazetted in 1878 but never used for that purpose. The cemetery reserve was altered in 1889, cancelled in 1946, and its land (483 acres/195ha) was added to the then Brisbane Special Hospital Reserve (R593).65 From c1960 until the late 1970s, there was quarrying on the site, northeast of the Basil Stafford Training Centre, accessed primarily from Grindle Road. Gravel extraction from pits on the site, for use in landscaping at the Wolston Park Hospital Complex, also occurred. A strong association between the Queensland community and Wolston Park Hospital Complex has existed for a long time. Throughout much of the institution’s history, it served as a place that provided the community, families and friends of patients with hope for the care and treatment of people with mental illnesses. Individuals, Brisbane and Ipswich businesses, and community groups, such as the Country Women’s Association, Returned Sailors’ Soldiers’ & Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia, Red Cross, Women’s Auxiliary of the Queensland Ex-Prisoners of War Association, and the United Protestant Association provided support to patients through entertainments, gifts, donations, outings, and assistance with sports events. By the mid-1950s, Wolston Park Hospital Complex had become the largest mental hospital in Australia, with about 2,500 daily average residents and a staff of almost 800.69. One history of the institution stated it: ‘was a self-contained community with a close symbiotic relationship to the adjoining township (later, suburb) of Goodna, where most of the staff lived. For many locals, the hospital was the place of employment for generations of the same family.’ Its workforce included health-care workers and a large team of carpenters, plumbers, blacksmiths, engineers and other tradesmen [who] kept the place running, including the generation of electricity from a…powerhouse. During its long history, more than 50,000 people from throughout Queensland were admitted to the Wolston Park Hospital Complex. This led to strong associations with the place, not necessarily positive. Being sent there had lasting impacts on many patients. For those admitted between 1865 and the 1950s, their experience while incarcerated was often one of overcrowding, insufficient staffing, and unpaid work. Later, when the institution’s efforts turned to proactively treating mental illness and returning patients to the community, patients underwent experimental drug or electroconvulsive therapy. Physical and mental abuse of patients by some staff members was always a possibility, as was sexual abuse. With the transition to primarily community-based services, and the establishment of a patients’ advocate (Patients’ Friend from 1977, changing to Health Ombudsman from 2013) and the Association of Relatives and Friends of the Mentally Ill (ARAFMI Queensland branch formed in 1977), the experiences of patients with mental illness or intellectual disabilities changed. In 2020, mental health and disability support functions remain on the site, serving patients from the Queensland-wide community (The Park-Mental Health Centre, Basil Stafford Disability Services) other community links to the site continue, through participation in sporting clubs such as Gailes Golf Club, Wolston Park Golf Club, and the Wolston Park Centenary Cricket Club, which utilise former hospital recreation facilities. Beginning in 1995, Project 300 was a Queensland Government initiative that aimed to prepare and discharge some 300 patients from Queensland mental health hospitals to community-based accommodation. Given that Wolston Park Hospital was the largest mental health hospital in Queensland at the time, Project 300 had a significant impact on its operations and purpose in the mid- to late 1990s. John Oxley When John Oxley surveyed the Brisbane River, he terminated his trip at the Asylum site. “Termination Point” was where John Oxley landed on 3 December 1823. He then proceeded 700m up the hill, which is now the high-security section of the “Park Centre,” and named it “Termination Hill”. This site was the furthest point that explorer John Oxley, Surveyor-General of Lands in the Colony of New South Wales, reached on his first exploration of the Brisbane River. Oxley’s party landed on the river bend below, and he turned back from here on 3 December 1823. To view the surrounding country, Oxley, with others, ascended “a low hill” which he named “Termination Hill.” The following year (1824), Oxley guided the establishment of the initial Moreton Bay Penal Settlement at Redcliffe. He then returned to this point on the river, and the party camped on “Termination Plains” (now known as Prior’s Pocket, on the opposite bank) before resuming the river survey. Recently, 2023 was the 200th anniversary of John Oxley’s famous voyage of discovery up the Brisbane River to Goodna on 3 December 1823. This led to the area being known as Dingo Hill, which was renamed Gailes by the State Government in 1925. In 2010, the actual hill was officially named Dingo Hill, believed to be the smallest officially named hill in Queensland, standing at just 61 metres above sea level. To mark the area's history, a sign was unveiled today at the corner of Old Logan Rd and Waterford Road to recognise the official geographic name. 1828 Newspaper report Click to view Map showing John Oxley's 1823-1824 survey of the Brisbane River superimposed with a location of the river shown in red Click to view Termination Identification Click to view Termination Plains Click to view Termination Point Click to view Possible Rock carvings Click to view Possible Rock carvings Click to view Early Indigenous Presence “According to Willie Mackenzie, an Aboriginal man born in Kilcoy in 1875, there were three tribal subdivisions that frequented the Ipswich area. The tribes resided in local groups, each occupying a portion of the tribal territory recognised as its particular right. One of the groups occupied the area from Ipswich to Oxley….” http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_ipswich/history/indigenous_history (2012) It is well established that the Yerongpan clan lived in the Centenary, Rocklea, and Greenbank area. There are indications of a smaller group in the Wacol–Ipswich area. The whole number of Aborigines in this district (Moreton Bay) cannot be much under 5000… the Settlement blacks about 200 in number, the Limestone about 150 and the Woogaroo Tribe about 40. Annual Report on the State of the Aborigines in the Moreton Bay District for the year ending December 1843. Dr Stephen Simpson, Letters p 26, Lang… p12 Support for a clan border through Wacol is suggested by a single earth ring found in Ellen Grove (single rings are often found near clan borders as sites of dispute resolution). “The Woogaroo country stretched from Wacol west towards Redbank and Ipswich and south towards the Ripley Valley. The northern border was the river, and the eastern boundary of the Woogaroo territory with the neighbouring Yerongpan clan was seemingly through today’s Wacol and Ellen Grove.” Archaeologist Michael Strong Dr Simpson’s observations at Woogaroo/ Wacol (1840s). The first Lands Commissioner, Dr Stephen Simpson, established his Border Police Station on Woogaroo Creek/ Brisbane River in early 1843. He travelled throughout Moreton Bay in the course of his work, part of which concerned the Aboriginal people. Simpson adopted the native name Woogaroo for his station: Simpson at his Woogaroo Station had “rarely less than five or six (Aborigines). . . either assisting the Police in the Bush or labouring in the Garden.” 
Simpson to Colonial Secretary 1 January 1844 In September 1844, Simpson reported that tribal pressure had required him to employ a white man “…instead of Jemmy the aborigine – threats from his tribe if he joined the Police, Toby, another aborigine, also threatened…” However, Jemmy and Toby were named as troopers in later reports – until the troop was disbanded in 1847. 31 December 1844 – from Commissioner Simpson to the Colonial Secretary “It is impossible to keep anyone aboriginal consistently at the Station. They change about – sometimes Jemmy, at others Toby or Bomburrah, etc… Letters relating to Moreton Bay & Queensland: A2 series – Reel A2.13 p 729+ “My Station is much frequented by the Aborigines from many parts … Simpson to Colonial Secretary 20 February 1847 For more information: “Wacol, Wolston, Woogaroo 1823-2014” “150 Years – Richlands, Inala and Neighbouring Suburbs in Brisbane’s South West” Before European settlement, two Aboriginal groups lived in the Brisbane and Ipswich areas: the Jagera and the Turrbal, who spoke the Yugara language. Exactly where the territorial boundaries lay between the two groups is unknown; however, the Jagera traditionally occupied the areas south of the Brisbane River while the Turrbal primarily lived north of the river. The region around the Wolston and Centenary creeks was home to the Yerongpan clan, which is known to have occupied the Oxley and surrounding creeks. In 1823, the lost cedar cutters, Pamphlet, Finnegan, and Parsons were the first Europeans to observe this clan. They found two Aboriginal canoes tied at the mouth of Oxley Creek, which they then named Canoe Creek. The canoes were for use by those wishing to cross the creek when travelling east and west along the south bank of the Brisbane River. Later, in 1828, Cunningham and Fraser found Aboriginal huts in the vicinity of the boundary between the Oxley and Wolston catchments. The only documented evidence of an Aboriginal site in the catchments is a bora ring on the banks of Sandy Creek, now located at the end of Kertes Road, Camira. However, a site with a cave in a sandstone escarpment on the Brisbane River at Pullen Reach (Westlake) was identified by the late Neville Bonner as significant for Aboriginal peoples when he visited it with residents circa 1996 (E. Parker 2009, pers. comms.). The catchment, with its rainforests, eucalypt forests and connection to the Brisbane River, would have provided a source of fresh water and food for the local Aboriginal people. The rainforests yielded yams, black beans and wild figs, all of which still grow along the creeks today. Source: WACC & Wacol, Wolston Woogaroo Book Along the Brisbane River Click to view Identification of indigenous artefacts locate around the area Click to view Sandstone escarpment on the Brisbane River at Pullen Reach (Westlake) Click to view Sandstone escarpment on the Brisbane River at Pullen Reach (Westlake) Click to view

Fleming House Built in 1898 Fleming House ( former male p atient w ard 5) i s named in honour of Sir Alexander Fleming FRS FRSE FRCS, well known for his work on penicillin. Fleming House was erected in 1895 as a ward for male patients. After the 1893 floods severely damaged the asylum, in particular the male wards, the decision was made to relocate the male section to higher ground. A two-storey brick building. It was opened in 1898 and accommodated 50 male patients. Verandahs were at ground level, which gave patients views of the cricket oval. In 1901, metal fire stairs were added. In 1920, the bathing facilities were substantially increased by the construction of a semi-detached bath house and toilet block. The building was repaired and painted in 1958. Renovations were undertaken in 1967 for $47,000, including refitting the showers and toilets. Chronology 1898: Building construction was completed 1901: fire stairs added 1920: semi-detached bathhouse constructed 1967: renovations, including the refurbishment of toilets and showers Front Click to view Rear with bathrooms Click to view Rear with bathrooms and road entrance Click to view Entrance close up Click to view

Female Patients Area This area comprises a group of buildings that were formerly used as female wards. The principal buildings are Dawson House, Female 1 and 2 wards, Anderson House and Bostock House. Several smaller structures are also present. The area has a more open character than previously due to the demolition of a number of buildings during the 1970s and 1980s. The four former ward buildings are an important group and demonstrate not only the distinct development of a female section but also the different approaches to the treatment and care of the mentally ill. The earliest section of the former wards 1 and 2 was built in 1866, and the building is significant for its associations with the early development of the site. Bostock House was erected in 1885 and, despite some alterations, still demonstrates a typical 19th-century ward block with a mix of single rooms and large dormitories. Anderson House was erected in 1917 and displays a different approach with its domestic scale, and was a deliberate attempt to provide a facility with a less institutional character. A further contrast is provided by Dawson House, which was built soon after the introduction of new therapies, including insulin and electric shock treatment. With the exception of female 1 and 2, the buildings are in good condition and substantially intact. Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view Click here to view

Wolston Park Golf Club The Wolston Park Golf Club was originally the Hospital Sports Club, combining golf, cricket, bowls and tennis. The Wolston Park Golf Club was formed in 1961 by Dr Clive Boyce, then Medical Superintendent, and the late W. K. Hynd, a Head Male Nurse. The first 9 holes were designed by W. K. Hynd and the late Norm Campbell, Male Nurse; the Treasurer was Bob Howard. When first formed, the nine-hole golf course was used only by hospital staff and patients. The club was affiliated with the B.D.G.A. in 1970 and opened to non-hospital staff. The 120 members, made up of staff and patients, used the facilities of the Gailes Golf Clubhouse, although there was no other application with that club. Wolston Park Golf Course was also built by patients and staff of the said Hospital, again being a therapeutic activity. It was then called the Golf Sports Club for the recreation of staff, patients and relatives. In August 1971, an annual inter-hospital competition between three hospitals, namely Wolston Park, Challinor Centre, Ipswich and Bailie Henderson, Toowoomba, competed for the Dr Noble Cup and the Dr Ellerton Shield by the staff and patients (patients who played the game of golf were automatically made Honorary Members, whilst a patient of Wolston Park Hospital). The Dr Noble Cup was presented to the best single event; the Dr Ellerton Shield was for the best six players from a Hospital. The Dr Noble Cup was won by Lauric Howard, then of Challinor Centre, with 35 points. The winning team for Wolston Park Hospital for the Shield was Doug Henshall, Kevin Halls, Dr Raoul Daniels, Dr John Waller, Terry Hughes and Jack Paddock, with 122 points. Also in 1971, the Club was registered with the Brisbane District Golf Association and the membership opened to non-staff members. The present officials of the Club are: Dr Orme Orford (President), John Jenkins (Captain), Ray Whyte (Treasurer), and Doug Henshall (Secretary). The first Club Champions and Mixed Foursome Champions were: Laurie Howard (handicap - 3) for members and Mrs Patsy Daniels (wife of Dr Daniels, a medical staff member) (handicap - 2), for the associates. A few discharged patients returned each day to work on the course and received a nominal wage, which speaks for itself as a proven therapeutic area over the years. The Clubhouse was situated behind the Canteen, built with funds accumulated by the Club. The old clubhouse had a colourful history, firstly being a canteen at the Redbank Army Camp during World War 2, then shifted to Wolston Park Hospital and used as a hairdressing salon. The Ellerton Cup was won by the late Dr Clive Boyce (past Medical Superintendent of Wolston Park Hospital, then called Brisbane Mental Hospital) in 1950, which was handed back to the club by his son Pat Boyce in October 1982 for all to view. Start of the Wolston Park Golf Club Click to view Club Monthly Medal Pin Click to view 26 January, 1969 Click to view Golf Club when located in the hospital complex Click to view Golf Club when located in the hospital complex Click to view Past Presidents Click to view Trying it out for the first time. Click to view 1979 Cabinet Documents Click to view 1978 Cabinet Documents Click to view 1978 Cabinet Documents Click to view 1979 Cabinet Documents Click to view 1979 Cabinet Documents Click to view 1988 Cabinet Document Click to view The Original Golf Club Plan Click to view 1986 Plaque Click to view 2001 Plaque when moved to the Riverside Ballroom complex Click to view Dr Ellerton Shield Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view Click to view

Female Wards 1 & 2 In 1866, a ward for fee-paying patients was constructed on an adjacent ridge approximately 400 metres northeast of the main asylum buildings and was completed on the 5th June 1866, but was not occupied until 24 June 1868. because of insufficient funds. By then, additions of stone and timber, consisting of eight refractory cells and a lavatory, laundry, nurses' quarters and a large tank, had been made to make the building more suitable as a general female. The ward was built so that patients could receive better treatment than "pauper lunatics". The building was constructed from local sandstone extracted from a quarry near the former Male Division, which was owned by Joshua Jeays, who later became Lord Mayor of Brisbane. Also, it supplied stone for the construction of Old Government House (1862) and Parliament House (1865). With plans prepared by Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin and construction by William Crumb, with some inmate labour. The superintendent, Dr Cannan, claimed responsibility for the building's design, based on principles recommended in the standard treatise on asylum construction at this time, Conolly's The Construction and Government of Lunatic Asylums.' Built by WE Wright . However, the Asylum was not in a position to accept fee-paying patients, and the building remained unoccupied for two years until alterations were made to enable female inmates to be transferred to this block. A partial second storey was added, constructed to the design of Charles Tiffin in 1875, and other substantial alterations and additions were made to the building in 1905-6, 1923, 1937 and 1951. This building housed female inmates for more than 100 years and was the first of several in the separate ‘female area’. Female Wards 1 & 2 is mostly intact, and is a large building of different construction phases standing on a slope near the top of a ridge toward the southern end of the Female Patients Area. Its surrounding land falls steeply to the west to the Brisbane River and gently to the south, where it was formerly fenced off as a yard. This affords the building visual prominence from Ellerton Drive and extensive panoramic views of the Brisbane River and the surrounding area from the southwest to the north. Originally built (but never used) as a ward for fee-paying patients, the building has been extended and adapted for use as a general ward for female patients. In 2020, it is vacant, and its interior has been stripped of floorboards, some floor structure, fixtures, ceilings, and fittings. The building has a complex layering of significant fabric from different periods of construction, and considerable alterations of earlier fabric. Chronology 1866: construction 1868: additions - 8 refractory cells, toilet and laundry 1870: alterations 1875: second storey added and verandah extended to east and north 1904: building re-roofed 1905: ground floor extended to the west 1906: the building was converted to two storeys 1923: Two new bathhouses were added to the southern elevation; verandahs were added to the southern elevation, and the ends of the northern verandah were extended 1937: verandah widths increased to 4.5 m 1951: two-storeyed ablutions were added to the south-east and south-west ends of the building 1955: new upstairs bathing and toilet facilities, and new clothing store rooms and nurses' day rooms downstairs 1984 fire to the ground floor, western end 1988: floors and ceilings were removed for safety reasons Female 1 was the admission ward where patients travelled by boat along the Brisbane River and entered the side of the building, and were detained before being assessed by the medical team. This building was located near the nurse's quarters. Over the years, the floorboards became rotten. This was visible while walking around the building, even though it was fenced off. I used to take student nurses to this location and talk about the history Former Staff Member Charles Tiffin - Architect Joshua Jeays - Building Supplier Earliest known photo of Old Womens 1 & 2 taken 1906 1875 plan Plan for proposed additions for Female wards 1 & 2 in 1875 1906 additions plan 1906 additions plan First-floor plan shows the original layout 1937 Verandahs and Balcony extensions plan 1945 layout plan 1906 block plan 'Day Room' Day Room today 90's photo Former Cells located underneath the extensions. Former Cells located underneath the extensions. Former Cells located underneath the extensions. Former Cells located underneath the extensions. Former Cells located underneath the extensions. Former Cells located underneath the extensions. A lonely fridge Sandstone Footings Sandstone Footings Sandstone Footings Womens Cell Extension

Female Bathroom Block Built-in 1902 The brick building was built in 1902 as a female bathroom. A similar structure was erected for male patients. It comprised two dressing rooms, 30 feet by 20 feet and a bathroom, 15 feet by 30 feet, with two baths and 10 showers. The walls were lined to a height of 6 ft with opalite tiling. In 1935, the building was converted to a workroom for fancy needlework and allied occupations for the female patients. By 1955, the building was converted for use as a convalescent and final rehabilitation ward for women. This small 12-bed ward was an open ward with no nursing staff. Patients looked after their own domestic affairs and cooked their own meals. This ward allowed comparative freedom for voluntary and self-reliant patients and was designed to prepare patients for their return home. In 2020, it was used for archive storage. In 2024, the wooden extension was demolished due to significant wood rot. Chronology: 1902: constructed as a female bathhouse 1935: converted to sewing rooms 1955: converted to a convalescent ward for women 1960: lean to addition to the western end 1994: converted to sewing/mending facility Night rear Click to view Side entrance Click to view Side front entrance extension prior to demolishment Click to view Side front entrance extension prior to demolishment Click to view Front doors extension prior to demolishment Click to view Day shot of extension prior to demolishment Click to view 2024 extension demolished Click to view 2024 extension demolished Click to view 2024 extension demolished Click to view 2024 extension demolished new door and pathway Click to view Window and light fixture Click to view Old retaining wall Click to view Old stairs Click to view Today with recreation hall behind it Click to view

The Change Room & Stores Shed Built-in c1951 The change room & stores shed is a small, timber-framed and -clad rectangular freestanding one-storey building to the west of the cafeteria. situated between the tennis court and the bowling green. This building was used to store equipment for the maintenance of the tennis court and bowling green. Built to accommodate a change room for patients and two storerooms to service the surrounding vegetable fields, it is highly intact and, in 2020, is used as a storeroom. Its original boarded doors have been removed/replaced, and its original roof cladding has been changed from corrugated asbestos sheets to corrugated metal sheets. Shed in 1955 Click to view Rear Click to view Front Click to view Side front Click to view