Medical Superintendents The medical superintendent is the physician responsible for overseeing patients and the asylum's administration. In Queensland Health hospitals, a Medical Superintendent (MS) is a senior medical practitioner who leads clinical governance, patient safety, and the strategic management of medical services. Kersey Cannan 1860 - 1869 Kearsey Cannan (1815-1894), a medical practitioner, was born in London, the son of David Cannan, surgeon, and his wife, Catherine. He was apprenticed to Dr Wildash of Kent and took his M.R.C.S. in 1837. He arrived in Sydney in 1840, visited New Zealand, and returned to Sydney, where he married Mary Elizabeth Siddins in 1842. The next year, they went to Brisbane, where they lived for almost the entire period between the beginning of free settlement in 1842 and Federation. Cannan was not, as often claimed, the first private practitioner in Queensland, but he holds that honour for Brisbane. In his first years there, he and David Ballow , a salaried medical officer, were the only two practitioners. The government then supported the hospital directly. After this support ceased early in 1848, Cannan actively campaigned for the establishment of a 'free' institution. It was established late that year, and he was associated with it as a visiting or consulting surgeon for the rest of his life. Contrary to legend, he was not the hero who attended typhus patients from the Emigrant after Ballow died in 1850, though he was a member of the board of inquiry which paid brief visits to the ship in quarantine at Dunwich. In the following years, he held several part-time official posts: public vaccinator, medical officer to the gaol, member and later president of the Medical Board and coroner. In 1864, when a lunatic asylum was established at Woogaroo (Goodna), he was appointed its first full-time medical superintendent. Probably too easygoing to be concerned with the minutiae of office routine, he was a muddling administrator and was replaced in 1868 after one of those unsavoury inquiries which have tended to bedevil mental hospital administration. This setback did not seem to diminish his personal repute as a medical practitioner and citizen, for he was immediately appointed to the asylum staff as a visiting surgeon. Thereafter, he lived at Hodgson Terrace, on the corner of Margaret and George Streets, and there conducted a successful practice. According to Spencer Browne , A Journalist's Memories (Brisbane, 1927), 'many of his patients were on the free list. Rather a philanthropist than a money maker. Hard-working and reasonably competent, he handled whatever major surgical emergencies came his way and, with as much success as anyone else of his time, managed them. He began practice before the discovery of general anaesthesia and antiseptics and lived to see significant advances in surgery. Highly respected and well-loved as the doyen of Queensland's doctors, he won a place on the honour roll of the local medical association. Outside his professional affairs, Cannan actively encouraged sports and their organisation, particularly cricket, horse racing, boating, and billiards. He was prominent in the Australian Mutual Provident Society and in other community activities, but was not of the stuff from which evangelizers are made. Though readily accepted as part of the 'squatter establishment', his small contribution to politics was that of a practical humanist, who by virtue of his tolerant, kindly and attractive personality made an early Australian community a little more civilised and enjoyable. Aged 79, he died from bronchitis at his home on 20 August 1894 and was buried in the Anglican section of the Toowong cemetery. He was survived by his wife, two sons and two of their four daughters. His descendants, in a similarly reasonable and unobtrusive manner, continued his substantial contribution to Queensland's development. Henry Challinor 1869 - 1872 Henry Challinor (1814-1882), a medical practitioner, was born on 22 June 1814 in England, the son of James Challinor, merchant, and his wife Mary, née Tinsdale. He studied medicine in London (L.S.A., 1842; M.R.C.S., 1842; F.R.C.S., 1864). He arrived in January 1849 as surgeon superintendent in the Fortitude, which brought the first of John Dunmore Lang 's migrants to Moreton Bay. By April, he had taken up medical practice in Ipswich, where he was proud to be a citizen for much of the rest of his life. He later lived in Brisbane but did not venture far afield. He never returned to England and probably did not visit even Sydney. He married Mary Bowyer Hawkins at Ipswich on 12 July 1855; they had six daughters and two sons. Challinor contributed to the life of the Moreton Bay District in four main fields: medicine, civic affairs, the Congregational Church and colonial politics. In the first three, he was eminently successful. Finally, his importance is difficult to assess, yet perhaps it was the most significant of all. In politics, he was the voice of the precursor crying out in the wilderness, making straight the path for what was to come. Highly trusted and competent, he remained a general practitioner until 1869, when he was appointed the second medical superintendent of the asylum to straighten out a scandal. He did so successfully, but by 1872 his health began to deteriorate, and he then took up the less onerous position of health officer for the port of Brisbane (quarantine) and medical officer to various official institutions. From 1876, he was inspector of public institutions, such as the Orphan Schools, and in 1878 was the principal medical officer of the Queensland Volunteer Brigade. Thus, in his professional life, he practised in the three main official branches of clinical medicine, preventive medicine and mental health services. In town and church affairs, he was a member and usually an office bearer of almost all the societies and associations designed to promote the common good. He aligned with the incipient urban commercial interests rather than the prevailing squatter establishment. He campaigned for separation from New South Wales and fought against the renewal of convict transportation. He was a member of the first Legislative Assembly in Queensland, but, through a series of political errors, was not elected until June 1861. He was narrowly defeated in 1868, primarily because of a principled stand. In his short parliamentary career, he made his mark as an ardent if naive Liberal in a legislature dominated by squatters and their allies. He advocated a just land policy that would provide opportunities for small settlers, efficient agriculture, free secular education, political equality, religious tolerance, and railway construction free from the scandal of land grants. He opposed the cotton bonus and wealthy companies' aggregation of pastoral land. None of this programme made him popular; instead, he was actively disliked and even feared in parliamentary circles. For his time, he was an unusual doctor: Nonconformist by religious persuasion, an advocate of temperance, quiet and astonishingly industrious in private life, but constantly and tiresomely loquacious in public. His life was governed by principle, for the defence of which he showed blunt courage and cared not a whit for public opinion. He was the archetype of what is now called a 'do-gooder'. He wore his social conscience like a hair shirt, yet even before his death on 9 September 1882 at Brisbane, his fundamental virtues of tolerance and liberalism had come to be recognised. At a time when they were unpopular choices, he had backed the political horses that eventually won. Click the image to view a letter from 1870 with Henry Challinor's signature. he was appointed the second medical superintendent of the Mental Asylum at Woogaroo (Goodna) to straighten out a scandal that occurred at the asylum. Click the image to view Funeral notice for John Jaap John Jaap 1872 - 1877 John Jaap was appointed after Charles Prentice filled in for a few months. Jaap employed patient labour to establish a piggery and farm pursuits, which were a feature of the asylum for many years. Jaap drew attention to the asylum's overcrowded conditions, a perennial problem that plagued the institution for most of its existence. Jaap also established a 'band fund' to provide entertainment for patients and organised a football match between a Brisbane club and the warders and patients of the Asylum. Patrick Smith 1877 - 1881 Patrick Smith succeeded Jaap as Superintendent and, in his first report, expressed concern about the fate of inmates upon discharge. Smith recommended establishing a public organisation to assist individuals with no relatives and no work awaiting them. Smith also suggested that new asylums be based in Brisbane and Toowoomba to relieve overcrowding among the 400 patients at Woogaroo. Following a Royal Commission chaired by William Graham, MLA, a commission was established to examine the affairs of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum and the reception houses and to report on the best ways to improve them. Board of Inquiry [into] certain charges made against Doctor Patrick Smith, Surgeon-Superintendent of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum by Mr Patrick O'Sullivan, M.L.A. and also into the general management of that institution (1880). Richard Scholes 1881 - 1894, 1896 - 1898 In 1881, Richard Scholes replaced Patrick Smith as Superintendent at the Goodna Asylum. Scholes continued employing patients in farming activities and extended it to the wards, the laundry, and the sewing room in 1885. Scholes was also appointed the first inspector of Asylums for the Insane, a role that included the fencing of the recreational grounds in 1870. Sadly, in 1898, he passed away at the age of 48. His obituary noted that Scholes was, for a short time, Assistant Medical Officer to Henry Manning at Gladesville Hospital for the insane in Sydney. Scholes was a popular man in the Goodna, Ipswich, and Brisbane communities, so much so that a special train ran from Ipswich to Goodna to let people attend his funeral in the township. Richard and his daughter Edith, aged 12, were both buried in Asylum's Private Cemetery, approximately two miles from Asylum, where he had worked and were eventually moved to Goodna Cemetery. The obituaries also recalled his love for cricket. 1890 newspaper article titled: Goodna at flood time with Dr Scholes Richard Battersby Scholes on left riding the horse named "The Quaker" - Ready for the fox hunt Goodna 1892 Click here to view Notice of Death Click here to view Funeral Notice Click here to view Successor Click here to view Burial Site Click here to view James Hogg 1898 - 1908 James Hogg was appointed in 1898. His residence, known as Manor House, was built on high ground, with its main elevation facing south-east away from the asylum complex, while most other staff lived off-site. For many decades, employees living in the local area serviced the hospital. At that time, several staff members had family members who had worked at the asylum for generations. During Hogg's tenure, the complex was renamed the Goodna Hospital for the Insane. The superintendent's residence, built in 1898, remains on site in the high-security section, and Hogg Lane is named after him. Obituary for Hogg Click to view Henry Byam Ellerton 1909 - 1937 Following the sudden death of James Hogg in 1908, Henry Byam Ellerton was appointed to replace him as 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 twenty-six applicants and had fourteen years of experience in English asylums. He was an ardent advocate of "moral treatment" or moral therapy. Moral treatment marked a significant 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, mentally ill people could be improved in an appropriate and elevating environment. A critical aspect of moral treatment was providing a pleasant climate, 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 a vital part of the therapeutic process. Ellerton was superintendent of the hospital for 28 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. 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, was established in 1911 to maintain a steady supply of pot plants for the wards and recreation hall and to provide seedlings and young plants for the gardens throughout the asylum (no longer extant). The institution was opened up to visits from relatives and friends, and recreational activities became integral to the asylum's operations. While aesthetically pleasing gardens and views were considered integral to the therapeutic process, the grounds were also crucial to the institution's public image. A pleasant, landscaped environment with gardens, scrubland, and open space suggested that the asylum was benign and belied its true character as a place of chronic overcrowding, where patients were strictly controlled and managed. In 1916, the hospital was again improved with the addition of a ward for those suffering from physical diseases as well as mental disorders. In 1914, a motor launch was purchased to provide outings for a select group of patients, mainly working patients; however, evidence suggests the boat was used more as a 'private pleasure cruise', earning him the title 'Caesar of Lunacy'. During Ellerton's reign, existing male wards were demolished, and Lewis House, Noble House and McDonnell House were completed in 1915. A new bridge over Woogaroo Creek was completed in 1916. The female admission ward, Anderson House, the hospital, the administration block, the powerhouse, the water reservoirs, and the pumping stations were completed in 1917. The laundry was completed in 1918. Osler House, a ward for complex female patients, was completed in 1929, and Pearce House, for complex male patients, was completed in 1934. The male wards, Gladstone House, Jenner House and Kelsey House, were completed in 1936. Upon Ellerton's retirement, the male section comprised 13 blocks, all constructed of brick and designed to accommodate 20-120 patients. Despite facility upgrades, overcrowding remained chronic. The increase in beds from 1910 to 1936 did not correspond to the rise in patient numbers. Compared with the extensive building program in the male section between 1910 and 1936, improvements in the female section were extremely modest. Ellerton believed the site's topography constrained expansion of the female section at Goodna and advocated additional female wards at other institutions, such as Ipswich Mental Hospital. During 1910–1920, the number of female inmates decreased by 20%, from 491 to 389, and the female population did not return to the 1910 level until 1929. The number of male patients increased by 30% during this period, rising from 779 to 1010. During Ellerton's tenure, the asylum underwent considerable material improvements, and several essential services, including electricity, water, and a hospital, were established. Many buildings were well designed and excellent examples of the Queensland Department of Works' output during this period. Some buildings showed refined approaches to patient care, such as the small, domestic-scale Anderson House, designed to accommodate female patients upon admission so they could be kept under observation and receive more individualised treatment than was possible in a large ward. Recreational facilities had vastly improved, and the complex now had three tennis courts, a viewing pavilion, terraces and an oval considered one of the best cricket grounds in the state. Patient labour constructed a golf course in the 1920s, which became the well-regarded Gailes Golf Club and continued to employ patients in the upkeep and maintenance of the greens. Patients also worked in farming activities that supported the hospital's self-sufficiency. Farm activities included a piggery, a dairy, a small cattle herd, and the cultivation of vegetables and crops, including oats, maize, and lucerne. However, they introduced no new techniques or treatment methods. Even the later male wards, Gladstone, Jenner, and Kelsey, remained firmly based on the moral therapy model despite their new designs featuring unusual, crab-like 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. Dr Basil Stafford, the former Superintendent of Ipswich Mental Hospital, succeeded Ellerton as Medical Superintendent. Today, Ellerton Drive is named in his honour, as a bridge that connects Old Logan Rd, Gailes, to Brisbane Terrace. Story - Visit to the biggest asylum in Australia Basil Stafford 1937 - 1950 Dr Basil Stafford began his career as a General Practitioner in Melbourne. He then moved to Queensland to take up a position in mental health services, where he spent his entire professional career, becoming Director of State Psychiatric Services in 1938. Dr Stafford was responsible for the first cardiazol treatment and insulin coma in Queensland and, at the same time, introduced an “honour system” in Goodna, the precursor to the open hospital policy. He established the first community psychiatric clinic in the Brisbane metropolitan area. Throughout his career, Dr Stafford stimulated the teaching and study of psychiatry as a branch of medicine and actively promoted acceptance of psychiatrists and mental hospital practitioners by the rest of the medical profession and the community as a whole. The Queensland government sent him 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. Serving on the Nurses’ Board for over 16 years, Dr Stafford helped raise the standards of mental health nursing training. In 1952, he was elected President of the Australian Association of Psychiatrists and a Foundation Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Upon his return, Stafford recommended various changes to the mental health system, which prompted legislative developments. Not only were the Mental Hygiene Act of 1938 and the Mental Health Act of 1962 largely due to his guidance, but he also greatly influenced the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1945; this legislation today exemplifies how offenders can be directed toward rehabilitative punishment or treatment. The first building at Wolston Park to reflect Stafford's modern ideas was Dawson House, a new female building 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 significance placed on the environment in 'moral treatment' and the increasing medicalisation of mental health treatment. Another important building project for female patients at this time was the construction of a special female recreation facility, which began 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. Other facilities in the area included a sewing room, a tennis court, a bowling green, a large playing field, viewing shelters, and storage sheds. By 1957, more than 200 patients were regularly using the facilities, highlighting the institution's rigorous gender-based separation across all facets. By January 1942, 110 returned soldiers were inmates at 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 the First World War, and Ellerton had decided, upon consideration, that using existing institutions was preferable to building new facilities. During the Second World War, however, the Commonwealth agreed to fund the construction of three special wards, with the State government responsible for maintaining the buildings and staffing. The Works Department 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 wide verandahs and dining areas opening onto grassed courtyards and lawns emphasised freedom. Construction of the wards began in 1946, and Governor John Lavarack opened the Wacol Repatriation Pavilion on 26 January 1948. It comprised three wards, each accommodating 88 patients, and a kitchen/canteen block. A recreation hall was erected in 195,0 and a cricket oval in 1954. 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 main wards, where people were confined to cells or wards. A new site on the summit of a hill adjacent to the existing farm wards was chosen, and two large wards with accommodation for 175 patients and a dining/recreation block were erected between 1953 and 1957. Patients included both 'backward persons' 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 'subnormal', and in 1964, a five-teacher school was established to teach the 160 children who lived there. Gradually, the entire block was occupied by intellectually disabled children and was renamed the Basil Stafford Centre. In 1965, a new alcohol rehabilitation centre was also established, using the old farm ward buildings at the northern end of the site. Alcoholics had been patients at Wolston Park since the Inebriates Act of 1892 had 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. The new centre was known as the Wacol Rehabilitation Centre. Initially, it served both male and female patients; later, a separate complex was built for female patients requiring treatment for alcoholism (Melaleuca House and Poinciana House). The hospital population peaked in the mid-1950s, with an average of approximately 2500 residents per day (excluding Wacol Repatriation Pavilion patients) and 700 staff. 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 embarked on a program of expanding acute psychiatric beds in general hospitals and transferring elderly senile patients from mental hospitals to nursing homes. This reduced 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 placed greater emphasis on voluntary admission, and the complex was renamed the Brisbane Special Hospital. In 1969, it was renamed again to Wolston Park Hospital. In 1976, the Minister for Health released a paper on the Care of the Intellectually Handicapped, which proved to be the catalyst for significant changes in the delivery of mental health services. A special Branch of Intellectually Handicapped Services was established within the Health Department in 1977 and assumed 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 both mentally ill and intellectually and physically disabled people. 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. Queensland adopted the community care model slowly. 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 197,9, and in 1980 Nyunda Park was set up as an outdoor recreation area. The John Oxley Centre, a forensic psychiatric unit, was built on the eastern side of the site, adjacent to the Brisbane River, in 1990. Several 19th-century buildings were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s, and the remaining 19th-century buildings were renovated and rehabilitated in the late 1990s. As part of the 1996 Ten-Year Mental Health Plan for Queensland, the main hospital became known as The Park - Centre for Mental Health and has decentralised its extended care services, placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery. The Park now provides 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 are also intellectually disabled, forensic care services and an extended treatment service for adolescents. From 1999 to 2002, many new buildings were erected, including a large new maximum-security facility at the eastern edge of the site. Most of the latest buildings are domestic in scale and character and include patient accommodation, as well as medical and administrative facilities. Some buildings erected in the 1970s have been replaced, such as parts of the Barrett Psychiatric Centre. Mental Hygiene Act of 1938 Mental Health Act of 1962 J.E.F. McDonald 1872 - 1877 Clive Boyce 1950 - 1965 Dr Boyce became superintendent in 1950 and oversaw changes such as drug therapy, especially Cardiazol and insulin and Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Boyce claimed in 1955 that "very little" had been accomplished in mental health treatment. He also had an enlightened attitude to treatment, referred to as his ‘open-house concept. He insisted that patients be treated humanely, even during episodes of violence. The model of care at this time was still based on activity and custodial care. He retired in 1965, and Boyce Rd is named in his honour today. Gailes Golf Club Dr C. R. Boyce O.B.E., together with his father, Mr W.F.R. Boyce, who died in 1965 at the age of ninety-five, began working for Gailes before the club existed. As a golfer of championship stature, Dr Boyce consistently maintained his interest in Gailes, and his knowledge and experience found expression throughout the course. He served as a Medical Officer at the Hospital for six months in 1928 and for the two years before his enlistment. From 1942 to 1945, he was a prisoner of war, and on his return in 1946, he went to Toowoomba as Superintendent of the Willowburn Hospital. In 1950, he succeeded Dr Stafford as Medical Superintendent at Goodna. He retired on 30th June 1965, and in that year Her Majesty honoured him for his services to Queensland by awarding him the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. A life member, Dr Boyce was still a regular visitor to the club in 1974. In 1963, "The Clive Boyce Cup" was established and immediately accorded honour board status. It is an Open Four Ball Best Ball Stableford played as a pipe opener on the Saturday preceding Opening Day. Harmony has always existed between the hospital and the club, and each of the three Medical Superintendents to follow Dr Ellerton has been a golfer, and each has been President of Gailes. At the hospital, Dr Stafford succeeded Dr Ellerton, and he handed over to Dr Boyce in 1950. In 1965, Dr Ormonde Orford succeeded Dr Boyce as President of the club, serving from 1970 to 1972. He also won the Queensland Golf Championship in 1920 and again in 1921. Military Service Captain Clive Rodney Boyce, a medical practitioner and psychiatrist, enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 29 August 1941. He embarked for service in Malaya in November 1941 and was subsequently posted to the 2 Australian Convalescent Depot. Captain Boyce was captured as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in early 1942 and interned in Changi Prisoner of War Camp, Singapore. In May-June 1943, he was appointed as the medical officer of 'J Force' and transferred to Kobe Camp in Japan. During his imprisonment, Captain Boyce continued his medical practice, diagnosing and treating his fellow prisoners. After the war, Captain Boyce returned to Australia and was discharged on 11 December 1945. Captain Clive Rodney Boyce Click to view Captain Clive Rodney Boyce Click to view Orme Orford 1965 - 1976 Dr Orme Orford was the first medical superintendent with psychiatric qualifications Click the image to view Trying it out at the Wolston Park Golf Course for the first time. Medical Superintendent Dr Orford, Former Head Nurse W Hind, Queensland Amateur Golf Champion, John Hay Harry (Don) Eastwell 1976 - 1978 Victor Matchett 1976 (Acting), 1978 (Acting), 1981 -1982 James Wood 1982 -83 (Acting), 1983 - 1990

Farm Complex The Farm wards were a part of Stafford's plan to provide a wider range of accommodation. In the late 1940s, he initiated plans for a new farm ward complex. Since the farm ward was established in the mid-1910s, it had proved to be an 'administrative success', but, like other wards, was overcrowded and in need of major improvements. The idea of a 'backward persons' colony had been signalled in the Backwards Persons Act of 1938 , and plans had been prepared for a new institution at Dalby. A lack of funding prevented this scheme from proceeding, and in the late 1940s, efforts were redirected to redeveloping the existing farm ward at Goodna. Initially, the new complex was to be built on the site of the existing farm ward, but a new site on the summit of an adjacent hill was selected and was erected by patient labour. The new complex comprised two large wards and a dining/recreation block. Ward A accommodated 75 patients. Ward B, with 100 beds, was managed as an open ward with the majority of inmates being classified as 'mentally deficient' and in need of less intensive supervision. The Farm Complex is located in the northwest portion of the site, near the river, and extends south along a winding vehicle road that connects the main patient ward areas north to the farm areas. A second road, Aveyron Road, carries on from the end of Explorers Walk and leads east up to the Basil Stafford Centre. A large dam is at the centre of the area, and there are former farm buildings/remnants to its north and south. The river flats were best suited for dairy farming, and on the adjacent ridge, a milking shed, storage sheds, and yards were built. A ward was built to accommodate patients working on the farm, along with two residences for farm staff. This 'farm colony' operated as a semi-independent unit. The ward block, built from an old ward in the main section, was used until the 1950s when a new complex was erected nearby. The buildings remained vacant until 1965. In 1965, the old farm ward became part of a new alcohol rehabilitation centre, The Institute for Inebriates at Marburg, which was established in 1916, closed, and transferred patients to Wacol. When they were converted into a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholics. New buildings were erected nearby as the clinic expanded. The clinic was closed in 1995. The Farm Ward Complex was comprised the following Piggery Remnants (1916-19) Remnants of the former piggery (1916-19) are located on the eastern side of Explorer’s Walk. All structures have been removed; however, the large, terraced area of land where the piggery stood retains concrete slabs and paths. An off-form reinforced concrete wall runs along the downhill edge of the area with a cast-iron pipe outlet, and low walls form a square concrete feature on its eastern side. Dam (1950) and Pump House (by 1956) The dam also has a submerged part of Joshua's Jeays Quarry, formed in a valley over a natural creek. The dam wall is a tall earth embankment with Explorer’s Walk running along its top, and on its western side is a concrete outlet partially lined with stone, discharging into the Brisbane River. An empty Pump House stands near the dam wall on the north side of the reservoir, built to feed the nearby farm areas and the distant vegetable gardens north of the Male Patients Area. It is a small rectangular building with a gable roof. Later Farm Ward for Male Patients (c1964, Weeroona) North of the Dam, standing on the western side of the intersection of Explorers Walk and Aveyron Road, is the Later Farm Ward for Male Patients. It is a large face-brick building, primarily one-storey, with a partial lower-ground-floor level beneath its southern section. It has a shallow-pitched gable roof with skylights and has been stripped of most internal linings, but retains most of its original floor plan layout. Most of the original windows and skylights have been removed, and it is now used as a police training centre. Farm Overseer’s House (1918, relocated within the police driver training complex area c2009-13) The Farm Overseer’s House was a residence erected in 1918 for the farm overseer when the farm ward was established. The building was constructed from materials from the former quarantine station on Peel Island, relocated from its original position nearby to the east, and now stands north of the later Farm Ward for Male Patients, and is a one-storey timber-framed and clad residence with a hip roof. In its new location, it has been rotated to face northeast and raised on steel and timber stumps. In 2020, it is vacant and used as a training centre for police. Early Farm Ward Kitchen and Dairy (1916) Standing east of the Farm Overseer’s House is the Early Farm Ward Kitchen and Dairy, built in 1916. These two small masonry buildings stand on a raised island, surrounded by a large lower area flattened to form a police driver training track. These buildings are the rear outbuildings of a large early farmyard that stood in front of them, which has been demolished. The kitchen fireplace has been demolished. Changes that have been made that are not of heritage significance include: adding a verandah awning to the south side of the kitchen building and an awning between buildings, cutting a door into the north wall of the scullery to connect it to the heating room, and enclosing the verandah on the south end of the Dairy building and adding a small extension to its north end. The buildings have been converted into a staff kitchenette, toilets, and track storage. Farm Sheds (1916) Two large Sheds were erected in 1916 as part of the development of the "farm colony". The larger shed served as a fodder store, and the other as a corn store. 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

Research Guide to Finding Asylum Information Before separation from New South Wales in 1859, the Moreton Bay region had no facilities for psychiatric treatment. Persons with mental health issues, or mentally disturbed persons, were sent to Brisbane Gaol or possibly to an asylum in Sydney. Many of the mental asylum records at Queensland State Archives were created by the Public Trustee (formerly the Public Curator) and Queensland Health (and related agencies). Some records are subject to restricted access periods. Further access information is provided below. You can find the records in ArchivesSearch (the Queensland State Archives’ catalogue). For those who have had family members pass away at the Goodna Asylum and been buried at one of the three asylum cemeteries that operated in the following years. Cemetery Site 1 (1865 - 1894) Cemetery Site 2 (1895 - 1912) Cemetery Site 3 (c1913-1945) Learn more here on our cemetery site page Records from the Public Trustee History The name of the Public Curator of Queensland changed to The Public Trustee of Queensland on 1 January 1979. It administers deceased estates and trusts, as well as other legal, financial, and property services. Access to Public Trustee records, which are subject to a 75-year restricted access period, is granted at the discretion of the Public Trustee. Queensland State Archives has a process for applying for access to these records. Please contact Queensland State Archives for details. Protective Management Files Circa1/1/1865–31/12/1995 Series ID S334 Access: 75 years This series consists of mental health patients' estate files for the Queensland institutions, including Goodna/Wolston Park (formerly Woogaroo), Sandy Gallop (Ipswich), and Willowburn (Toowoomba). Originally titled ‘insanity files’, the files may include forms, correspondence, personal details, date/s of admission and discharge, or dates of death, inter-departmental correspondence about financial, court and police matters, financial accounts such as statements of assets and liabilities, and property details. Search ArchivesSearch for the name of the patient; most protective management files are listed by the name of the patient. Not all protective management files were transferred to Queensland State Archives. If you don't find the name in ArchivesSearch, you can search the open indexes to Protective Management files, Series ID S19469; you will need to apply for access permission to view closed indexes. Indexes to Protective Management Files 10/1/1865–2/6/1982 Series ID S19469 Access: 75 years . This series contains alphabetical and numerical indexes to Protective Management Files, in which the Public Trustee, and previously the Public Curator and the Curator in Intestacy and Insanity, managed the financial affairs of a person (adult or minor) with a decision-making disability. Details recorded include name, date of admission, year and file number, including any changes to a file number. Indexes were previously known as Insanity Registers, Indexes to Mental Hygiene Files and Indexes to Mental Health Files. Note that the indexes may contain language that is now considered offensive and may cause distress. Other Public Trustee records Insanity – Register of Securities 4/3/1903–6/6/1917 Series ID S7638 Access: Open This register includes the name of the estate; securities held by the curator other than jewellery, certificates of title, or deeds of grant. Insanity and Charitable Institutions – Register of Inmates Estates 20/3/1919–29/11/1922 Series ID S7639 Access: Open This register includes the name of the patient, date of admission, value of property, date of death or discharge. Institutions referred to are as follows: Diamantina, Dunwich Epileptic Home, Westwood Sanatorium and Jubilee Sanatorium. Jubilee Sanatorium Register 18/1/1904–31/12/1916 Series ID S9607Access: Open. This register lists the patient's name, date of admission, number, date of discharge, and remarks. Protective Management Files (Public Trust Office, Redcliffe) Circa 1/1/1982–Circa 31/12/1997 Series ID S19467 Access: 75 years Records from Queensland Health Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum opened in 1865 with 69 patients. The hospital's name changed to Woogaroo Asylum, Hospital for the Insane Goodna, Goodna Mental Hospital, Wolston Park Hospital, and Park Centre for Mental Health Treatment, Research and Education. Case Books 5/11/1860–25/1/1951 Series ID S9051 Access: 100 years. To find case books, search the index to case books, Series ID S18202 Index to Case Books – Male and Female Circa 1/1/1909–Circa 31/12/1941 Series ID S18202 Access: 100 years. This index is used to find case books for patients in Series ID S9051 Registers of Patients and Admission Books 23/3/1861–18/3/1994Series ID S19140Access: 100 years. Registers record patients at Wolston Park/Ipswich Special Hospital / Challinor Centre, Ipswich, including admission date, name, sex, marital status, occupation, residence, religion, diagnosis, and date of discharge. Ward Book 1/1/1923–31/12/1923 Series ID S9063 Access: 100 years This volume comprises reports by the Charge Nurse on the first, second and night shifts in Female Ward 7 for the period 1 Jan 1923–31 Dec 1923. Access to Queensland Health records, Wolston Park - Goodna (Park Centre for Mental Health Treatment, Research and Education) records is subject to a 100-year restricted access period. Queensland Health requires all applications for access to restricted records to be under the Right to Information (RTI) legislation. Queensland Health grants access at its discretion. You can apply online, or download the application form and send it to Queensland Health. Privacy and Right to Information Unit Queensland Health GPO Box 48 BRISBANE QLD 4001 Ph: (07) 3234 1735 Email: RTI-Privacy@health.qld.gov.au An application fee is applicable. The summary of fees is at http://www.rti.qld.gov.au/fees-andcharges Other mental asylum records Insolvency, Intestacy and Insanity Office, Brisbane, Insanity Register of Patients 8/7/1899–13/8/1904 Series ID S7637 Access: Open This register records the following: date of admission, name of patient, age on admission, names and addresses of relatives, property, date of discharge and death, and remarks. Supreme Court, Southern District, Brisbane Insanity Files Circa 1/1/1885–Circa 31/12/1901 Series ID S15553 Access: Open Files may include a report from the Curator about the status of the patient, the estate, and judgment. Reception House for the Insane, Townsville Admission Register and Statistics Circa 1/1/1886–Circa 31/12/1891 Series ID S10349 Access: Open The register may include name, date of admission, age, social condition, number of children, occupation, nativity, residence, religion, mental disorder, and date of discharge. Court of Petty Sessions, Barcaldine Accounts of Estates in Intestacy and Insanity 6/4/1887–29/12/1911 Series ID S8795 Access: Open This is a ledger of accounts in intestacy and insanity. It records details of the deceased person's property, proceeds from auction sales, and disposal of the estate. Other information: helpful sites Archives Search Asylum Mental Patients 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 Misc Files | Goodna Asylum Trove Research Find a Grave Best resource ever, Ancestry .com

The Laundry Built-in 1918 The laundry was erected in 1918, replacing an earlier building that had been seriously damaged by fire in 1916. The building cost £17,000 and included a steam laundry plant, water services, and electric light. This one-storey brick building measures 123 feet by 188 feet. The building contained a receiving room for dirty linen, drying cabinets, an ironing and folding room, a distributing room for clean linen, an engineer's workshop, a store and a mess room. All rooms were equipped with the latest appliances to handle laundry work on the site. The building's design was based on the laundry at Brisbane General Hospital. In 2025, the building is used as an office and a canteen, with hospital complex-related paraphernalia stored within, including a straitjacket, a gurney, medical implements, a gramophone and records, sewing machines, and a restraint chair. It also has a Leadlight window depicting St Dymphna removed from the hospital’s demolished catholic chapel. Chronology 1918: construction 1947: additional toilet accommodation was added to the western elevation. 1957: awning to western elevation over dispatch platform 1961: workshop converted to staff 1962: Office for the Superintendent 1963: new store 1964: alterations to the male staffroom 1967: glass louvres installed together with fly-screening 1970: additional toilet accommodation 1895 Drain Plan from Laundry to Brisbane River Click to view The Laundry front side Click to view The Laundry rear Click to view The Laundry rear Click to view The Laundry front Click to view The laundry Awnings Click to view Leadlight window depicting St Dymphna (installed in Laundry c2007) removed from the hospital’s demolished catholic chapel Click to view Patient Labour Asylum Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Layout Plans 1 Click to view Layout Plans 2 Click to view Chief Engineer letter 1957 Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view Photos from heritage report Click to view

Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Other buildings Photographic record of buildings at Wolston Park Hospital that were demolished in June 2009. 27282 Heritage Survey Photographic Records Lyle Radford; Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Other buildings (slq.qld.gov.au) Link to album Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Farm Complex Photographic record of buildings at Wolston Park Hospital that were demolished in June 2009. 27282 Heritage Survey Photographic Records. Thom (Thomas Wesley), 1953- Blake; Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Farm complex (slq.qld.gov.au) Link to album Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Female Recreation Block Photographic record of buildings at Wolston Park Hospital that were demolished in June 2009. 27282 Heritage Survey Photographic Records. Thom (Thomas Wesley), 1953- Blake; Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Female recreation block (slq.qld.gov.au) Link to album Wolston Park Hospital Complex: Workshops Photographic record of buildings at Wolston Park Hospital that were demolished in June 2009. Thomas (Thomas Wesley), 1953- Blake; Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland 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 1970 Black & White Collection 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

Bostock House Built in 1885, extended in 1901, c. 1924 Bostock House ( former f emale p atient ward 6) is named in honour of a Brisbane doctor, Professor John Bostock, who was Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland and used to take a great interest in Wolston Park. Today, it stands to the north of Anderson House, set back from and facing Ellerton Drive. It is one of only five buildings on the site surviving from the 19th century. It was erected as part of a major building program on the site during the 1800s. The building was similar to other female wards and accommodated 52 female patients. In 1901, a scullery was added to the northern end and a lavatory at the southern end. Metal fire escape stairs were added in 1910, as were glass observation doors in 19l3 and servery hatches in 1914. Extra bathing accommodation was provided in 1924 by extending the scullery and converting the old lavatory into a pantry. In 1927-8, a 14-foot-wide sleeping balcony was added to the western side of the building to provide extra sleeping accommodation. The interior was also extensively altered by opening the day room and dormitories into the adjacent passages to increase the area. This required removing a load-bearing partition running the length of the building and inserting a large rolled steel joist and two cast iron columns. The ground floor was replaced. In 1950, part of the western verandah was enclosed to form a laundrette. Bostock House underwent extensive repairs in 1958. The building retains its open, semi-formal garden setting. In 2026, the building accommodates Rotary and is highly intact. Fire stairs added (c. 1969) to the rear verandah and over the front verandah (since removed) are not of state-level cultural heritage significance. Bostock House was one of five similar wards constructed between 1878 and the mid-1890s, and is the only one that survives from that period. Chronology: Research Note: The 1924 and 1927 additions should also be conserved. 1884: building construction completed 1901: scullery and toilets were added to the western and eastern ends 1910: fire escape to the northern elevation 1924: additional bathing accommodation 1927: sleeping verandah to northern elevation, internal alterations 1958: original windows replaced by steel frame windows Earliest known photo of Bostock House in 1907 Click to view 1938 photo of Bostock House with the Recreation Hall to the right. Click to view Bostock House 1935 Click to view Bostock House 2024 Click to view Bostock rear Click to view Bostock bathrooms Click to view Bostock rear Click to view Architecture beauty Click to view Night side Click to view Night rear Click to view Old window Click to view Old window Click to view Front night Click to view Front side Click to view Brick and sandstone Click to view Entrance Click to view Door Click to view Inside top Click to view inside bottom Click to view Verandah Click to view Front entrance Click to view Window looking towards old women's Click to view original street sign Click to view Garden Click to view Night side 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

Well The Well is located about 140m east of the Administration Building and is largely intact at the Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit section. Constructed of brick and sandstone, the underground dome well has a narrow circular opening at ground level and is approximately 6m in diameter at depth. The well is concealed by a concrete slab and a metal access panel, neither of which is of state-level cultural heritage significance. Features of the Well of cultural heritage significance also include: Form, scale, and materials: circular-shaped underground dome form; narrow circular dressed sandstone opening at ground level; interior brick walls with evidence of whitewash finish Terracotta pipes feeding into/out of the well interior

Residential Area The residential area sat at the end of the main drive on an elevated position. It comprised several residences that overlooked the golf course. Most residences in this area were built after 1960, but three were built before 1920. The first building in this area was the former medical superintendent's residence. It was erected in 1898 following damage to the existing residence, which was situated near the original male wards. It is the most substantial residence on the site, befitting the medical superintendent's status. It was built of brick with terra cotta tiles and comprised spacious rooms and verandahs. The grounds were landscaped over time, creating a distinctly private area for the medical superintendent and his family. The former assistant medical superintendent's residence was erected in 1912 following a fire in the existing building. The new structure was of timber, and the planning was typical of a large Queensland residence but less substantial than the medical superintendent's residence. Both residences have been altered and extended, but still clearly retain their residential function and character. Residence D is the only other early residence in the area. It is less substantial than the others and is of minor significance in demonstrating the range of accommodation provided for staff. More to come soon Click to view

The Administration Building Built-in 1917 The original administration block was a small, unpretentious timber building erected in 1894 and situated in a less-than-prominent position The new Administration block was built as a two-storey brick building with a tiled roof. It was completed in 1917 as part of the major building program during the 1910s under the direction of HB Ellerton. Ellerton first suggested a new administration building as early as 1910, but no action was taken. He again requested a new block in 1914, and approval was granted. Choosing an appropriate location for a building intended to be the centrepiece of the institution was not easy. Eventually, a decision was made to demolish male ward no 8 for the new block. William Ewart prepared the plans in the Department of Works; construction commenced in 1916, and the building was completed the following year. The ground floor comprised offices for the medical officers, matron, head attendant and clerk; a hall, porters' room, library, pathological and photographic room, dispensary, strong room, surgery and visiting rooms. Toilets opened off the entrance porches constructed at both ends of the ground floor. The upper storey contained a flat in the central portion, with a sitting room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a store. The building was built of brick and with a Marseilles tiled roof. The exterior featured exposed brickwork to sill height, with roughcast above and a light ochre finish. The main entrance featured a porte-cochere, and the roof was capped with a decorative fleche. Governor Goold-Adams officially opened the building on 6 October 1917, along with the new kitchen. Superintendent Ellerton believed the portico at the main entrance made the new building more dignified and imposing in 1911. After the administration block and hospital were built in the 1910s, the area in front of the buildings was landscaped with formal gardens and a driveway. The area opposite was also landscaped with paths and a lawn where patients met visitors. Inmates built terraces between the Administration building and the new hospital, and five sets of concrete steps were built from the lawn to the hospital and to male wards 1 and 5. When a dentist was added to the staff in 1928, an upstairs room was divided into two rooms, one for pathological work and the other for dental surgery. In 1957, the rear verandah was enclosed. In 2025, a considerable collection of hospital complex-related paraphernalia is housed in cabinets in the medical superintendent’s office on the ground floor. Chronology : 1917: building construction was completed 1957: rear verandah enclosed with louvres 1915 Layout Plan Click to view 1938 Photograph of Administration Building & Laundry Building Click to view Front Entrance 1949 Click to view Rear Entrance 1949 Click to view Administration Building Unknown Year Click to view Air Raid Siren Click to view Rear Entrance Click to view Gardens Click to view Front Entrance Click to view Rear Entrance Click to view War memorial honour board which hung in Gunni House former Hospital Ward Click to view Inside Staircase Click to view Inside Office Click to view Rear Entrance Click to view Front Side Stairs Click to view Front Verandah Click to view Front Verandah Click to view Rear stairs with original sandstone guttering Click to view Inside Archway Click to view Rear Verandah Click to view Front Entrance Click to view Front Entrance Click to view Front Stairs Click to view Front Click to view Front looking towards the Laundry Click to view