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Agency VA 2845
Royal Park (Receiving House 1907-1909; Hospital for the Insane 1909-1934; Mental Hospital 1934-1954; Psychiatric Hospital 1954-ct)
About this Agency Records Related Functions Related Agencies
Date Range: 1907 - cont
 
Description of this AgencyDescription of this Agency
Establishment and Development of Services

Royal Park was opened as a Receiving House in September 1907. Receiving Houses were used to provide accommodation for those patients who required only short term diagnosis and treatment. No person was to be detained in a receiving house for more than two months in any event. Patients diagnosed as insane were transferred to a Hospital for the Insane by order of the Superintendent of the Receiving House.

On 7 April 1909 Royal Park was gazetted as a Receiving House and a Hospital for the Insane.

Since its establishment the title of the institution as Royal Park has been altered to reflect both the community's changing attitude towards mental illness and the Victorian Government's approach to the treatment of mentally disturbed persons. Despite the changes in designation the structure and function of the agency has not altered significantly, therefore the institution has been registered as one continuous agency. The Mental Hygiene Act 1933 (No.4157) altered the title of all "Hospitals for the Insane" to "Mental Hospitals" (proclaimed 14.2.1934).

A Hospital for the Insane/Mental Hospital was any public building proclaimed by the Governor-in-Council and published in the Government Gazette as a place for the reception of insane persons. A Hospital for the Insane\Mental Hospital could also provide wards for the temporary reception of patients as well as long term patients. Up until 1954 Royal Park functioned as a mental hospital for long term patients and a receiving house for short term patients. In April 1954 Royal Park's function as a Mental Hospital was revoked, published in the Government Gazette on 7 April 1954.

From 1954 Royal Park has functioned as a hospital providing short term diagnosis and accommodation only. The Mental Health Act 1959 (No.6605) (operational since 1962) changed the title of "Receiving House" to "psychiatric hospital".

A special Military Mental Hospital was opened at Royal Park in 1915. The date range of this agency is unknown.

Legislation

Lunacy Act 1890
Lunacy Act 1903
Lunacy Act 1915
Mental Treatment Act 1915
Lunacy Act 1928
Mental Hygiene Act 1933
Mental Hygiene Act 1958
Health Commission Act 1977
Mental Health Act 1986.

Location of Records

Some clinical and administrative records are held by the Public Record Office.
 
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    PROVguide059 Mental Health Records
Record series created by this AgencyRecord series created by this Agency
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Date Range Series Title Series Number Series Location Public Access
1907 - ? 1913 Nominal Register of Patients VPRS 7423 North Melbourne Open
1907 - 1968 Asylum Records (including Register of Patients 1907-1912) VPRS 7481 North Melbourne Part Open
1909 - ? 1912 Annual Examination of Patients Register VPRS 7414 North Melbourne Open
1909 - ? 1927 Trial Leave Register [1909 - 1927] Register of Escapees [1914 - 1924] VPRS 7454 North Melbourne Open
1931 - ? 1952 Post Mortem Registers VPRS 7433 North Melbourne Closed
1946 - ? 1967 Head Nurses Daily Report Books VPRS 7439 North Melbourne Closed
1956 - ? 1966 Post Mortem Registers [Pathology Laboratory] VPRS 7436 North Melbourne Closed
By 1919 - 1935 Correspondence VPRS 7539 North Melbourne Part Open
By 1944 - ? 1955 Social Worker Histories VPRS 7538 North Melbourne Closed
Functions for which this Agency has or has had primary responsibilityFunctions for which this Agency has or has had primary responsibility
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Functions for which this Agency has or has had secondary responsibilityFunctions for which this Agency has or has had secondary responsibility
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Superior AgenciesSuperior Agencies
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Date of Relationship Agency Title Agency Number
1907 - 1934 Lunacy Department (located in Chief Secretary's Department) VA 2864
1934 - 1944 Department of Mental Hygiene (located in Chief Secretary's Department VA 475) VA 2865
1944 - 1978 Mental Hygiene Branch, Department of Health I VA 2866
Subordinate AgenciesSubordinate Agencies
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Related AgenciesRelated Agencies
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Groups containing this AgencyGroups containing this Agency
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1907 - cont Health and Welfare Agencies VRG 8
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