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What's in a name?
The Kew Asylum.

Individuals with mental


health issues have always
been
vulnerable
and
society has struggled to
know how to deal with
people
with
these
conditions. While the need
for
institutionalised
medical care has long
been recognised, there has
been a level of fear and
lack of understanding of
the plight faced by people
with psychiatric illness.
Historically the inability to
define
psychological
Kew Asylum, 1885-1887
ailments has resulted in
the abuse of the concept of mental illness as a catch all for misfits and
troublesome individuals that could not conform to societies norms. Between the
late 19th to early 20th century, people who had any form of disorder, mental or
physical, were liable to be locked away into asylums. In contrast to attitudes
prevalent in society today, these patients were placed in these facilities for
incarceration, not for rehabilitation1. The Kew Asylum was founded in 1871 and
operated in one form or another until 1988. Founded in an era in which
institutions for the insane were intended as a means of insuring public order
rather than providing for the needs of patients, the Kew Asylum was operated
along the lines of a jail rather than a hospital. Frequently, there were news articles
accusing and inquiring about the facilities, or lack thereof, and the hospitals
approach to the treatment of their patients. For the purposes of this article, the
people who resided in the Kew Asylum will be referred to as 'patients'. However,
until 1933, in the Mental Hygiene Act2 declared that people referred to as 'idiots'
or 'inmates' should be referred to as 'patients'. This is one representation of the
development of societys expectations since 1933. In this period, the Government
was more concerned dealing with the image of these hospitals, rather than
1 Victoria, Parliament, Kew, Victoria, 2005
<http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?
component=daViewAgency&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Collection/Browse%20The
%20Collection/Agency%20Details&entityId=2840> accessed 8th October 2015
2 Mental Hygiene Act 1993 (Vic) s1C, iv

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managing the issues at hand. The history behind the title changes of Kew Asylum
and the rationale for these changes reflects on perceived changes in public
attitudes and attempts by successive governments to appear to be sympathetic
with these changes. I will argue that rather than making substantive alterations to
the mental health system that would improve the care and treatment of those
with psychiatric illnesses, the series of name changes at Kew Asylum typify a
broader public relations exercise intended to lull the public into a false sense that
real improvements were under way. Through specific examples of issues prevalent
at Kew Asylum I will attempt to illustrate a wider phenomenon pervading the
mental health system in late 19 th century Australia and which has implications for
the contemporary mental health system.

What's in a name?
Since 1871, the title of the Kew Asylum had changed
about every thirty years, and over 140 years Victorian
mental health was substantially re-written seven
times3. In 1903, Kew Asylum was renamed 'Hospital
for the Insane' or 'Kew Hospital for the Insane', under
the Lunacy Act. However, this act was not enforced
until 19054. Taking into account the ideas of this time
(1903-1933) about people with mental and physical
disabilities, the title of the Kew Asylum changing to
'Hospital for the Insane', or 'Kew Hospital for the
Insane' was a fairly dramatic one. The use of the term
'insane' in referring to these patients was not as seen
as demeaning or insulting as it is perceived today. The
Horrors of the Kew Asylum,
title 'Hospital for the Insane' is the most interesting as
1876
it came with the connotations that it was only for
people who had severe mental health issues rather than a haphazard collection of
troublesome individuals. Then again in 1933, the Mental Hygiene Act determined
that all Houses for the Insane are to be renamed as 'Mental Hospitals' 5. The switch
in 1933 by the Mental Hygiene Act had been prompted by the influx of newly
returning soldiers from the First World War and the increased demand for these
asylums, across Australia, for the treatment for postwar mental health issues 6.
3 Neil Rees, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper
given Mental Health Review Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December 2007 <
http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015,
1.
4 Victoria, Parliament, Health, Mental, Victoria,
http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?
component=daViewFunction&entityId=128 accessed 9th October 2015
5 Ibid.
6 Neil Rees, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper
given Mental Health Review Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December 2007 <
http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015,

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The last revision was in 1960, when these hospitals were renamed Psychiatric
Hospitals, by the Mental Health Act (1959)7. The Kew Hospital is now known as the
Willsmere Psychiatric Hospital. The relevance of these changes is to show the
evolution of how the Government and society had shifted their thinking about the
purpose of these hospitals and the attitudes towards the patients within them.
The attitudes towards the management of mental health across Australia had
greatly shifted since the 1840s 8. Previous to these hospitals opening, those with
mental or physical disabilities were, usually, locked away in jails, house of
correction or in a public hospital9. Under the Legal Provision Act (1843) 10, if a
person was certified as a 'dangerous lunatic' or 'dangerous idiot' they could be
send away until deemed fit, or, if it was decided they would not be deemed fit,
sent to a colonial lunatic asylum 11. A poem found in the New Castle Morning
Herald, classified idiots12 described that they would roam the streets Eyes a
glaring, vacant staring, When a-walking lowly talking, Swearing, tearing, rags awearing,13. Even something as simple as changing the name of a psychiatric
hospital shows the development of the overall treatment of these patients across
Australia. However, even though the changes the government had made about
these establishments were a positive aspect of this time, the facilities within the
Kew hospital were still in desperate need of many improvements.
The issues pertaining to the title of the facility
were minuscule compared to the controversial
practices happening within the walls of the Kew
Asylum. In 1935, doctors had spoken against the
conditions in the wards, It is so over-crowded
that beds have to be made up on the floor every
night. The patients clothes are appalling, yet
New Castle Morning Herald - 1889
many of the people in there are sane for most of
the time. It is terrible to think that they live under
far worse conditions than men in gaol, 14. This did not improve over the next few
decades. In 1947 a reporter claimed these patients were in worse conditions than
those in 17th Century, England15. The lack of Government funding led to a culture
1 6.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Neil Rees, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper
given Mental Health Review Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December 2007 <
http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015,
1 6.
10 Legal Provision Act 1843 (Vic) s3
11 Ibid.
12 'Idiots' New Castle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate, 23rd March 1889, in Trove [online database], accessed 9th
October 2015
13 Ibid.
14 'Conditions At Kew Mental Hospital: Doctors Demand Improvement', The Argus, 8th October 1935, 12, in Trove [online
database] accessed 10th October 2015
15 'Kew Mental Asylum Conditions', Daily Examiner, 26th June 1947, 1, in Trove [online database], accessed 10th October
2015

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of neglect allowing much of the building to fall apart and rot away, letting birds
and animals run free throughout the facilities 16. The postwar economic growth 17
(circa 1950s) and public opinion had forced the Government to improve the
buildings condition for the patients and better training for the staff. The changes
in the public view of the hospital and the importance of improving the conditions
were vital aspects to understand why the government had decided to change the
title numerous times throughout the asylum's operation. In February 1922, an
article had been released stating the accommodations...is more like a dungeon
than anything else18. It is also important to decipher the differences of what the
public knew about Kew hospital and what was actually happening in the wards.

Who was it all really for?


So who was this really all for? If the reforms within Kew, concerning the
treatments and facilities, were not amended until the 1950s 19, then who actually
cared about the changing name of the Kew hospital? It
seems that this was only for the general public. However,
it is important to highlight that these recognised changes
did have an overall impact on how mental health was
perceived across Australia. Although, at the times of these
changes, the actuality of this impact was not as important
as creating an improved environment for these patients.
An article was released in The Argus, on the 22nd July
1876, named A Month in Kew Asylum and Yarra Bend20. A
vagabond, the author of this article, dwelled in the asylum
and wrote of their time as a patient. They wrote of the
good natured patients, excellent conditions and
hospitable staff. In analysing this article, the obvious
conclusion is that it was a piece of propaganda written for
the public. Although, what this author has written may not
Hospitals for the
have been false, it does seem to ignore the primary issues
Insane/Mental Hygiene
about the Kew establishment. The contention of this
Act, 1933
article focuses on the importance of how the
establishment was built and does away with that gaol appearance and feeling
16 'Kew Asylum Buildings: Inspection Permitted, Disgraceful Conditions', The Argus, 9th February 1922, 7, in Trove
[online database] accessed 11th October 2015
17 State Library of Victoria, 1912-1952: A Terrible Reproach to the Public Conscience Kew Cottages [website] (2015)
<http://www.kewcottageshistory.com.au/> accessed 12th October 2015
18 'Lunatics Asylum: Shocking Neglect' The Argus, 7th February 1922, 7, in Trove [online database] accessed 11th October
2015
19 Neil Rees, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper
given Mental Health Review Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December 2007 <
http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015,
5.
20 A Vagabond, 'A Month in Kew Asylum and Yarra Bend', The Argus, 22nd July 1876, 4, in Trove [online database]
accessed 6th October 2015

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inculcated by the high walls of old asylums,21. Based on this article alone, the
Kew Asylum seems like an excellent arrangement 22. However, no less than
seven months later, another article was released by the Parliamentary Library 23
that reported the impoverished conditions in Kew. The Parliamentary report
argues the complete opposite of the vagabond article. Whether this article was
written as a public relations exercise or was a genuine report of one persons
experience in the facility is up to speculation. However, this article seems to have
been funded by the asylum itself, to counter public criticism and provide a
positive view of the institution. These conflicting articles highlight the potential
discomfort of those assigned responsibility for management of the Kew asylum
and illustrate the perceived value in rallying public support.

1933: Mental Hygiene Act and the World Wars.


One of the most interesting title changes to Kew was by the Mental Hygiene Act of
1933. This new legislation was not only for the benefit for those pre-existing
patients, but for the arrival of new patients proceeding the First World War. Many
soldiers returning home after the war had developed mental issues, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)24. This, in turn, created a need for new facilities.
Although, this legislation came many years after the war had ended. It is
important to highlight that the push for a new legislation seemingly had been
driven by the influx of soldiers not for the improvement of pre-existing patients
in Kew25. This specific Act had limited scope of change. Much of the amendments
were to the previous Lunacy Act, with the exception of changing the name from
'House of the Insane' to 'Mental Hospital'26. Although this Act did not promote
substantial change within the hospitals, the development of medications in this
period had a profound affect. After the Second World War, the discovery of Lithium
carbonate27, a mood stabliser28 and chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic 29, greatly
developed the treatment of patients. In this respect it was new technology rather
than new legislation and improved funding that provided the impetus for
substantial change.
So what does it all matter now? This phase in management of mental health has
passed, yet, yet is still significant to the hospitalization of people with mental
21 A Vagabond, 'A Month in Kew Asylum and Yarra Bend', The Argus, 22nd July 1876, 4, in Trove [online database]
accessed 6th October 2015
22 Ibid.
23 'Kew Lunatic Asylum', The Age, 21st December 1876, in Trove [online database], accessed 6th October 2015
24 Neil Rees, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper
given Mental Health Review Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December 2007 <
http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015,
1 6.
25 'Mental Patients Increasing', The Argus, 10th June 1949, 5, in Trove [online database], accessed 6th October 2015
26 Mental Hygiene Act 1993 (Vic) s1
27 Gretchen Reevy et al., Encyclopedia of Emotion (California: Greenwood, 2011), 353.
28
Cathy Melfi Curtis, et al., Psychiatic Mental Health Nursing Success (USA: F. A. Davis Company, 2013), 296.
29 Cathy Melfi Curtis, et al., Psychiatic Mental Health Nursing Success (USA: F. A. Davis Company, 2013), 15.

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illnesses today. The numerous name changes of Kew Hospital highlighted the
efforts to create a facade for the public. Tracing the evolution of the titles given
Kew Hospital shows the progressing attempts to humanise the patients and in
turn, the attempts to improve the patients lives. Prior to the 1950s, the approach
to these patients often had detrimental effects on their mental and physical wellbeing. The majority of these hospitals were deemed a place for incarceration, not
rehabilitation. Subsequent to the 1950s, the introduction of medications and
adequate treatments for the patients had an enormous effect on how these
hospitals had operated. Since the late 1800s in Australia, the approach to people
with mental, and physical, illnesses had come a long way. People were no longer
being locked away in prison-like rooms because of their illnesses. Nor were
patients punished to hinder them from 'acting out'. The practices in these
Australian hospitals were used worldwide, Kew Hospital was decommissioned in
1988. Other hospitals followed suit. Of the 42 mental health hospitals in operation
across Australian history, only about 10 remain today. Once the institutions were
decommissioned, the majority of the people previously housed in institutional care
were left to find their own way in the world. The few hospitals that remained have
been reformed and the patients are treated more humanely. No longer physically
prisoners, but many still prisoners of their own minds. Individuals with mental
illness are no longer treated like prisoners within uncaring institutions. However,
the dismantling of the institutional system and failure to replace it with adequate
community care has striking parallels with the attempts to appear to reform the
historical mental health system by simply making changes to the names of
institutions. According to the findings in the Report of the National Inquiry into the
Human Rights of People with Mental Illness (1993), the savings resulting from the
decommission of institutions have not been redirected into mental health services
in the community30.
In more recent times, the National Disability Insurance
Scheme has laid out plans to create some positive changes, and give people with
all types of disabilities and their carers a change to control their own lives without
taking away their current support systems. This is a progression from the past
treatment of people with disabilities and provides some hope for an end to the
tradition of dealing with the image and not the issues in mental health care.

30 Australian Human Rights Commission, Report of the National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental
Illness (1993) https://www.humanrights.gov.au/report-national-inquiry-human-rights-people-mental-illness, accessed
17th October 2015

Bibliography:
Primary:

A Vagabond, 'A Month in Kew Asylum and Yarra Bend', The Argus, 22nd July
1876, 4, in Trove [online database] accessed 6th October 2015

'Conditions At Kew Mental Hospital: Doctors Demand Improvement', The


Argus, 8th October 1935, 12, in Trove [online database] accessed 10th
October 2015

'Idiots' New Castle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate, 23rd March 1889,
in Trove [online database], accessed 9th October 2015

'Kew Asylum Buildings: Inspection Permitted, Disgraceful Conditions', The


Argus, 9th February 1922, 7, in Trove [online database] accessed 11th
October 2015

'Kew Lunatic Asylum', The Age, 21st December 1876, in Trove [online
database], accessed 6th October 2015

'Kew Mental Asylum Conditions', Daily Examiner, 26th June 1947, 1, in Trove
[online database], accessed 10th October 2015

Legal Provision Act 1843 (Vic) s3

'Lunatics Asylum: Shocking Neglect' The Argus, 7th February 1922, 7, in


Trove [online database] accessed 11th October 2015

Mental Hygiene Act 1993 (Vic) s1

'Mental Patients Increasing', The Argus, 10th June 1949, 5, in Trove [online
database], accessed 6th October 2015

Secondary:

Australian Human Rights Commission, Report of the National Inquiry into


the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness (1993)
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/report-national-inquiry-human-rightspeople-mental-illness, accessed 17th October 2015

Curtis, Cathy Melfi, et al., Psychiatic Mental Health Nursing Success (USA: F.
A. Davis Company, 2013)

Rees, Neil, Learning from the past, Looking to the Future: is Victorian
Mental Health Law Ripe for Reform? paper given Mental Health Review
Board of Victorias 20th Anniversary Conference, Melbourne, 6th December
2007 <http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/MHRB
%2BConference%2BPaper.pdf> accessed 15th October 2015.

Reevy, Gretchen, et al., Encyclopedia of Emotion (California: Greenwood,


2011)

State Library of Victoria, 1912-1952: A Terrible Reproach to the Public


Conscience Kew Cottages [website] (2015)
<http://www.kewcottageshistory.com.au/> accessed 12th October 2015

Victoria, Parliament, Health, Mental, Victoria,


http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer
?component=daViewFunction&entityId=128 accessed 9th October 2015

Victoria, Parliament, Kew, Victoria, 2005


<http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContain
er?component=daViewAgency&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the
%20Collection/Browse%20The%20Collection/Agency
%20Details&entityId=2840> accessed 8th October 2015

Images (in order of appearance):


1. Charles Nettleton, Kew Lunatic Asylum Australia [image] (ca. 1885-87)
<http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?
vid=MAIN&docId=SLV_VOYAGER1718254&fn=permalink> accessed 17th October 2015

2. Horrors of Kew Asylum [image] (1876)


<http://cpn.unimelb.edu.au/psychiatric_nursing_history_archive/the_history_archive/photographs_an
d_film> accessed 18th October 2015

3. 'Idiots' New Castle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate, 23rd March 1889, in Trove

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[online database], accessed 9th October 2015
4. Mental Hygiene Act 1993 (Vic)

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