Ipswich Mental Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ipswich Mental Hospital |
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Building in 2016
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| Location | 3 Parker Avenue, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Built | 1933–1940 |
| Architect | Queensland Works Department |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Official name: Challinor Centre, Ipswich Hospital for the Insane, Ipswich Mental Hospital, Sandy Gallop Asylum | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 December 1996 |
| Reference no. | 601821 |
| Significant period | 1908–1946 (fabric) 1878–1968 (historical) |
| Significant components | tree groups – copse, bathroom/bathhouse, machinery/plant/equipment – health/care services, ward – block, boiler room/boiler house, flagpole/flagstaff, kitchen/kitchen house, hall – concert, other – health/care services: component, garden/grounds, disinfecting room, trees/plantings, kerbing and channelling, laundry / wash house, tank – reservoir, driveway, tree groups – avenue of, hospital, orchard, store/s / storeroom / storehouse, garden – bed/s, pathway/walkway, office/administration building, chimney/chimney stack |
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The Ipswich Mental Hospital was a special hospital in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by the Queensland Works Department and built between 1933 and 1940. This place is also known by other names like Ipswich Hospital for the Insane, Sandy Gallop Asylum, and Challinor Centre. It is important because it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register since 1996.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Hospital
Early Days: Sandy Gallop Asylum
The hospital first opened in 1878 and was called Sandy Gallop Asylum. It started as a smaller part of the Goodna asylum. The site was quite large, covering 140 acres on the edge of Ipswich. The main building was made of timber and masonry. It had rooms for sleeping and day rooms for patients. At first, it mostly cared for people who needed long-term support. By the 1880s, over 100 patients lived there.
Growing and Changing Names
More and more people needed special care, so Sandy Gallop became its own separate hospital. From 1910, it was known as the Ipswich Hospital for the Insane. Many new buildings were added between 1908 and 1917. These included wards for male and female patients, a hospital section, an administration building, a laundry, and a recreation hall. There was also a kitchen, a boiler house, and a home for the head doctor. By 1920, almost 450 patients were living at the hospital.
In 1938, laws about mental health care changed. Because of this, the hospital's name changed again to the Ipswich Mental Hospital. The number of patients kept growing in the 1940s and 1950s. This led to problems like too many patients for the space and not enough staff. More buildings were added in the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, these new additions did not fully solve the overcrowding issues. By the 1960s, more than 600 patients were living there.
A New Purpose: Challinor Centre
In 1968, mental health services were reorganized. The hospital then became a training center for people with intellectual disabilities. It was renamed the Challinor Centre and updated. In 1973, the original building from 1878 was taken down. A much larger brick building replaced it. Other new buildings included a canteen in 1978 and workshops in 1979. A staff development center was also built in 1981.
The Challinor Centre focused on providing fun activities for its residents. In 1978, a sports oval was built on what used to be part of the hospital's farm. These changes aimed to give the Challinor Centre a new identity. It was meant to be different from its past as a hospital for mental health. Many older buildings were removed if possible. By the late 1970s, most signs of the old farm, like sheds, were gone. Some parts of the nurses' quarters were also removed in 1981. The former home of the head doctor was taken down in 1984 after a fire.
Since the 1970s, there has been a focus on helping people live more independently. This has meant fewer people living at the center. Residents have been encouraged to move into homes in the community. The Challinor Centre officially closed in 1998. After its closure, the site became part of the University of Queensland. In 2015, the campus was transferred to the University of Southern Queensland. However, the University of Queensland still runs some courses there.
What Does It Look Like Now?
The Challinor Centre has many important buildings and features. These include:
- the old patient buildings, called pavilions:
- Blair Pavilion (built in 1908)
- Byron House (built in 1917)
- Charles Pavilion (built in 1917)
- Clair House (built in 1917)
- Dagmar House (built in 1933)
- buildings in the central area used for administration, recreation, and services:
- the Administration Building (built in 1914)
- Bakery (built in 1913)
- Bath Houses (built in 1913)
- Boiler house and Chimney (built in 1913 and 1946)
- Former Disinfecting Room (built in 1919)
- Kitchen (built in 1913)
- Laundry (built in 1912)
- Store (built in 1917)
- Recreation Hall (built in 1916)
- the former hospital building:
- Grace House (built in 1917)
- other features like old trees, open grounds, roads, and a water Reservoir (built in 1914).
The site is entered from Parker Avenue. The hospital was planned with separate areas for male and female patients. The administration and service buildings were placed in the middle. The buildings were arranged in a special way, like spokes on a wheel. This allowed them to be built on the ridge, giving patients the best views. The roads also follow this circular pattern.
Important Buildings and Features
Many of the important buildings are well-designed and look good. Blair Pavilion is the largest building. It has a special "Arts and Crafts" style with dark bricks and stucco walls. The Administration Building looks grand with its "neo-classical Georgian" style. It makes an impressive sight when you enter the site. Other buildings in the service area also have the Arts and Crafts style. Some buildings are brick bungalows, built low to the ground. This made it easy for patients to access the outdoor areas. These include Dagmar House, Byron House, Charles Pavilion, Clair House, and Grace House.
The site has large grounds with many old trees and some gardens. Some trees are from the original entrance driveway. The palm trees in front of the Administration Building were planted soon after it was built. There is also a circular garden that still exists, though the plants have changed. You can also see parts of the old "sunken fences." These fences were built low so patients could see the views, but still be safely contained.
Why This Place is Important
The Challinor Centre is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it shows important parts of Queensland's history.
A Special Kind of Care
This place is a great example of an asylum built on the idea of "moral treatment." This idea was popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. It meant that patients should have a pleasant environment. At Challinor, you can see this in the wide views, well-designed buildings, separate areas for male and female patients, and the sunken fences. It also included gardens, fresh air, and ways for patients to work and have fun.
The Challinor Centre also played a key role in helping people with intellectual disabilities in Queensland. For a long time, people with intellectual disabilities were just grouped with others needing mental health care. But as understanding grew, the first special facilities for children were built at Challinor in 1933. This building, later called Dagmar House, cared for children with severe intellectual and physical disabilities. From the mid-1930s, Challinor focused more and more on these children.
Unique Design and Features
The way Challinor was planned, with buildings arranged in a circle to get the best views, is unique in Queensland. The large grounds and views from the site are very important. Buildings were placed to take advantage of these views. The sunken fences helped patients feel free while still being safe. The site also shows how important work and recreation were for patients. Even though most of the farm is gone, the laundry, kitchen, and other workrooms show where patients used to work. The recreation hall is still mostly the same. There was also a tennis court and a golf course, mainly for staff but also for patients.
Blair Pavilion is especially important. It is a very good example of a building designed for "moral treatment." It shows how patients were separated, how important pleasant surroundings were, and how much value was placed on fresh air, exercise, and recreation.
Beautiful Architecture
The buildings at Challinor Centre are also important for their beautiful design. Many were built between 1908 and 1916 by the Queensland Works Department. This was a "golden era" for their designs, and many fine public buildings were created then. Blair Pavilion is a great example of the "Federation Arts and Crafts" style. The Administration Building, designed by a talented architect named A. S. Hook, is a fine example of the "Georgian" style. It makes a grand entrance to the site.
The Challinor Centre is also a landmark in Ipswich. It sits on one of the highest ridges, so you can see it from many parts of the town. This open view adds to its important look.
Advanced Planning and Care
The "moral treatment" ideas also influenced other hospitals, but at Challinor, these ideas were used more completely. The way Blair Pavilion and other early wards were built, facing outwards on a circular plan, was very advanced. This planning allowed the ideas of "moral treatment" to be fully used in the buildings and grounds. This design became the basis for all future development on the site until 1940.
Images for kids
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Female Ward, 1959
