Porirua Lunatic Asylum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Porirua Lunatic Asylum |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Porirua, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°08′28″S 174°49′55″E / 41.141037°S 174.831952°E |
| Organisation | |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Speciality | Psychiatric hospital |
The Porirua Hospital was a special kind of hospital in Porirua, New Zealand. It was also known by other names like Porirua Asylum or Porirua Psychiatric Hospital. Today, part of it is the Porirua Hospital Museum.
This hospital opened in 1887. For a time, it was the biggest hospital in all of New Zealand. It helped people who were dealing with various mental health challenges.
Contents
A Look Back at Porirua Hospital's History
How Porirua Hospital Started
In 1884, land was bought to create a hospital farm. The idea was to offer 'work therapy' to patients. This also helped to reduce crowding at another hospital in Wellington. Building started in 1886 on a large, one-story building called H Ward. It had 24 rooms.
The hospital first opened in 1887. It was originally named Porirua Lunatic Asylum. Dr. Thomas Radford King was the first medical superintendent. However, Dr. Gray Hassell took over less than a year later.
Growing Bigger Over Time
By 1905, Porirua Hospital had grown to have 700 beds for patients. In the early 1900s, about 2,000 staff and patients lived there. This made the hospital a very important part of the Wellington Region's growth.
In 1928, nurses moved into their own new building. It had two stories and 100 rooms. By the 1940s, about 1,500 people were living at the hospital.
Changes After Earthquakes
In 1942, there were big earthquakes in the Wairarapa region. Because of this, 800 patients had to be moved to other hospitals. The main hospital building was later taken down. In its place, eleven new smaller buildings, called villas, were built.
Closing and Becoming a Museum
In the late 1980s, many patients moved out of the hospital. They went to live in communities where they could get care. This happened after new ideas about mental health care were introduced.
F Ward, which was one of the first buildings, closed in 1977. It was thought to be too old and expensive to keep using. In 1980, a new center called Puketiro Centre opened. It helped children with developmental problems.
In 1987, the hospital celebrated its 100th birthday. To mark this special event, the Porirua Hospital Museum opened in the old F Ward.
