I posted them both in the one report due to they're both basically the same place albeit different names and I didn't take many pics.
Larundel - Plan’s were put forward in 1938 to build another psychiatric hospital in the east to take some of the strain off the over populated and outdated Kew mental hospital, Willsmere.
With the plan’s approved to build the hospital on the land next to Mont Park Asylum construction began. In 1940 the government changed the plan of the building’s becoming a psychiatric hospital, and thought it would be better used to aid in the battle of World War 2, but still what it’s exact use would be was questioned. At first it was proposed to be either used as a U.S military hospital, or a welfare depot for children affected by the war, after this was undecided the R.A.A.F took over the still uncompleted building’s for use as a training centre and R.A.A.F Hospital.
The building’s were no longer needed by the R.A.A.F in 1946 and so they were given to the Department of Housing and converted to flats. At its fullest 109 families called the hospital home.
In 1949 still large parts of the hospital remained unfinished, mainly due to the government seeing finishing the buildings as ‘low priority’ despite the thirty male patients that had been transferred from ‘Mont Park’ and were being housed in Larundel.
In 1953 Larundel officially opened as a mental hospital after it received funds to be finished so patients could be transferred from Beechworth mental hospital in north east Victoria after a fire occurred. Larundel then housed 290 males and 97 females.
In 1955 eight extra wards were established and the hospital took an additional 90 males and 270 females.
Larundel, which is an aboriginal word meaning ‘camping place’ dealt with many different mental illnesses including psychotics, chronic schizophrenics, acute psychiatrics as well as geriatric patients.
In the late 1990’s Larundel finally closed its doors, many patients were transferred to general hospital’s or cared for at home by family. A housing estate is now proposed for the site.
As we made our way around the perimeter of Larundel looking for entry, the size of the place really stood out, although standing out may have been this place’s downfall. Two of the imposing red brick structures had been severely burnt out, along with every other derelict section which had been graffitied and trashed, entering the main hall a gentle breeze blowed through the smashed out windows it seemed 12 or so years have really done a number on this place, most of the other buildings had been sealed tight as construction workers moved in to bring the place to the ground.
After stepping back out into the blazing sun, and noticing several workers approaching, it was time to head over to Mont Park, making our way through the weaving streets of the new housing estate several other hospital wards clearly stood out between the modernized homes and had been rendered in a nice cream colour with white window surrounds and converted for other purposes such as university buildings and a restaurant, which would have been a nice place for lunch though I don’t think they’d appreciate my ripped jeans and old shirt I had on that had slowly become dirtied by the dusty old building’s. Arriving at Mont Park , the only untouched sectioned had unfortunately been completely sealed up and was being prepared for conversion with no chance of access, and so the decision was made to call it a day.
After The Storm.
Unfortunately alot of Larundel looked like this.
Staff Utility Kitchen.
Ghost's & The Green Girl.
Stained Waves.
Moving In.
Mont Park - Construction began on the Mont Park asylum in 1910, two years before the land was even approved and reserved in order to build the proposed hospital. Upon being built Mont Park consisted of many up to date facilities that other hospitals of its time didn’t have such as a Gymnasium, electrical equipment for physiotherapy and a Red Cross ‘rest room’. Before long Mont Park was sitting on around two and a half square kilometres of land (Larundel was later built on the half of this land closest to the main road).
A lot of this land was occupied by the hospital’s farm, which consisted of a hayshed, milking shed, a piggery, an orchard, grazing paddocks to keep cows and a plant nursery, 212 patients were employed to do work around the farm while another 106 were employed to maintain the extensive gardens.
During the years of the war Mont Park opened its ‘Military mental block’ to treat ex-servicemen suffering from mental and nervous disorders, an army kitchen was also built and six huts were transferred from the Broadmeadows army camp.
Mont Park remained a mental hospital up until the late nineties when many people decided institutionalization was not best for the treatment of the mentally ill and many asylums and psychiatric facilities were closed down.
The former Mont Park buildings now house The Centre for Archaeology, La Trobe university as well as restaurants and training centres, and has several sections yet to be converted.
Boilerhouse Tower.
Water Storage Tanks.
I believe these tracks were used for carting laundry, bedding etc.
Brick Drinktap.
Glimpse Of The Past.
Benched.
Thanks for looking,
- Matt.
Larundel - Plan’s were put forward in 1938 to build another psychiatric hospital in the east to take some of the strain off the over populated and outdated Kew mental hospital, Willsmere.
With the plan’s approved to build the hospital on the land next to Mont Park Asylum construction began. In 1940 the government changed the plan of the building’s becoming a psychiatric hospital, and thought it would be better used to aid in the battle of World War 2, but still what it’s exact use would be was questioned. At first it was proposed to be either used as a U.S military hospital, or a welfare depot for children affected by the war, after this was undecided the R.A.A.F took over the still uncompleted building’s for use as a training centre and R.A.A.F Hospital.
The building’s were no longer needed by the R.A.A.F in 1946 and so they were given to the Department of Housing and converted to flats. At its fullest 109 families called the hospital home.
In 1949 still large parts of the hospital remained unfinished, mainly due to the government seeing finishing the buildings as ‘low priority’ despite the thirty male patients that had been transferred from ‘Mont Park’ and were being housed in Larundel.
In 1953 Larundel officially opened as a mental hospital after it received funds to be finished so patients could be transferred from Beechworth mental hospital in north east Victoria after a fire occurred. Larundel then housed 290 males and 97 females.
In 1955 eight extra wards were established and the hospital took an additional 90 males and 270 females.
Larundel, which is an aboriginal word meaning ‘camping place’ dealt with many different mental illnesses including psychotics, chronic schizophrenics, acute psychiatrics as well as geriatric patients.
In the late 1990’s Larundel finally closed its doors, many patients were transferred to general hospital’s or cared for at home by family. A housing estate is now proposed for the site.
As we made our way around the perimeter of Larundel looking for entry, the size of the place really stood out, although standing out may have been this place’s downfall. Two of the imposing red brick structures had been severely burnt out, along with every other derelict section which had been graffitied and trashed, entering the main hall a gentle breeze blowed through the smashed out windows it seemed 12 or so years have really done a number on this place, most of the other buildings had been sealed tight as construction workers moved in to bring the place to the ground.
After stepping back out into the blazing sun, and noticing several workers approaching, it was time to head over to Mont Park, making our way through the weaving streets of the new housing estate several other hospital wards clearly stood out between the modernized homes and had been rendered in a nice cream colour with white window surrounds and converted for other purposes such as university buildings and a restaurant, which would have been a nice place for lunch though I don’t think they’d appreciate my ripped jeans and old shirt I had on that had slowly become dirtied by the dusty old building’s. Arriving at Mont Park , the only untouched sectioned had unfortunately been completely sealed up and was being prepared for conversion with no chance of access, and so the decision was made to call it a day.
After The Storm.
Unfortunately alot of Larundel looked like this.
Staff Utility Kitchen.
Ghost's & The Green Girl.
Stained Waves.
Moving In.
Mont Park - Construction began on the Mont Park asylum in 1910, two years before the land was even approved and reserved in order to build the proposed hospital. Upon being built Mont Park consisted of many up to date facilities that other hospitals of its time didn’t have such as a Gymnasium, electrical equipment for physiotherapy and a Red Cross ‘rest room’. Before long Mont Park was sitting on around two and a half square kilometres of land (Larundel was later built on the half of this land closest to the main road).
A lot of this land was occupied by the hospital’s farm, which consisted of a hayshed, milking shed, a piggery, an orchard, grazing paddocks to keep cows and a plant nursery, 212 patients were employed to do work around the farm while another 106 were employed to maintain the extensive gardens.
During the years of the war Mont Park opened its ‘Military mental block’ to treat ex-servicemen suffering from mental and nervous disorders, an army kitchen was also built and six huts were transferred from the Broadmeadows army camp.
Mont Park remained a mental hospital up until the late nineties when many people decided institutionalization was not best for the treatment of the mentally ill and many asylums and psychiatric facilities were closed down.
The former Mont Park buildings now house The Centre for Archaeology, La Trobe university as well as restaurants and training centres, and has several sections yet to be converted.
Boilerhouse Tower.
Water Storage Tanks.
I believe these tracks were used for carting laundry, bedding etc.
Brick Drinktap.
Glimpse Of The Past.
Benched.
Thanks for looking,
- Matt.
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