The History.
The Portsea Quarantine Station was first established in 1852 with the first major buildings constructed in 1858 which consisted of five hospitals. The first two hospitals were built on a hill overlooking the bay and originally accommodated passengers that arrived with an illness or suspected infection whereas the three hospitals located beneath the hill housed the healthy arrivals. Later these hospitals were assigned a ‘class separation system’ (First class, second class and so on) whilst the fifth hospital became an isolation ward for confirmed sick or infectious patients.
In the early 20th century several more buildings were established onsite including a disinfecting and bathing complex (1900), passenger waiting room (1911), administration building (1916), ten influenza ‘huts’ (1919) and later, accommodation and training buildings for the army (1963).
In the early fifties the station had a double purpose with the army opening the Officer Cadet School (later becoming the School of Army Health) and also continued to be used for quarantine purposes up until 1979 . The School of Army Health came to a close in 1998 which opened the opportunity for the Station’s final working use – To house Kosovo refugees. The site was closed by 2003 and became a part of the Point Nepean National Park in 2009.
The Explore.
Much like Fort Nepean, the Quarantine Station is a part of the Point Nepean National Park and so it is open to the public, however the buildings have been left as they were when they closed and many of them are off-limits to the public.
Making my way down to the basin that the Station sits within, the dull ominous sky hung low overhead, stretching off into the distance making it hard to picture where the sky ended and bay begun. As I entered one of the hospital buildings the slightest noise was twice as loud once it echoed back, the firing off and echoing back of the camera shutter started to sound like a gunfight. Most of the ground level floors had had their walls removed, making the long upstairs hallways seem dark and unnerving.
Stepping back outside, the dull grey sky was somewhat welcomed and so I made my way to a higher altitude and onto the hospital upon the hill.
The Photographs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bathing & Disinfecting Complex.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Passenger Waiting Room.
13.
The Isolation Hospital.
14.
15.
16.
Army Accommodation (1963).
17.
18.
Thanks for looking.
The Portsea Quarantine Station was first established in 1852 with the first major buildings constructed in 1858 which consisted of five hospitals. The first two hospitals were built on a hill overlooking the bay and originally accommodated passengers that arrived with an illness or suspected infection whereas the three hospitals located beneath the hill housed the healthy arrivals. Later these hospitals were assigned a ‘class separation system’ (First class, second class and so on) whilst the fifth hospital became an isolation ward for confirmed sick or infectious patients.
In the early 20th century several more buildings were established onsite including a disinfecting and bathing complex (1900), passenger waiting room (1911), administration building (1916), ten influenza ‘huts’ (1919) and later, accommodation and training buildings for the army (1963).
In the early fifties the station had a double purpose with the army opening the Officer Cadet School (later becoming the School of Army Health) and also continued to be used for quarantine purposes up until 1979 . The School of Army Health came to a close in 1998 which opened the opportunity for the Station’s final working use – To house Kosovo refugees. The site was closed by 2003 and became a part of the Point Nepean National Park in 2009.
The Explore.
Much like Fort Nepean, the Quarantine Station is a part of the Point Nepean National Park and so it is open to the public, however the buildings have been left as they were when they closed and many of them are off-limits to the public.
Making my way down to the basin that the Station sits within, the dull ominous sky hung low overhead, stretching off into the distance making it hard to picture where the sky ended and bay begun. As I entered one of the hospital buildings the slightest noise was twice as loud once it echoed back, the firing off and echoing back of the camera shutter started to sound like a gunfight. Most of the ground level floors had had their walls removed, making the long upstairs hallways seem dark and unnerving.
Stepping back outside, the dull grey sky was somewhat welcomed and so I made my way to a higher altitude and onto the hospital upon the hill.
The Photographs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bathing & Disinfecting Complex.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Passenger Waiting Room.
13.
The Isolation Hospital.
14.
15.
16.
Army Accommodation (1963).
17.
18.
Thanks for looking.
