Lakeside Mental Hospital

37.55111°S 143.81760°E / -37.55111; 143.81760

Lakeside Mental Hospital, originally known as Ballarat Asylum,[1] later as Ballarat Hospital for the Insane and finally, before its closure, as Lakeside Psychiatric Hospital,[2] was an Australian psychiatric hospital located in the suburb of Wendouree, the north-western fringe of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

The hospital first opened in 1877 for the "imbecile and idiot" (low intellect) class of patient rather than patients with acute insanity.[3] It closed again soon after.[4] A reformatory for boys also operated on the site, and some of its buildings were reused when the hospital was reopened in 1893, specialising in the treatment of epileptics.[3] A brick building was converted into a ward to house 30 male patients. This was extensively damaged in a fire in 1917.[5] A report in 1895 said that the patients did not have enough warm clothing, and that they were shivering during the cold Ballarat winter.[6] Proposals to expand the asylum were mooted in 1909. Large scale extension and alteration were put forward by the state government in 1916.[7]

In 1934, the Ballarat Asylum was renamed Ballarat Mental Hospital and, in 1969, the name changed again to Lakeside Hospital.[4] Lakeside Hospital was decommissioned in 1996.[8]

The hospital at its peak employed about 600 staff and could hold 1500 patients.[4] The site was 83 hectares, of which 40 hectares was used as a farm.[4] Crops planted in 1910 included leeks, cauliflowers, onions, rhubarb, potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, celery, beetroot, peas, beans and parsnips.[9] In 1907, a Dr. Cherry reported that the patients helped to compress green fodder crops for storage by dancing jigs and reels on them to the accompaniment of a fiddle.[10]

The site is now used for the Ballarat Aquatic Centre, a number of sporting facilities, and the Lake Gardens housing estate. Some original building are still standing and have been renovated and reused.