Virtual Tours of the Old Mental Hospital ~ Callan Park, Rozelle.
(Click on Panoramas for Virtual Tours ...)
| 1. Front Gate entrance Balmain Road:: The facility formerly known as Callan Park Hospital for the Insane (1878 to 1914) is located in the grounds of Callan Park, an area on the shores of Iron Cove in the Sydney suburb of Lilyfield in Australia. In 1915 the facility was renamed Callan Park Mental Hospital and again in 1976 to Callan Park Hospital. Since 1994, the facility has been formally known as Rozelle Hospital. In April 2008, all Rozelle Hospital services and patients were transferred to Concord Hospital. The Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002 restricts future uses to health and education but the New South Wales Government has not revealed its intentions for the site. In 1873 the Colonial Government of New South Wales purchased the Callan Park site, then known as "Callan Estates", with the purpose of building a large lunatic asylum to ease the severe overcrowding at the Gladesville Hospital for the Insane at Bedlam Point near Tarban Creek in Gladesville. The new lunatic asylum was designed according to the 'enlightened' views of Dr Thomas Kirkbride, an American. Colonial Architect James Barnet worked with Inspector of the Insane Dr Frederick Norton Manning to produce a group of twenty neo-classical buildings. These were completed in 1885 and named the Kirkbride Block. History:: The buildings were originally designed to accommodate 666 inmates, but by 1890 the asylum was seriously overcrowded with a total of 1078 inmates. A further group of buildings were built close to the Kirkbride complex around 1900 to ease the overcrowding problem. The Kirkbride complex continued to be used for the housing and treatment of inmates until 1994, when the last remaining services were transferred to other buildings in the Callan Park grounds, towards the Broughton Hall at the southern end of the site. Many inmates were also transferred into half-way-houses in the local communtiy, in line with the policy of the State Government (see The Richmond Report of 1983 which accelerated the move towards de-institutionalising care) creating a number of social and moral problems. The former facility is now occupied by Sydney College of the Arts, the fine arts campus of Sydney University. Currently, the parklands are open to the public for their use and enjoyment. Famous Inmates:: Australian suffragist Louisa Lawson, her sons Charles and Peter. The Bulletin publisher and editor J. F. Archibald (who famously published much writing by Louisa's son Henry Lawson) were inmates but Henry Lawson was not. |
View Callan Park Tour by Garry Burton in a larger map |
Residences in background.
Kirkbride Entrance Garden and Embankment.
Writers Centre. Rear Entrance with view of Former Neurophysiological Lab Building 94.
Writers Centre. Foreground and Main Entrance.
Writers Centre. View of Grounds from Verandah with Hospital Museum Building 56 to the left.
Writers Centre. Off Carpark and Hospital Museum Building 56. View of Grounds
Writers Centre. Off Carpark and Hospital Museum Building 56.
Hospital Museum Building 56 to the left of entrance.
Industrial Therapy Unit Building 55 standing alone.
Storage ITU Building 53 adjacent to Car Park.
View of Grounds.
Storage and ITU and View of Grounds.
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View of Grounds.
Offices and Support Area. View of Grounds.
Offices and Support Area. Fitter Workshop and Store.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Gardeners Storage Building 21 at bottom of stairs.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.
28. Dental Hospital::
Building 92 Old Ward F. Building 92A being used as a Dojo and Residence B493.
Waterfront Drive.
29. Residence B493::
Front entrance, yard and view to Iron Cove.
Waterfront Drive.
30. Rear of Residence B493::
Backyard, sheds and rear of B492.
Waterfront Drive.
31. Residence B492::
Front Verandah, Yard and view to Iron Cove.
Waterfront Drive.
32. Front of Residence B493::
Foreshore walkway, near Rock Engravings, view to Iron Cove.
Waterfront Drive.
33. Dental Hospital::
Building 92 Old Ward F. Building 92A being used as a Dojo and Residence B493.
Waterfront Drive.
34. Dental Hospital::
Rear of Building 92 Old Ward F. Rear yard area, pagola.
35. Dental Hospital::
Rear of Building 92 Old Ward F. Rear yard area and View of Building 92A.
36. Rear Bonnyview Cottage, Chaplains Office, Buidling 13::
Rear yard and shed.
Leichhardt Council Conservation Map »»
37. Bonnyview Cottage, Chaplains Office, Buidling 13::
Verandah with view of pool and grounds.
38. Bonnyview Cottage, Chaplains Office, Buidling 13::
View of Pool and grounds.
39. View of Bonnyview Cottage, Chaplains Office, Buidling 13::
View of Building39 (Ward 16) and grounds.
40. Front of Residence B493::
Foreshore walkway, near Rock Engravings, view to Iron Cove.
Waterfront Drive.
41. Buiding 90 Storage (Ward B)::
View of Cricket Grond from Dock area.
42. Building 89, Health Services, Ward G::
View of rear and grounds.
43. Callan park Cricket Pitch::
View of Building 91, Sports Pavillion.
44. Building 91, Sports Pavillion::
View of Cricket Pitch and Bay.
45. WWII War Memorial::
Sydney Harbour Bridge War Memorial with view of Rear Buiding 90 Storage (Ward B).
46. Building 31 Former Repatriation Film Hall::
Was used as the Rozelle Campus Sports and Social Club.
47. Bowling Pavillion::
Bowling Green, Bomb Shelter (Brick Building) and Rear of Building 31 Former Repatriation Film Hall. View of Pool
48. Swimming Pool and Pavilion::
Grounds with view of Building 35 Stores and Building 36 Pharmacy.
Front Ward E Building 30A right.
Front Ward D left Building 30.
Centre Storage Buiding 30B.
Bowling Pavillion (White) Building 32 and Green.
Bomb Shelter Brick Building B.
Bowling Pavillion (White) Building 32 and Green.
Wards 16, 17, 18 and sheltered workshop Building 35::
Built in the 1960s, could be converted to shared or single rooms for 150 patients at one third the cost of new hospital building.
Ward 17 now used for McKinnon drug & alcohol program; Ward 16 for psycho-geriatric admissions.
Wards 16, 17, 18 and sheltered workshop Building 36::
Built in the 1960s, could be converted to shared or single rooms for 150 patients at one third the cost of new hospital building.
Ward 17 now used for McKinnon drug & alcohol program; Ward 16 for psycho-geriatric admissions.
Jacaranda Lodge Building 16 and tennis Court.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital
View of Grounds.
View of Grounds
Ward 26 and 27 and view of Grounds.
Built between the wars by patients – many of them ex-Diggers; part of the beautiful landscape so beneficial for the patients of the hospital.