Sunbury Historical Tours

07/11/2024

Should some state psychiatric hospitals reopen? It has been reported that people with severe mental illnesses find themselves on the streets committing crimes or ending up in prison. Could state hospitals provide housing and care for those who can't take care of themselves and have no family support? The inseparable relationship between mental illness and homelessness is a vicious cycle. People with mental illness have a harder time sustaining stable housing and employment, which can lead to homelessness. Moreover, people experiencing homelessness encounter social exclusion, reduced access to treatment resources, stress, violence, and trauma—which can all contribute to adverse mental health—ultimately hindering their ability to overcome housing instability and mental illness.
What are your thoughts?

21/02/2024

29/01/2024

Catherine O’Donnell inmate # F1079
Admitted Sunbury Asylum – 05/09/1906
Born in Ireland - Resides – Carlton Victoria
Marital Status – Single
Weight 7 stone - Height 5’ 2”
Religious Denomination – Roman Catholic
Diagnosis – Suicidal & troublesome
Died Sunbury Asylum on 19/01/1912
Cause of Death - Exhaustion & Cancer of throat

Inquest into Death
VPRS 24
Unit 336
#878 / 1012

Patient Medical File Note:

19/09/1906 - Patient attempted to commit Su***de using String and Tape – Issued with a RED TICKET.

22/02/1906 - Patient has been very troublesome since 3.00pm. Trying to bang her head against a wall. (Administered Medication) with no effect, repeated within one hour. During the night ‘2 Specials’ remained with her.

Nurse Specialling = one to one nursing that provides continuous observation for an individual patient for a period of time during acute physical or mental illness. The decision to use one to one nursing is based on a risk assessment of the patient’s physical and/or mental state at the time of the assessment and is repeated every 24hrs.

29/09/1906 – Bruising and swelling on chest reported. On examination Rib 1,2,3 on Left side and Rib 2,3 on the Right side fractured.

02/10/1906 – Preliminary inquiry into cause of injuries sustained by Medical Superintendent.

04/10/1906 – Matter Reported by Medical Superintendent to the Inspector General.

05/10/1906 – Board of Inquiry held by the Inspector General.

04/11/1908 - Patient fell in the Airing Court and dislocated her right thigh, fractured her neck & right leg.

29/01/2024

Laura Helen Holmes
Born - 22nd March 1865 Hexham Victoria the youngest of 4 children.
Admitted - Sunbury Hospital for the Insane on 9th May 1928
Diagnosis - Paraphrenia (Schizophrenia characterized by delusions)
Prognosis - Poor
Died - 5th July 1928
Information derived from Patient's Record/Probate/Inquest into death is as follows:

Laura was the youngest daughter born to William Holmes and Elizabeth Wicking. Laura married George Thomas Wilson on the 17th of September 1884 and together had three children Eleanor, Ethel and Stanley.
George died tragically on 23rd of August 1890 in a farming accident when the dray he was driving ran against a timber stump causing the front section of the dray to fall upon and crush George's skull. Laura was left to raise her children alone with her youngest Stanley just a few weeks old.
George had not made a Will. Laura wrote to the Probate Office to inform them that George had left 49 Acres valued at 125 pounds, 2 cows and a small calf. His total Estate worth 139 pounds. In her letter Laura explains her dire situation having no means to support herself and her three young children. Laura informs the Probate office in a second letter that she has had let the property for 10 shillings a month (equating to 3 pounds) and receives no benefit from the property. At this point Laura is residing in Colac keeping a small grocery shop as a means to support her young family and herself.
Laura then meets and married Charles Thomas Keogh (native of New Zealand), at Wesleyan Church Williamstown on 28th April 1898. Daisy is born in 1897 and by 1903 Charles deserts Laura with four young children to raise.
Laura then meets Ernest Sydney Walker from NSW and together have three children. Laura who was born in 1903 and died a year later, Jessie who was born in 1904 and Alan who was born in 1908 and died before he had turned one. In 1909 Laura and Earnest were married in Queens Street Melbourne. Due to her second husband deserting her Laura waited 7yrs to remarry. Their 4th child together Roland Alan was born on 2nd of June in 1909.
Life had been tough, money was always short, Earnest had a drinking problem and was always found be drinking to excess. Earnest would then die in 1922 and Laura once again found herself on her own.
As a means to survive, Laura had then kept a small boarding house from which she could collected the rent.
Laura was found to be suffering from mental health issues and admitted into Sunbury Hospital for the Insane in May 1928, and died two months later.
Laura is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery with her two little babies Laura and Alan, and her husband Ernest.

29/01/2024

https://www.myancestors.com.au/

29/01/2024

A valuable site that may help you with your search for Ancestors.

AUSTRALIAN FAMILY HISTORY GENEALOGY ANCESTRAL RESEARCH
https://www.facebook.com/groups/857021777735534/

05/09/2023

Name – Christine Jessie McFarlane
Date of Admission – 19-02-1908
Age – 33 years
Previous Occupation –Household duties
Single – Married – Widowed – Single
Cause Of Attack – Shock
Diagnosis – Recurrent Melancholic
Prognosis – Fair but curable

Christine’s notes state -Confusional. Seems to have no idea of time and place. Maternal in behaviour. Seems to leave bed without apparent reason. Dazed in appearance.
Attached is a letter written to Dr. Hollow of Sunbury Asylum regarding Christine, written by family doctor at the request of Miss Flora McFarlane, Christine’s sister

Morwell
09-03-1908
Dear Dr. Hollow,
Miss Flora McFarlane told me you would like to hear from me about her sister. I should have written before but have been busy and I wanted to look up notes. I visited Miss McFarlane first on January 2nd- she was markedly anaemic and hysterical; while I was there she behaved well but they told me she had not been sleeping and had frequent hysterical attacks. A few days afterwards she had a hysterical attack and brought Dr. Moor to her (he is nearer their place than I am). He diagnosed gastritis and hysteria. On the 7th they brought her to Morwell – she had fairly frequent melancholic attacks but after a while she improved a lot and went out driving a good deal. I had her on small doses of Veronal and she slept well. I advise them frequently to take her to town, but they had a dread of private hospitals and would not. Early in February she went to friends near Warragal and you will know the history from then on. I realise there was a risk of Melancholia all along, but she did wonderfully well here and I hoped she would not need to be put in an asylum. As to the Warragal doctor's idea of her strength and violence I think that is greatly exaggerated. She was amenable to treatment in every way here. I am afraid there is little of use to you in this letter. Miss McFarlane told me you remembered me – we went to Kings College together I think, but I have not seen you for a long time now.
Hoping Miss McFarlane is making satisfactory progress.
With kind regards
Yours sincerely
Unable to read doctor's name.

05/09/2023

Name – Eila Ladyle
Date of Admission – 26/11/1903
Previous Occupation –Household duties
Marital Status–Single
Cause Of Attack – Unknown
Diagnosis – Dangerous & Suicidal
Prognosis – Poor

Below is a .......
Letter Written by Dr. John Spring
Physician Kyneton Hospital
November 1903.

Patient Eila Ladyle was admitted into Kyneton Hospital on 30th of October 1903. At the time she had been suffering from pain and swelling on the right side of her abdominal region.
Eila claimed that she had undergone surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital for Hydatids.
The term ‘tapeworm’ describes a group of parasitic worms that live in the gut of animals, including humans and can be caused when humans consume raw or undercooked animal products that contain worm larvae (beef or pork), or come in close contact with animals like cats and dogs with the most serious locally acquired form of tapeworm infestation caused by the hydatid tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosis or E. granulosis), which can infect dogs and dingoes, particularly in sheep farming areas.
If this patient had come into contact with the faeces of an infected dog (that is, when eggs from the tapeworm are passed in the faeces) she could have very well developed hydatid disease in this manner. This is serious and potentially fatal condition. Infection with tapeworm eggs causes cysts to form in vital organs such as the Liver and the Lungs.

On examination, I had diagnosed the Hydatid condition after discovering this to be evident on the right side of Eila’s Abdomen. This diagnosis confirmed in consultation with my colleague Dr. Duncan, an Honorary Surgeon at Kyneton Hospital. The decision was made to operate with Dr. Duncan who was assisted by Dr. Mann, in my presence on the 5th of November.

A few days after the operation when the stitches were still within the wound, the patient insisted on getting out of bed, complaining loudly of her treatment of the nurse and the quality of the food. She expressed her intention of going home. She was induced to go back to bed. About a couple of days after this the patient behaved in a similar manner and insisted strongly upon going. She got out of bed and we had to use force to put her back in.

I then injected morphine and administered chloral, (Chloral hydrate) which belongs to a group of medications that work as sedatives and hypnotics) through her re**um. I also put straps on her ankles and wrists to quieten her. She shortly afterwards loosened the straps off her hands, being quieter we left them on.

Last Saturday night the patient was outside walking up and down the footpath with a blanket. On going to the hospital I found her in the lavatory off the ward with her portmanteau (large carry case that stores clothing) open dressing herself. I again forced her back to bed.

There was a bad case in the bed next to her, I could not leave Eila Ladyle in the ward so removed her to the padded cell where she has been since. The first thing she did when she was there was to undo the dressings from under the binder and throw them across the room. I then put the straight jacket straps on her. During the night she got these off.

In the morning when I saw her again she was exceedingly violent and blasphemous, threatened su***de and had a cord with a noose on the end of it tied to the handle of the door. Glancing at her throat I had observed a mark around the front of it, evidently caused by pressure of the cord. I took the cords away and I left her in the cell with a nurse to watch over her.

During the day the Nurse complained to me that she had found the patient with her dead buried under a blanket grasping at her throat with the intention of throttling herself.

Nurse stated that the patient appeared bluish in the face. Last night Nurse Good also found the hem of her dress torn off. Last night about a quarter past six I was called to see her again. The Matron told me she had threatened to swallow her false teeth with the object of choking herself.

During yesterday the patient had escaped in the street with the Nurse and the messenger following her. The patient picked up stones to throw at the Nurse. She pushed the Nurse causing her to strain herself. I decided to send for the police, as I could not undertake further responsibility for keeping her in the hospital.

I consider Eila Ladyle is a Lunatic with Mania and Suicidal Tendencies and is not fit to be at large.

This patient was then Discharged to the Melbourne Hospital 4/12/1903 Found to be Not Insane.

03/09/2023

Discharge of Patients Under section {102} of Lunacy Act 1890

Inspector & Official Visitor may recommend the discharge of any patient.

Section 102.-
It shall be lawful for the Inspector and for any Official Visitor to visit any Patient detained in any Asylum Hospital or Licensed House on such days and at such hours as he shall think fit and if it shall appear to such Inspector or Official Visitor that such Patient is detained as a Patient without sufficient cause he shall Certify under his hand and transmit such opinion to the Chief Secretary; and upon receipt of such opinion, or of an opinion to the like effect under the hand of the Superintendent of a public Asylum, the Chief Secretary may make such Order as to him shall seem meet for the discharge of such Patient, and such Patient shall be discharged accordingly. Provided nevertheless that if such Patient be confined under the Order of any Court or Criminal Jurisdiction or under the Order of the Governor in accordance with any Law now or hereafter in force relating to the Criminal Law and Practice he shall be remitted to Gaol by Order under the hand of the Chief Secretary, unless or until he be discharged from Custody by Order of the Governor.

01/09/2023

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support

01/09/2023

Seclusion & Restraint
Today Health Professionals express differing views with regards to a patient’s challenging behaviour, being considered extreme enough to warrant restraint. Restraint can be through use of medications, mechanical or manual restraint, or seclusion. Some consider it to be an abuse of human rights whilst others view it as a necessity. In Australia physical restraint is increasingly discouraged with sedative based medications viewed to be a less restrictive alternative, and the seclusion method of managing more challenging behaviours in the health context being less commonly used.

The most common reason for the need for manual restraint, would be for the purpose of preventing or restricting movement in an individual who has become increasingly violent and or aggressive in their behaviour, potentially leading to someone becoming injured. The practice of manual restraint would involve physically holding the patient in a ’prone’ posture which essentially means face towards the floor.

Other less serious behaviours where restraint had been used include attempts to abscond, refusing to comply with instructions, self harm and property damage.