Patient records of the Royal Derwent Hospital
Introduction
The Hospital was created to provide in-patient treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill and mentally handicapped persons, including treatment of alcoholics.
It has been known by various names throughout its history. In 1968 the Lachlan Park Hospital, as it was then called, was merged with the Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital to form the Royal Derwent Hospital, the name it would retain until its closure in 2000.
What is online?
- 1841-1842 Alphabetical monthly register of patients and attendants (HSD104) indexed in Patient records, administration papers (HSD285)
- 1842-1843 Case Books – all patients, 1842-1843 (HSD55)
- 1843-1964 Admission papers (HSD285) Not all admissions have been scanned. It is better to conduct an item search on the patient’s name (in the form Citizen, John). This will display other records that are available, such as the patient file. The admission papers can still be viewed online using this method.
- 1854-1872 Case books – female patients (HSD52)
- 1872-1876 Case books – female patients (AB365/1/1, 3)
- 1874-1878 Case books – male patients (AB365/1/2)
- 1877-1893 Records of patients transferred from the Asylum at Port Arthur (HSD54) There is an index that has been digitised.
What else is there?
- Patient files, 1857-1993 (HSD284) Not all files have survived. An item search is preferable (see above).
- Admission registers, 1830-1954 (HSD247) See also the following source.
- New Norfolk Invalid and Mental Asylum: Patient admission register, 1830 – 1930 by Dianne Cassidy. This work is based on the admission registers (HSD247 above) and is easier to use than the original source
- Register of death, transfer or discharge of patients, 1830-1966 (HSD254) Chronological. Note: There are access restrictions. Please contact us for more information.
- Alphabetical register of patients, 1888-1974 (HSD252)
- Patient files of the Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital, 1934-1968 (AB372) Millbrook Rise merged with Lachlan Park Hospital in 1968 to form the Royal Derwent Hospital. These files contain only administrative correspondence. Clinical data is on the Case Book sheets, AB479 (see below)
- Register of patients’ next-of-kin, 1897-1979 (AB515) Chronological – by admission number (See Admission registers, 1830-1954 (HSD247) or Dianne Cassidy’s work for these numbers)
Case Books
The patient files (HSD284) contain a mixture of clinical notes and administrative correspondence (often about the payment of accounts). The case books contain purely clinical information. These may contain copies of the admission papers (HSD285). See Admission registers, 1830-1954 (HSD247) or Dianne Cassidy’s work for admission numbers.
- All patients, 1845-1854 (HSD246)
- Male patients, 1849-1874 (HSD51)
- Records of patients transferred from the Asylum at Port Arthur, 1877-1893 (HSD54) There is an index at the front. This volume has been digitised.
- All patients, 1872-1938 (AB365)
- All patients, 1894-1979 (AB479) Patient records removed from case books.
Notes
- Records are restricted for 75 years from the current date. You must have permission to see these later files from the Department of Health and Human Services. Use the contact form for the Department of Health & Human Services.
Related
- Tasman’s Peninsula – Registers of patients admitted to the Asylum, 1850-1877 (CON127)
- Our library items – works about, and images of the Royal Derwent Hospital
What can I find from other organisations?
- Willow Court History Group