Rabbit Island Mental Hospital was a government run institution established in around 1917. It was previously known as the Rabbit Island Hospital for the Insane. It was run by the Inspector General of Mental Hospitals. In 1936 it became known as the Peat and Milson Islands Mental Hospital.
By 1920 the facilities on Rabbit Island were vastly overcrowded. In August 1924, Milson Island was officially dedicated as part of the institution, which eventually became known as Peat and Milson Islands Hospital.
In this era there was no attempt to provide anything more for inmates than the basics of shelter and food. 'Treatment' involved cleanliness, but there was no physical or emotional support or therapy, or rehabilitation. Indeed, those who were able were expected to carry out heavy labour to maintain and improve the facility.
1910 - 1917? Rabbit Island Hospital for the Insane
1917? - 1936 Rabbit Island Mental Hospital
1936 - 1973 Peat and Milson Islands Mental Hospital
1973 - 1989 Peat Island Hospital
1989 - 2010 Peat Island Centre
Sources used to compile this entry: Naomi Parry and Liam Hogan, 'Peat Island (c. 1904 - 2010)', published 1 July 2014 on the Find & Connect web resource (this version of the web page is no longer available online, however a PDF version is held in the Find & Connect Project project (FACP) files at the University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre).
Prepared by: Rachel Tropea
Created: 13 November 2014, Last modified: 23 December 2014
Last updated: 4 August 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE01658b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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