Rabbit, Peat and Milson Island Mental Hospital records, State Archives NSW

These are records created by the Peat and Milson Island Mental Hospital, previously known as the Rabbit Island Mental Hospital, or Rabbit Island Hospital for the Insane, that are held by Museums of History NSW (State Archives). The records contain information about patients of the institution, and include registers of admissions and discharge/death, medical journals kept by staff, and correspondence.

Access Information

Records containing patient information are closed for 110 years. For access to these records please contact the NSW Department of Communities & Justice Open Government, Information and Privacy Unit.

Records older than 110 years are open to the public. For access to open records please contact Museums of History NSW (State Archives).

Records

The following information about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue:

• Register of patients and admission book, 1911-1970. Reference Number: NRS-18476.
  These registers record the admission of patients to the hospital. They include information such as patient name, gender, age, ‘social condition’, number of children, occupation, whether born in Australia, residence, religion, how sent to the hospital, form of mental illness, cause of illness, family history of illness, relevant medical history, observations and medical notes, date of previous admissions (if any), date of discharge, and whether recovered/relieved/not improved/deceased.
• Register of discharges removals and deaths, 1911-1965. Reference Number: NRS-18468.
  This register records the discharges, removal, and deaths of patients at the hospital. It includes information such as date of discharge/removal/death of the patient, patient name, patient number, whether the patient had recovered/was relieved/was not improved/had died, cause of death, age at death, and other observations.
• Medical Journal, 1911-1935. Reference Number: NRS-18469.
  These medical journals record occurrences, patient numbers, and medical treatment delivered at the hospital. They include information such as date, number of patients in residence, number under restraint, number in seclusion, number under medical treatment, any deaths, injuries or violence to patients since last entry, and general observations.
• Correspondence – Various, 1910-1980. Reference Number RNCG-5568.
  These records have not yet been fully processed, and so no further description is available.