For records held or controlled by the Department of Health, please contact the Freedom of Information Unit, Department of Health:
Postal address: Freedom of Information Unit, Department of Health, GPO Box 4057 Melbourne Victoria 3001
Phone: 1300 020 360
Email: foi@health.vic.gov.au
Website: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/freedom-of-information
Quote this number to access your records: PROV Agency ID VA2844
These records are held by Public Record Office Victoria (1973 - current).
These records were created by Ballarat Mental Hospital, Dana Street and Novar Receiving Houses, and Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital, and contain information about patients, staff, and administrative matters at the hospital. The collection is held by the Public Record Office of Victoria. The records contain personal details of people admitted to Ballarat Mental Hospital, including children and young people. Records about patients include admission and discharge registers, patient movement registers, patient case books and clinical notes, and observation books. The collection also includes records about staffing and administrative matters, though these records have not been included in the list below. Some early records from Ballarat Asylum were transferred to Sunbury Asylum in 1879, and as such this collection contains some records that are also included in the Sunbury Mental Hospital collection of records.
The majority of the records in this collection are closed for at least 75 years to protect personal privacy. To apply for access to closed records please contact the Department of Health Freedom of Information Unit. Most records in this collection that are older than 75 years are open and accessible by the public. Some of these open records have been digitised and can be viewed on the Public Record Office Victoria website. For access to un-digitised open records please contact the Public Record Office Victoria.
The following records in this collection contain information about patients at Ballarat Mental Hospital, and may include information about children and young people who were admitted to the hospital. More information about each record is available under the ‘About’ tab on the PROV records page.
Register of Patients 1877-1970 (VPRS 8236). Partially open access, some records digitised and available online
Discharge Register 1877-1970 (VPRS 8237). Partially open access
Nominal Register 1877-1903 (VPRS 8235). Open access
Nominal Register of Patients 1877-1907 (VPRS 7428). Open access, all records digitised and available online
Nominal Register of Patients 1893-1907 (VPRS 7426) Open access, all records digitised and available online
Discharge Register of Patients 1893-1988 (VPRS 7553). Partially open access
Admission Index Cards 1893-1993 (VPRS 18371). Closed access
Admission Register of Patients 1893-1997 (VPRS 17799). Partially open access
Admission Register of Patients: Voluntary Boarders 1914-1962 (VPRS 17800). Closed access
Nominal Register: Voluntary Boarders 1914-1962 (VPRS 17801). Closed access
Case Books of Male Patients 1877-1912 (VPRS 7405). Open access, some records digitised and available online
Case Books of Female Patients 1877-1912 (VPRS 7406). Open access, all records digitised and available online
Case Books of Female Patients 1893-1917 (VPRS 7407). Open access
Annual Examination of Patients Register 1899-1905 (VPRS 7412). Open access
Clinical Notes and Patient Files 1912-1994 (VPRS 18108). Partially open access, some records digitised and available online
Trial Leave Register 1878-1988 (VPRS 8240). Partially open access
Register of Boarded Out Patients 1943-1980 (VPRS 18429). Closed access
Leave of Absence Registers: Voluntary Patients (Lakeside Hospital) 1963-1991 (VPRS 18430). Closed access
Medical Journals 1877-1952 (VPRS 8257). Partially open access
Medical Journals 1891-1952 (VPRS 18366). Partially open access
Admission Register of Patients (Dana Receiving House) 1912-1962 (VPRS 17805). Partially open access
Nominal Register of Patients (Dana Receiving House) 1912-1962 (VPRS 17806). Partially open access
Discharge Register (Dana Receiving House) 1912-1962 (VPRS 17807). Partially open access, some records digitsed and available online
Admission Register of Patients: Voluntary Boarders (Dana Receiving House) 1914-1963 (VRPS 17810). Closed access
Nominal Register: Voluntary Boarders (Dana Receiving House) 1914-1962 (VPRS 17811). Closed access
Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (Novar Receiving House) 1955-1981 (VPRS 17835). Closed access
Nominal Register: Voluntary Boarders (Novar Receiving House) 1955-1988 (VPRS 17804). Closed access
Admission Register of Patients: Voluntary Boarders (Novar Receiving House) 1955-1988 (VPRS 17803). Closed access
Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital) 1962-1969 (VPRS 17808). Closed access
Admission Register of Patients [Parklands Clinic] 1969-1987 (VPRS 17834). Closed access
Clinical Notes and Patient Files (Receiving House) 1912-1964 (VPRS 18110). Partially open access
Receiving House Outpatients Case Book 1919-1920 (VPRS 18136). Open access
Patient Case History Files (Psychiatric Hospital) 1962-1969 (VPRS 18109). Closed access
Trial Leave Registers, Parklands Clinic 1965-1988 (VPRS 18432). Closed access
Leave of Absence Register, Parklands Clinic 1971-1987 (VPRS 18431). Closed access
In 2016 the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services published a guide to records of Ballarat Mental Hospital as part of its Finding Records program. These guides for the Ballarat Mental Hospital, Dana Street Receiving House, Novar Receiving House , and Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital include information about some records that have not yet been listed in the Public Record Office of Victoria online catalogue. This may mean that these records are still in the custody of the Department, or have not yet been processed by PROV. For access to any records listed in the Finding Records guide that are not listed in the PROV online catalogue, please contact the Department of Health Freedom of Information Unit.