• Archival Collection

Records of Beechworth Mental Hospital, Public Record Office Victoria

To access these records

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

Records Location

Details

These records were created by Beechworth Mental 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 Beechworth Mental Hospital, including children and young people. Records about patients include admission and discharge registers,  patient movement and seclusion registers, patient case books and clinical notes which sometimes include photos of patients, and observation books. The collection also includes records about staffing and administrative matters, though these records have not been included in the list below.

Access Conditions

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.

Records

The following records in this collection contain information about patients at Beechworth 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.

Admission and Discharge Registers

Admission Index Cards Female Patients 1867-1975 (VPRS 18373). Closed access

Admission Index Cards Male Patients 1867-1975 (VPRS 18372). Closed access

Admission and Discharge Register of Patients 1867-1991 (VPRS 17846). Partially open access, some records digitised and available online

Admission and Discharge Register of Patients: Voluntary Boarders 1915-1962 (VPRS 17849). Closed access

Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (Beechworth Training Centre) 1964-1990 (VPRS 17850). Closed access

Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (Gate House, Camp Street and Fletchers Hostels) 1973-1976 (VPRS 17923). Closed access

Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital) 1978-1992 (VPRS 17847). Closed access

Register of Patients 1867-1929 (VPRS 17930). Open access, digitised and available online

Register of Patients: Informal Admissions (Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital) 1971-1987 (VPRS 17912). Closed access

Nominal Register of Female Patients 1880-1941 (VPRS 17913). Open access, all records digitised and available online

Discharge Register of Patients 1869-1978 (VPRS 17851). Partially open access

Discharge Register of Patients 1974 (VPRS 17924). Closed access

 

Patient Case Files and Medical Information

Index to Case Books of Male Patients 1867-1912 (VPRS 17911). Open access, all records digitised and available online

Annual Examination of Patients Register 1889-1918 (VPRS 7410). Open access

Annual and Quinquennial Examination of Patients Register 1922-1957 (VPRS 17926). Closed access

Case Books of Female Patients 1867-1912 (VPRS 7396). Open access, all records digitised and available online

Case Books of Male Patients 1867-1912 (VPRS 7395). Open access, all records digitised and available online

Patient Clinical Case Notes 1912-1953 (VPRS 18103). Partially open access

Patient Case History Files 1954-1994 (VPRS 18104). Closed access

 

Patient Movement/Leave Registers

Leave of Absence and Trial Leave Registers, Mental Hospital 1869-1988 (VPRS 18418). Partially open access

Leave of Absence Registers 1965-1988 (VPRS 18423). Closed access

Leave of Absence and Trial Leave Register, Psychiatric Hospital 1978-1988 (VPRS 18422). Closed access

Restraint and Seclusion Register 1867-1965 (VPRS 18102). Partially open access

Register of Boarded Out Patients 1890-1973 (VPRS 18426). Closed access

Register of Absconders 1901-1984 (VPRS 17915). Closed access

Register of Patient Transfers 1965-1974 (VPRS 17931). Closed access

 

Other Patient Records

Casualty Book 1879-1920 (VPRS 17929). Open access

Medical Journals 1967-1952 (VPRS 18365). Partially open access

Patient Discharge Comments Book 1896-1921 (VPRS 17914). Open access

Ward Books of Male Patients 1875-1949 (VPRS 17919). Open access

Observation Ward Report Books: Male Patients 1906-1947 (VPRS 18101). Open access

Record of Subjects Sent to School of Anatomy, University of Melbourne 1955-1967 (VPRS 17921). Closed access

 

Further Records

In 2016 the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services published a guide to records of Beechworth Mental Hospital as part of its Finding Records program. This guide includes 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.

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