Ballarat Receiving House

Ballarat Receiving House, history in brief

In 1912, the Ballarat Receiving House was opened. It was located in the heart of the city (Dana Street, Ballarat) and had a small, enclosed garden.

In 1955, the facility was moved to Novar Hhouse (109 Webster Street, Ballarat) which became Novar Receiving House for the treatment of mild cases of mental illness.

Warning about distressing information

This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.

Source

• Department's agency history files

Patient information

PLEASE NOTE: Patients could be admitted to a Receiving House for short-term treatment and care, but were not permitted to remain longer than two months.
Patients still needing treatment after two months could be sent to a Psychiatric Hospital, in the same institution/complex or another. Hence, there could be more than one set of records for any one person. Please check each location for former patient records.

List of records held by the department

For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.

Register of patients [Admission Register] (1912–62)

Volume; Permanent VPRS 17805/P0001

These registers document the admission of patients to the receiving house and provide summary information about each admission.

This series comprises of volumes detailing male and female patient admissions to Ballarat Receiving House in Dana Street, also known as Dana House (VA 2844).
The register of patients volumes include:

• admission number
• patient name
• admission date
• age
• marital status
• occupation
• previous place of abode
• by whose authority sent
• form of mental illness/supposed cause of mental illness
• physical condition
• date of removal, discharge or death.

Entries are made chronologically by date of patient admission and separate sequential admission numbers are assigned to male and female patients.

From at least 1845 and the proclamation of An Act for the Regulation of the Care and Treatment of Lunatics, public asylums and licensed houses were required to maintain a register of patients. Initially the register maintained by licensed houses was officially known as the book of admissions. In some institutions the register was also known as an admissions register or as an admission and discharge register, and these terms were sometimes stamped on the volumes.

Immediately upon the admission of a person to an asylum, the clerk of the asylum was required to make an entry in the register of patients. Details recorded included:

• patient's name
• date of admission
• admission number
• date of last previous admission
• age
• marital status
• occupation
• previous place of abode
• religion
• the form of mental illness
• state of physical health.

Further details were entered in the register on the death, transfer or discharge of a patient. Institutions were also required to maintain a separate register of discharges, removals and deaths, usually known as a discharge register.

The format of the register of patients was specified in a schedule to the Lunacy Statute and succeeding legislation, and changed little until the proclamation of the Mental Health Act 1959 in 1962.

The record then became officially known as the register of patients and discharge register and included information about the types of admission.
The following five types of admission were specified under the Mental Health Act 1959:

• voluntary boarders (V) –those who entered the hospital at their own request or, if under the age of 16, at the request of a parent or guardian and on the opinion of a medical practitioner
• recommended (R) and approved (A) patients – a person could be admitted upon the recommendation set out in a prescribed form, of a medical practitioner who had examined the person. As soon as possible after admission the superintendent of the hospital was required to examine the patient and either approve the recommended admission or discharge the patient
• judicial admissions (J) – upon information provided on oath before a justice that a mentally ill person was not receiving proper care, or could not support himself/herself or had committed an offence and after examination by two medical practitioners, an order could be made for the person to be admitted to or detained in a mental hospital
• security patients (S) were those who had been detained in a gaol but were transferred to a mental hospital upon being determined to be mentally ill.

The register of patients and discharge register officially superseded the separate discharge register; however some institutions continued to maintain a separate record of patient discharges, transfers and deaths.

Entries were made in the register in chronological order by the date of admission.

Records of patients in asylums were well controlled. For the most part, patient records are arranged by the date of admission or date of discharge (including death). Some asylums, however, maintained a nominal register of patients, which can be used to access records by patient surname.

Admissions of patients were recorded in date order in registers of patients and patients were allocated an admission number.

An index of surnames was often created to provide access to the entries. The admission warrants authorising the committal of the patients to the asylum were filed by admission number and hence are also chronologically arranged by date of admission.

Case histories were recorded on each patient. Initially the case histories were entered in bound volumes, known as case books, in order of date of admission (admission number order).

A separate index to the case books was sometimes maintained. From 1912, loose-leaf folios were used. Known as patient clinical notes, the folios were transferred as patients moved between asylums. The notes were ultimately filed alphabetically by surname according to the year of final discharge or death. Patient files succeeded the patient clinical notes in 1953 and were controlled and arranged in the same manner.

Routine examinations of patients were recorded in annual and quinquennial examination registers. Entries in these registers are usually either by date of examination or by date of admission. The volumes are often self-indexing.

The discharge, transfer or death of patients was initially recorded in separate discharge registers as well as in the register of patients and the case histories. From 1962 separate discharge registers were phased out, however, some asylums continued to maintain them.

Nominal register (Dana Receiving House) (1912–27)

Volume; Permanent VPRS Number 17806/P0001

Content: This series comprises of volumes listing male and female patient admissions to Dana Receiving House (VA 2844).

Nominal registers usually only record the name of the patient, date of admission and date of discharge (including death). They often comprise a list of patients in care at a particular time. They can be used to access patient records if the date of admission or date of discharge is not known.

The records are arranged alphabetically by surname.

Records of patients in asylums were well controlled. For more information, see entry above.

Continuation case book (1919–20)

Volume; Permanent VPRS Number 18136/P0001

Content: This volume contains examination notes on both male and female patients.

Receiving houses were used to provide accommodation for those patients who required only short term diagnosis and treatment. No person was to be detained in a receiving house for more than two months.

Each patient admitted was required by legislation to have a record created to document their case history from time of admission to time of discharge.

These registers document the case history of those patients admitted to the Ballarat Receiving House, for the duration of the registers. The Ballarat Receiving House would have been located on the same campus as the Ballarat Mental Hospital. The entries in this register are ordered by date of admission.

The format of this register differs from other Ballarat Receiving House case books in that the official case book format has not been utilised, and there is very little information recorded. The top of the page for each entry records the patient's previous address and the name and address of the closest relative.

Following is a brief listing of the patient's personal details, that is, marital status, age, religion, height, weight, details of attack. There follows a series of dated entries giving a brief description of the patient's condition. The last entry will often detail a transfer to another hospital, or another reason for discharge.

The entries are arranged chronologically by date of admission. Please note files may feature labels from a numbering system imposed by the controlling department generated from TRIM electronic document and records management system. This system does not reflect the original recordkeeping system of the series.

Discharge registers (1912–62)

Volume; VPRS Number 17807/P0001

Content: These registers document the discharge of patients from the receiving house and provide summary information about each discharge.
This series comprises of volumes detailing male and female patient discharges from Dana Receiving House (VA 2844).

Within 24 hours of the discharge, removal or escape of any patient, the clerk of the asylum was to make and sign an entry to record this occurrence in the discharge register, also known as the register of discharges, removals and deaths. This was required under the provisions of the Lunacy Statute 1867.

Subsequent legislation included similar provisions. An entry was also to be made in the register of patients and a written notice was to be sent to the Chief Secretary.

The format of the discharge register was specified in the 17th schedule of the 1867 Act and in schedules to subsequent legislation. Details recorded included date of death, discharge or removal, date of last admission, number in register of patients, name at length, name of hospital to which patient removed (if applicable), condition on discharge, cause of death (if applicable) and age at death. The entries are arranged chronologically by date of discharge.

There may be an index by patient name at the front of each volume. There are two separate numerical sequences for male and female patients.
Records of patients in asylums were well controlled. For the most part patient records are arranged by the date of admission or date of discharge (including death). Some asylums, however, maintained a nominal register of patients, which can be used to access records by patient surname.

Admissions of patients were recorded in date order in registers of patients, and patients were allocated an admission number. An index of surnames was often created to provide access to the entries. The admission warrants authorising the committal of the patients to the asylum were filed by admission number and hence are also chronologically arranged by date of admission.

Case histories were recorded on each patient. Initially the case histories were entered in bound volumes, known as case books, in order of date of admission (admission number order). A separate Index to the case books was sometimes maintained. From 1912 loose-leaf folios were used. Known as patient clinical notes, the folios were transferred as patients moved between asylums. The notes were ultimately filed alphabetically by surname according to the year of final discharge or death. Patient files succeeded the patient clinical notes in 1953 and were controlled and arranged in the same manner.

Routine examinations of patients were recorded in annual and quinquennial examination registers. Entries in these registers are usually either by date of examination or by date of admission. The volumes are often self-indexing.

The discharge, transfer or death of patients was initially recorded in separate discharge registers as well as in the register of patients and the case histories. From 1962 separate discharge registers were phased out, however, some asylums continued to maintain them.

Inspector General’s visiting book and official visitor’s books (1912–64)

Volume; Unappraised

Content: This collection consists of two sequences of volumes which reflect the official inspections of the Ballarat Receiving House. Inspections were required by legislation, every three months without notice to the management. The condition of the house and of the patients was recorded in the books. The volume entries are in chronological order.

The sequence of Inspector-General‘s visiting books cover the entire period of the Ballarat Receiving House, from 1912 to 1962. Inspection was firstly held by the Inspector-General of the Insane, then by the Director, and finally by the Chief Medical Officer, as a result of changes in the administration of mental health in Victoria.

The official visitor’s books represented the role of the official visitors, which was the re-classification of patients. The official visitors were justices appointed by the Governor in Council. Two official visitors were appointed for each of the country hospitals.

As stated in the Lunacy Act 1928:

‘The Inspector-General or Official Visitor on his several visits to a hospital shall inquire –
•as to the care treatment and mental state and bodily health of the patients therein;
•as to the arrangements for their maintenance and comfort …’

The Inspector-General’s visiting book reflects such enquiries, but the official visitors’ book only represents the re-certification of patients. The volume entries are in chronological order.

Nominal register (1927–62)

Volume; Unappraised

Content: These two nominal registers record: date of reception; discharge or transfer date; patient’s name.

Patients are alphabetically listed lexicographically (perfect alphabetical order). The volumes look similar to indexes. However, the volumes do not function as a comprehensive index with reference numbers to other records. Nor do they include the category of voluntary boarders.

Clinical notes and patient files – Receiving House (1912–64)

Document; Permanent VPRS Number 18110/P0001

Content: Each patient admitted into Ballarat Receiving House/Psychiatric Hospital was required by legislation to have a file created which documents their case history from time of admission to discharge or death. These records were to be kept in such form as the Governor in Council was from time to time to direct.
The format and content of patient case files varied over time. Between 1912 and 1953 the files were known as clinical notes. From 1953 the format of the records changed to a file comprising a cover with papers contained within. File content was inconsistent until major changes in content brought about under the Mental Health Regulations 1962 saw standardisation of the use of forms and recording of patient information.

This series comprises patient records covering the period from 1912 and includes both clinical notes and the later patient files commencing in 1962. This series was designated to relate to discharged and deceased patients by archivists of the Department of Health and Human Services who serialised the files to that department's archives in circa 1994 (see notes below).

Each institution was required by legislation to maintain records of patient case histories. These records were to be kept in such form as the Governor in Council was from time to time to direct. As soon as possible after the admission of any patient, and periodically thereafter, the following details were to be entered into the case histories:

• the mental state and bodily condition of every patient on admission
• the history of his/her case recorded from time to time while he/she continued to be a patient in the asylum
• a correct description of the medicine and other remedies prescribed for the treatment of his/her disorder
• in the case of death, an exact account of the autopsy (if any) of the patient.

These records, which were initially (pre-1912) in the form of bound casebooks, were to be regularly inspected by an Inspector or other officer appointed under the provisions of the prevailing legislation.

In 1912 the format of case histories was altered from bound casebooks to a loose-leaf folio format, known as patient clinical notes. The change in format meant that the case notes could be transferred with the patient whenever they were removed to or admitted to another hospital, or separated from current files when a patient was discharged or died. Information recorded in patient clinical notes included:

• personal details
• name and address of nearest relative or friend, by whom brought (to the asylum)
• previous residence
• age and sex of patient
• marital status
• if any family
• occupation
• habits of life and native place
• medical details
• the form of insanity
• duration of present attack
• if disordered before/if condition hereditary
• specific signs of mental illness
• if suicidal
• if dangerous and destructive
• a brief description of bodily condition.

The page on the right records the medical history of the patient. It was expected that a full account of the mental and physical condition of the patient would be entered in the case notes on admission, with a further note at the end of each month at least for the first six months, and afterwards a full note every six months. However, such thorough and accurate notes were not always maintained. The clinical notes usually record whether the patient was transferred elsewhere, discharged or died while in custody.

A copy of the post-mortem examination report is sometimes included in cases of death. A photograph of the patient on admission is sometimes included. Some folios contain correspondence relating to the patient. It is thought that the clinical notes were kept in the wards until the death or discharge of a patient.

Following the patient's last discharge, or death, the case histories were usually arranged chronologically by year of discharge and then alphabetically by patient surname within each year.

With the development of modern psychiatry, increasingly complex and detailed patient records were created. In 1953 the format of case histories changed from a loose-leaf folio format to files, the format and contents of which also changed over time.

The Mental Health Regulations 1962 and subsequent regulations established the format and content of various records which together constituted the patient file or hospital record.

Such files contained:

• a statement of personal details of patient
• letters of referral
• reports of the Superintendent's examinations
• specialist reports
• dental reports and reports of special investigations
• physical examinations, psychiatric history and examinations
• re-admissions, re-examinations and post- mortems
• reports by nurses, occupational therapists and social workers.

Some files included a treatment card.

While the files in this series relate to patients who were discharged or who died by 1964, there are instances where later documents may have been added to individual files. For example, there are instances where correspondence associated with freedom of information requests submitted many years later have been inserted into files.

Original order as outlined in a note by the department’s transferring archivist, c.1994 Ballarat Receiving House Patient Files were serialised during the Lakeside Records Disposal Project [c.1994].

They were located in the male quarters building (upper floor), whereby patient files were divided between deaths and discharges, with both groups held in separate rooms.

Files were subsequently arranged according to year of death or discharge. Files in date of death order were physically separated for each year whereas files in date of discharge order were grouped according to decade only.

The department therefore arranged discharges into each year, that is, 1962 to 1964. Files for each discharge or death year were then placed in alphabetical order to assist retrieval. Arrangement was hampered as a result of Ballarat Mental Hospital, Novar, Norwood and relevant outpatient clinics grouped together for both death and discharges. In order to respect provenance, the department separated files accordingly. Subsequent series: patient files – Mental Hospital (Lakeside).

First, files are grouped either by category of death or discharged. Second, within those groups, files are grouped by year of death or discharge. Finally, within the year groups files are arranged alphabetically by patient name.

Please note files may feature labels from a numbering system imposed by the controlling department generated from TRIM electronic document and records management system. This system does not reflect the original recordkeeping system of the series.

Patients' personal property book (1948–62)

Volume; Temporary

Content: These records contain details of patients' belongings brought by them to the hospital at their time of admission.
Destroyed on 28 October 2003.

Voluntary boarder registers (1914–62)

Volume; Permanent VPRS Number 17810/P0001

Content: These registers document the dates of admission and discharge of voluntary boarders.

This series comprises volumes detailing voluntary male and female patient admissions to Ballarat Dana Receiving House (VA 2844).

It was not until two years after the opening of Ballarat Receiving House that the first voluntary boarders were admitted. As would be expected with the function of Ballarat Receiving House, there was a greater number of voluntary boarders compared to Ballarat Mental Hospital, which treated long-term patients with more severe mental illness.

The register of patients: voluntary boarders volumes includes:

• admission number
• name
• date of reception
• marital status
• age
• occupation
• address
• form of mental illness
• period of residence agreed
• discharge/death details.

A remarks section of the register was also used to record the patient's religion.

Entries are made chronologically by date of reception with each boarder assigned a sequential admission number. Male and female boarders were assigned separate admission numbers until 1954.

Records of patients in asylums were well controlled. For more information, see entry above.

Voluntary boarder warrants (1914–62)

Document; Unappraised

Content: This collection of warrants documents the authorisation for receiving voluntary boarders into the receiving house.

The records are defined by the relevant legislation which in this instance includes the Lunacy Acts, Mental Hygiene Acts and Mental Health Act 1959. The warrant documents for each patient, and can include:

• statement of personal details
• application to be admitted to a receiving house as a voluntary boarder
• order for the discharge of a voluntary boarder.

The warrants were located in two sequences depending on whether they had been stored in envelopes or loose on shelving.

The warrants which date prior to 1943 are arranged in admission number order in separate sequences for males and females.

The voluntary boarders received between 1944 and 1953 did not receive admission numbers and these warrants are arranged by discharge date. The sequence from 1 May 1953 onwards is arranged by admission date with no separation of male and female patients.

Warrants for recommended and certified patients (1912–62)

Document; Unappraised

Content: Warrants document the authorisation for receiving certified and recommended patients into the receiving house.

A warrant is a legal document stating that the person’s admission is lawful; it contains documentation in the form defined by the relevant legislation such as the Mental Hygiene Acts.

Up until 1953 the warrants are arranged by date of admission, with separate sequences of male and female warrants. After 1954 the records are arranged by discharge date order with a combined sequence of male and female warrants.

The warrants arranged in admission number order include paper slips showing where patients were transferred to. As described in the Mental Hygiene Act 1958, if a patient was transferred from a receiving house to a mental hospital, then that patient’s order was accompanied by the receiving house warrant. These paper slips usually include destination, date of destination and admission number. They simply replace the warrant.

The sequences of warrants that are arranged in discharge order do not include such paper slips; therefore, that is why there are a greater number of warrants not listed. Only warrants with direct discharges have remained in this collection. The majority of discharges from Ballarat Receiving House were transfers to Ballarat Mental Hospital, which in turn formed part of the Ballarat Mental Hospital collection of warrants for patients transferred to other facilities.

Warrants record the authorisation needed for receiving patients. If by means of court orders where a justice or justices were satisfied that the person need treatment, there had to be examination by two medical practitioners and assessment that they were without sufficient means of support. These warrants include:

• order of justice for the apprehension of a person deemed to be insane and either without sufficient means of support, or is wandering at large, or has been discovered under circumstances that denote a purpose of committing some offense against the law
• medical certificates
• personal details
• order for conveyance to a receiving house
• discharge paper (if applicable)

Authorisation for patients received as private admissions required the examination report from two medical practitioners (s. 49(1) Mental Hygiene Act 1958). These warrants include:

• request for reception of patient into receiving house
• statement of personal details
• two medical certificates
• discharge paper

Centre records (1974–91)

Document, volume and file; Temporary

Content: This collection included correspondence, client trust records, visitor and excursion records and unit diaries. Certain client-centred records were removed to new collections. The temporary records were destroyed in 2010.

Patient records (1974–91)

File; Temporary

Content: this collection comprises client administration files from Dana House, Lakeside Mental Hospital, and Grampians region.

Client admission index cards client names Bi- to We-. (1975–85)

Card; Unappraised

Content: This collection comprises client administration admission index cards from Dana House, Lakeside Mental Hospital, and Grampians region.