Victorian Mental Health Photograph Collection

Apologies, the Victorian Mental Health Photograph collection is not available for viewing until further notice.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Health Sciences Library, incorporating the Victorian Mental Health Library, holds the photograph collection entitled the ‘Mental Health Photograph Collection’ on behalf of the State of Victoria, acting through the Department of Health & Human Services Mental Health Branch.

The photograph collection previously available at Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital Library contains around 3,000 items. These date from the mid 1800s to 2002, with most pictures taken in the 1960s.

They depict special events with key political or mental health figures, or feature promotional shots of everyday life in Victorian mental health institutions. People, furnishings, equipment, activities and buildings are shown.

Please note:

• Formats range from negatives, glass and photographic slides, to colour or black and white prints. There are also a small number of site plans and sketches. Sizes vary from 3 cm to poster.
• The collection DOES NOT CONTAIN any records relating to the operations, patients or staff of the various mental health asylums.
• The Health Sciences Library do not have the Copyright to all of the photographs in the collection, we may need to contact the Department of Health & Human Services Mental Health Branch for permission to use.
• Permission may only be granted for NON-COMMERICAL USE.

Some of the institutions represented include:

• Aradale Hospital Ararat Hospital for the Insane
• Ballarat Mental Hospital
• Beechworth Mental Hospital/Asylum
• Box Hill Occupation Clinic
• Carlton Lunatic Asylum
• Heatherton Sanatorium
• Hobson Park Hospital
• Janefield Colony
• Karlyn Kinkora Hostel
• Kew Asylum / Kew Cottages
• Lara Sanatorium for Inebriates
• Larundel Mental Hospital
• Mont Park Montdoora Mental Colony
• Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital
• Sunbury Asylum/Mental Hospital/Training Centre
• Traralgon Mental Hospital
• Travancore Clinic
• Trelowarren Rehabilitation Base
• Willsmere Hospital Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum