Frances and brother William Henry's arrival in Van Diemen's Land - With thanks to Yvonne Fraser

According to her death certificate, Frances spent 15 years in Tasmania before moving to Victoria, through South Australia, with her husband Caleb and her family. The death certificate of her only son, Charles Walter, suggests that the family spent five years in New South Wales. It is possible that this was after Caleb's death.

Conditions on the brig James

On 8 May 1830, Frances and her family arrived in the Swan River Colony, now Fremantle/Perth in Western Australia, established only about 12 months earlier, as cabin passengers on the brig James. She had travelled with her brother, William Henry LOMBE aged about 11 years old, and Mr William STEWART, her step-father. Her mother Elizabeth Barrow MILNER-LOMBE, now Mrs STEWART, had died on the voyage from Liverpool shortly before 04 March 1830 and before the James reached Bahia, Brazil. Their onward voyage to their destination of Hobart, Van Diemen's Land, was by the Bombay, which according to the shipping lists, had arrived in port the same day bound for Hobart. On 26 July 1830 Frances arrived in Hobart aged 8.

Their voyage on the James 1 had originated in Liverpool but picked up passengers in Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), in Dublin Bay, Ireland. There were 75 passengers in all. The James, an American brig built in 1812, had a wooden hull sheathed in copper, was registered in London and weighed 195 tons, making it an extremely small vessel for a voyage of this distance. It was carrying general cargo to Swan River for H. Livesey, who was also on board (and part owner of the vessel?). Left: The slightly smaller 148 foot brig 'Unicorn' - once the 'Henrietta' in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

The captain of the vessel, Edward Goldsmith, seems to have been a fairly unscrupulous fellow and the voyage turned out to be a nightmare for the passengers. Graeme Henderson describes what Frances experienced:

Emigrating from Europe to the Colonies in the early nineteenth century was a bold step into the unknown. Ship owners advertised the conditions on board their vessels in glowing terms, but passengers frequently found the accommodation unbearable. A dearth of social legislation (and lack of enforcement) gave tyrannical masters the opportunity to treat all those on board their vessel with complete disdain. The Passenger Act of 1828 had just come into effect, with the intention of bringing about some minor improvements.

Captain Theophilus ELLIS ² of the 1st Royal Infantry (Ireland) Regiment boarded the ship at Kingstown on 18 December 1829. His first-hand account of the voyage has survived. He had negotiated a section of the ship to be partitioned off for the sole use of his extended family of eleven plus another officer. Captain ELLIS wrote:

"On the 'James' arriving I found her crowded with passengers of the class of labourers, men, women and children, whom with passengers to be taken at Kingstown, made the ship's crew 84 persons, and a quantity of sheep, pigs and geese, which together with the provisions, water casks, spars, etc crowded into a vessel of 196 [sic] tons, left scarcely any room to stand on the deck. [...] This state of the vessel was quite unexpected by the families at Kingstown and there was no place for the goods, provisions, etc. so requisite for families going to a distant settlement, especially

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on the deck and under all weather. [...] The passengers with a difficulty got down some of their boxes containing clothes after which there was scarcely room for 24 persons to eat and sleep in a space of 19ft 6inches (5.94m) by 21ft 3inches (6.5m) out of which the bulk of the pumps and main mast of 52 feet

(15.85m) (which is to be deducted) we therefore suffered great inconvenience and want of air particularly as the height ...between decks in the greater part of our cabin is but 4ft 6inches (1.37m) between the beams and 4 ft (1.22m) to the beams instead of 5ft 6in (1.68m) as required by Act of Parliament [...] the deck strewn with our packages [..] which ought to have been under cover. There was no place reserved. The goods we had with us (and some were left behind) were destroyed, not only by salt water but by the treatment they received by the people on deck who broke into our casks by jumping on them, destroying china, glass, and making a passage over them. Our beds and boxes of clothes, silks and bonnets were completely soaked with salt water.

As William STEWART's occupation was 'Gentleman' and with the library and musical instruments, valued at ?2000 it seems possible that the family could afford to be of the 24 'cabin class' passengers. In that STEWART's belongings were preserved until the shipwreck (see below) he must have had some storage space not available to ELLIS and the rest of the 'cabin class' passengers.

When we had been six weeks at sea we learned from report on board, that the bows of the vessel were in a state that would render it necessary to have her repaired and we accordingly entered the port of Bahia on the 23rd or February [1830] seven weeks passage from Kingstown. We were dissatisfied at a breach of agreement in not getting fresh food more than 3 times in 7 weeks instead of two days in each week ... We also had mouldy biscuits several times."

On arriving in Bahia in Brazil (now Salvador), Captain ELLIS went to the British Consul demanding a survey of the seaworthiness of the vessel be made. He also reported the overcrowding of passengers. The Consul told him that, even though there were too many passengers on board, he would not like to condemn the vessel or to order any of the passengers ashore as he believed the ship's owner would not be able to pay for sending them onto their destination!

Above: The possible voyage of the James and Bombay taking into account the prevailing winds Source: Passage weather.com (Accessed: 03 January 2016)

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While the repairs to the ship's bows were being undertaken the passengers had to take lodgings on shore. When they came back on board, they found the decks in an even greater state of confusion and filthiness than before. When Captain ELLIS' sister, Mrs BOLGER, complained that the deck, apart from the area near the round house, was "not in a state to stand on with the dirt of the pigs etc. Mr. Goldsmith (the captain) told her she might remove it herself."

The instructions of the Consul that fresh provisions be provided to the passengers as per their agreements was not complied with after leaving Bahia. No fresh provisions had been taken on board while in port - the pigs which were fouling the decks were for use in Swan River. During 119 days at sea, fresh food was supplied to the passengers on just 13 of them - the equivalent of once a week for 13 weeks!

The death of Frances' mother and half-sister

Five people, including Mrs STEWART, died before 4 March. The first was the cook, who died one week out from Kingstown. The third was Mr Smith who died one week out from Bahia. Mrs STEWART must therefore have died before the James entered Bahia on 23 February 1830. Henderson reports she 'told Ellis 2 (sic) days before she died that she had lost her health because of the crowded state of the vessel'. The Lancaster Gazette records her death as 21 January 1830. By telling ELLIS she confirms the families status amongst the 24 'cabin class' passengers.

The Lancaster Gazette reports Mrs STEWART's death. The news brought by a returning ship, confirms the date of death and the death of her infant child. Left: A composite image of the Lancaster Gazette of Saturday, 08 May 1830; Issue 1508 Source: Lancaster Library

However, ELLIS does not mention of the death the child Elizabeth Milner Barrow STEWART, who according to The Lancaster Gazette, died 17 February 1829. If this date is correct Elizabeth died one week before arriving in Bahia. Yet, ELLIS recorded the death of 'the wife and child of Mr Entwistle'. The child's death is confirmed by William STEWART's statement, to the Vestry Committee (see below), that the only child of the marriage also died on board ship. Her baptism is recorded as:

Baptism: 29 Jul 1829 Christ Church, Southport, Lancashire, England
Elizabeth Milner Barrow - Daughter of William Stewart & Elizabeth Barrow
    Occupation: Gentleman
    Baptised by: Wm. Docker Curate
    Register: Baptisms 1824 - 1839 from the Bishops Transcripts, Page 33, Entry 7
    Source: LDS Film 1068944      [Lancashire Online Parish Clerk]

Henderson's narrative continues...

Rations, insufficient from the commencement of the voyage, were further diminished after the vessel left Bahia, and conditions generally worsened. Ellis prayed for the end of the voyage. (Henderson p.103)

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The James arrived at Swan River on 8 May 1830, with twelve crew and seventy-five of her passengers, and moored at Owens Anchorage. However the problems were not over for those on board, for on 21 May the James was blown ashore [and wrecked] along with the brig Emily Taylor. Goldsmith refused to deliver to the passengers their remaining goods until the Colonial Secretary ordered him to do so on 10 June. (Henderson p.103)

The passengers for Van Diemen's Land transferred to the brig 'Bombay' , which had sailed from Calcutta with passengers for Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales. It had reached Swan River on 8 May 1830 and departed for Hobart 15 days later with the 'James'' Van Diemen's Land passengers. The Colonial Secretaries delay created another occasion when Mr STEWART could have lost the families possession.

A pauper's life in Tasmania

The children arrived in Hobart to an uncertain future in the care of a step-father of two years, now newly widowed. The following document describes life that Frances, William Henry and William STEWART experienced on their arrival.

Source: Purtscher, Joyce, "More references for Tasmanian Children in care 1826-1899" p.236/7 LINC Launceston - gives microfiche reference numbers Research by: Heather Schoffelen

It is possible that William STEWART, also musically inclined, knew William Henry LOMBE and the widowed Elizabeth LOMBE in Southport. Perhaps he intended to teach music in Van Diemen's Land with either his instruments or those of William Henry LOMBE's. Elizabeth MILNER/LOMBE's was to continue her Circulating Library (see 1821info1e). Although Captain ELLIS recorded that the cargo of the 'James' was transferred from the wreck to Freemantle, it seems this was after the departure of the 'Bombay' then en route to Hobart. Now, following the loss of the 'James', the once comfortably off family, were destitute and the children were committed to an orphanage. It would appear from the document that Frances and William Henry were in an orphanage run by St. David's Cathedral.

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Source: LINC Tasmania - AOT CSO 1-1-122 p330 (1828) SWD 24 p236 (1830-31) Research: Heather Schoffelen

Above: Map of the area north of the South Esk, Van Diemen's Land, surveyed by J.H. Hughes 1837 In red, Barclay land, some of which was tenanted by Thomas Manning, possibly Caleb's first employer; In blue, the land of Major Donald McLeod, Frances Louisa LOMBE's 'employer'; In green the land of RP Stewart who may have been a relative of William Stewart/Stuart, Frances' step-father. Positions of dwellings are approximate. Click on the map to open an enlarged A4 portrait 194kB map in a new window. Source: LINC Tasmania (Accessed: 04 August 2015)

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Nearly a year later, with the family split, [Frances] Louisa Lombe was 'indentured' aged nine to Mr Stuart/Stewart living at Major McLeod's residence.

Frances was probably living on the Talisker or Cleggin land allocated to Major Donald McLEOD ³ . On 1 May 1829, Major Donald McLEOD had leased his farm at Talisker to brothers George Hemming STUART and Robert Pringle STUART, and to John his own eldest son. The land north of Talisker was homesteaded by RP STEWART on Hughes' 1837 settlement map.

This begs the question as to whether these Stuart/Stewarts were related to William STEWART? Is this why Frances went to Talisker, or was he working for the McLeod family who had moved to their property at Cleggin?

Left: A modern map locating the closeness of Caleb's Trafalgar and Springvale and the McLeod/Stewart Talisker farm and the town of Evandale, which is south of Launceston. Talisker, on the White Hill Roads, was desribed by Widdowson in 1829 as 'not very pleasantly situated, fronts a fine enclosed arable farm on a sloping hill. Beneath is an extent of garden'.

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Above: Talisker Farm - now 692 Relbia Road, Relbia - November 2015

Sources:

• Particulars of the voyage from Kingstown Ireland (to Swan River in 1828 [sic]) of Capt. Ellis et al., quoted in Henderson 1980: 101-2 Particulars of the voyage from Kingstown, Ireland to Swan River in 1828 [sic] per brig "James" of Capt T T Ellis 1st R.I. (Ireland) and his sister Mrs William Bolger and her family of (six daughters and three sons). Mr Edward Goldsmith (master), State Library of Western Australia, Battye Library Private Archives, ACC2144A quoted in ...
• Henderson, Graeme, ‘Unfinished Voyages’, University of Western Australia Press, 1980, ISBN 10: 0855641762 p101-105

End notes:
¹ Source: Dictionary of Western Australians.
² £2000 in 1830 is equivalent to £2.481 million at 2018 rates (See: The National Archive Currency Conversion). This equates to A$4.8 million in April 2020.

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Frances Louisa's second marriage

Eight years after the death of Caleb, Frances married William BROWN on 12 Novemberv1862. It was Frances Louisa BROWN, as mother of the bride, who consented to Elizabeth Milner's marriage to William COX.

Issue 3563	Marriage solemnized in the District of Learmouth and Miners Rest								No. 2
Where and when married	Names	Condition	Issue	Birthplace	Rank or Profession	Age	Usual residence	Parents' names	Father's rank or profession
Nov 12 1862 Church of Engn Miners Rest	William Brown	Widower first wife d. August 1860	. .	St Veep Cornwall	Carpenter	50	Miners Rest	John Mary formerly Collins	Farmer
	Frances Louisa Crompton	Widow first husband died December 1854	. 5	Worcester		42	Do	William Henry Elizabeth formerly Milner	Musician
Married in the  Church of England Miners Rest Nov 12 1862 The marriage was solemnised between William Brown Frances Louisa Crompton According to the rites of the Church of England and Ireland               In the presence of Robert Jewell & Eliza Halson

Left: A map locating the birth place of William BROWN

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Frances Louisa Brown - lunatic

In 1864 The Star of Ballarat makes three references to an elderly Fanny being a ' lunatic' who was remanded, probably in prison custody, at Miners Rest as the Ballarat Asylum wasn't instituted until 1877. In the second report Fanny was 'remanded' into custody by her unnamed daughter after previously being an inmate of Melbourne's Yarra Bend Asylum ⁴ . That she was 'given into custody' by her daughter suggests that the extended family couldn't cope with Fanny. For Fanny to have been committed to Yarra Bend Asylum, the only asylum in Victoria, suggests another serious side to her case having being commitment by a warrant signed by the State Governor. Two years prior to her commitment Yarra Bend had established an infirmary, which may have been the place for Fanny's care as an increasing number of people were being diagnosed with psychological problems.

There are no obvious notices before or after these date.  Frances lived for another 36 years.

1821info1d, sheet 10

Frances' death

Frances' death certificate tell us she spent 15 years in Tasmania and 48 years in Victoria, suggesting she arrived in Tasmania about 1837 at the age of 16 and left for Victoria, with Caleb, in about 1853. There were no children born to her marriage to William BROWN, whom she outlived. She died, a widow for the second time, on 15 September 1900.

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Right: The Dowling Forest Cemetery register shows that Frances Louisa BROWN, a resident of Miners Rest in the parish of Dowling Forest was buried in a common grave at 2 o'clock PM, on 17 September 1900. She was still a member of the Church of England and was buried in grave 9 of section 1. Frances Louisa died of 'general debility'. Click on the image to open a full 44Kb image in a new window

Dowling Forest Cemetery

On 26 November 2015, I meet Bill Loader, a Trustee of Dowling Forest Cemetery, at the cemetery. Although he could account for the document above, he could not find a record of Frances BROWN n? CROMPTON in his cemetery database or his bundle of original records. Whilst there are eight BROWNs recorded and buried with headstones, Frances' husband William is not one of them. Caleb died before the cemetery opened.

The document, familiar to Bill, was required for a burial which, in English terms, crossed a 'parish' boundary. Frances, having died in Miners Rest, required this two part document to be buried across the Sunraysia Highway (from Ballarat to Learmonth), in the Dowling Forest Cemetery. One part of the document was retained by the Cemetery and the other passed to the undertakers. Bill Loader is familiar with the name of the Sexton JM Gilles and Secretary Grey.

Above: Aerial view of Dowling Forest Cemetery and part of Miners Rest

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Above: Aerial view of Dowling Forest Cemetery, showing the division between the 'parishes'

Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Dowling Forest Cemetery, Author: November 2015 This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets

1. Dowling Forest northern entrance - ? Ron Mazuras 2. Dowling Forest eastern entrance

3. Cemetery looking north toward Mount Blowhard

1	2	3

4. Cemetery looking north-east 5. Cemetery looking toward the north-east corner

6. Cemetery looking west - Bill Loader Cemetery Trustee

4	5	6

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The brig James James was an American-built cargo passenger vessel owned by Chapman and Company in 1812. The vessel was of 195 tons with a draft of 3.6m. She was sheathed in copper (1828), carried two chain and one hempen cable, and was armed with three cannon. It had a single deck with beams, a raised new deck and new upper works in 1828. The vessel was involved in the passenger trade from Europe. On this occasion from Liverpool to Fremantle. When the ship, with a crew of 12, was lost on James Rocks, Captain Edward Goldsmith was the Master. The wreck is positioned at Latitude -32.09576 Longitude 115.75861 adjacent to the South Fremantle Power Station, close to James Rocks, about 50 metres from shore. It is 81 metres south-east of the cooling water outlet pipe and the shore end is about 3.1 metres from the rocky sea-wall in front of the power station. The wreckage once lay on a sandy and rock bottom in 4 metres of water. It is significantly affected by sand movement in the area and is now completely covered. Various artefacts have been removed from the vicinity of the site, including two of the three cannonades. Source: Shipwreck Database - Western Australian Museum - James (Accessed: 06 January 2016) Survey of the Port Coogee Development Area by JN Green - see .pdf in text (Accessed: 11 February 2016) Click on the text icon to open a 55kB Word2003 file of a transcription related to the voyage of the James from Henderson, Graeme, ?Unfinished Voyages ?, University of Western Australia Press, 1980, ISBN 10: 0855641762

Captain Theophilus T Ellis 1st R.I. (Ireland) Captain ELLIS was travelling to Swan River to take up the post of Superintendent of Native Tribes. Life was cheap in the early years of the Swan River Colony. Passenger Enion Entwhistle was killed by Aborigines in a revenge raid upon a farm house at Point Walter in August 1831. Among the raiders were the Aboriginal leaders Yagan, and his father Midgegooroo. Midgegooroo was captured by Captain ELLIS and later executed. Captain ELLIS only stayed four years before dying from a spear wound received at the Murray River. The spearing of ELLIS (then Superintendent of Police appointed in (1833?) precipitated the Battle of Pinjarra in which many Aborigines were slaughtered. He was fatally speared by aborigines at the Battle of Pinjarra on the Murray River in October 1834.

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Major Donald McLeod of Talisker Major Donald McLEOD, 6th Laird of Talisker on the Isle of Skye and of the 56th Regiment, and his wife Catherine MACLEAN sailed from Leith in Scotland on 19 June 1820 for Van Diemen's Land accompanied by their children Catherine, Isabella, John and Hugh with twelve servants. They left Portsmouth on 07 July 1820. Their son Donald was born on the ship Skelton when off the coast of Spain, which carried eighty one passengers and a crew of eighteen as well as substantial cargo. The voyage took five months, arriving at Hobart Town on 27 November 1820. Two of the children returned to Scotland to further their education, joining the three children who had been left behind when the family emigrated. These five children and nurse, arrived at Hobart Town on the ship Triton 04 October 1825. During their first year in Van Diemen's Land the family stayed at Rest Down, Risdon Cove, on the farm of Lt.Col. Andrew Geils. They visited Sydney in May 1834 and stayed for three months as guests of Governor and Mrs. MACQUARIE. Catherine McLEOD was fourth cousin to Lachlan MACQUARIE.   Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Talisker This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets 1. Talisker House in 2015 2. Talisker whiskey 3. Map locating Talisker on the Isle of Skye 1   2   3   In 1821 the MacLeod family were given a 2000 acres grant south of Launceston, which they called Talisker    after their home on the Isle of Skye. The MacLeod's acquired a large town house in Perth which they named Perth Villa, which was destroyed by fire in the mid 20th century. In 1838, they built and owned a property called Glendessary    and there built the second water powered flour mill 'about a mile from the punt', which was operational until the early 1900's, when it was washed away in the 1929 floods. Around 1829, they moved to Cleggin, a 3000 acres property which had been granted to Col. Alexander McLEOD (brother of Donald) who had died in India. Their uncle left Cleggin to four of Donald's daughters. In 1831 Major MCLEOD was in charge of convicts, probably those at Spring Vale working on the Launceston water channel. By 1836 the family had started to move to New South Wales. He finally sailed to Sydney, with his family, on the 'Richard Bell' leaving Launceston on 18 May 1837. Donald died in Sydney in 1838. The Tasmanian properties were leased into 15 tenant farms, which they gradually sold by John Norman MCLEOD. Additional notes An Evandale note states that Donald McLEOD left Britain to become ADC to Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1762-1824), Governor of New South Wales (1810-1821). Macquarie, from Ulva in the Inner Hebrides lived 100km, by sea from Talisker, Isle of Skye. In 1825 Hugh MacAskill took over the Talisker estate and completed the Highland Clearance process begun under his predecessor Donald MCLEOD. Five years later, he founded the Talisker distillery. Magnus and Alexander McLEOD, the two eldest sons, had grants of land at St Helens, on the east coast of Tasmania. They looked after the Talisker property when the rest of the family moved to Cleggin. There was a long and protracted dispute over the St Helens land with another claimant, John Helder WEDGE, the government surveyor. WEDGE eventually gained St Helens and though compensated with extra land, the McLEOD young men felt they had been treated unjustly. They left Tasmania, for New South Wales, in disgust. Sources: (Trove) Hobart Town Gazette, page 2, 2/12/1820 or 3/12/1820 Papers of Evandale History Society at the Information Centre Evandale

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Donald McLeod of Talisker m. Catherine MacClean | |===========|===========|============|=============|==============|============/.. Magnus Alexander Catherine Johana isabel Janet georgina Margaret sybella b.30aug1807 b.30nov1808 b.02feb1811 b.12mar1812 b.18aug1813 b.27may1815 Skye Skye Skye Skye Skye Skye d.11jun1883 d.17jul1886 d.19jul1899 d. d.02sep1813 d.09jun1889 Geelong Geelong Geelong Talisker Wollum, NSW --X-- --X-- --X-- --X-- ../============|===============|==============|================|===============/.. John norman Hugh lawrence Donald James Marion christian Janette maria b.08oct1816 b.30nov1818 b.16jul1820 b.06mar1822 b.25jun1824 Durham Skye 'Skeleton' Talisker Talisker d.29may 1901 d.10aug1899 d.25feb1883 d.07feb1882 d.19apr1887 Portland Vic Geelong Bateman's Bay Uralla NSW Sydney ../============|==========|| Hector allen Roderick b.27sep1827 b.08sep1829 Talisker Cleggin d.26sep1880 d.07oct1847 Roebourne WA Benyeo, Vic More information 4   Yarra Bend Asylum In Melbourne, east of Clifton Hill, north of Abbotsford lies Yarra Bend Park and Golf Course: today a picturesque  place full of people walking dogs, jogging and playing golf. One hundred years ago, it was a slightly different story. From 1848, above Dights Fall, 620 acres was occupied by the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum: known     as an asylum until 1905. This title emphasised its function as a place of security for people who could possibly not be cured, rather than a hospital, which provided treatment for mentally ill. By 1870, the Asylum housed 1043 patients   and was one of the largest of its kind in the world. Patients could not be retained in the temporary reception for patients or as long-term patients without a warrant requesting their admission. Prior to 1867, the warrant was signed by the Governor. As the population of Melbourne grew to thousands in the 1840s, it was evident that the Government had taken no steps to ensure the care of mentally disturbed persons who either were left to roam the streets, or if they caused a disturbance, to be incarcerated in the Collins Street gaol. The Superintendent of Port Phillip was authorised by the New South Wales Governor to build additional cells at the rear of the gaol to house lunatics, whilst at the same time maintaining that their care was not the responsibility of the government. These measures proved inadequate and overcrowding soon lead to the mixing of prisoners and lunatics. By 1843, Governor Gepps had a change of mind regarding the care of the mentally disturbed and introduced legislation accepting care for the 'lunatics and idiots'. Surveyor Robert Hoddle selected a site for the asylum costing £3,000 for the construction work and tenders were issued. The final building had seven cells, two wards for men, three cells, and one ward for women. Separate outbuildings were constructed for the superintendent and keeper. Originally called the Melbourne Asylum or the 'Lunatic asylum on the Merri Creek', Yarra Bend Asylum was the first permanent purpose-built asylum institution in the Melbourne metropolitan area and in Victoria devoted to the containment of the mentally ill. It was opened on 5 October 1848, when the first inmates were transferred from Melbourne Gaol. Towards the end of 1849, the number of inmates had grown to 43 and the asylum was beginning to become overcrowded. In the next year, the government committed a further ?2, 000 for the construction of a new wing. It was not officially called Yarra Bend Asylum until July 1851 when the Colony of Victoria was established. In 1856 a government Board of Inquiry into the state of Yarra Bend declared that the site and buildings were altogether unsuitable, recommending that a new lunatic asylum be built on a more appropriate site. Yarra Bend was, however, proclaimed an Asylum under the provisions of the Lunacy Statute 1867 (No.309) in the Government Gazette in October 1867.

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Yarra Bend Asylum:- cont However, the number of patients continued to increase, reaching 251 in 1855 and 451 by 1858. Staffing shortages exacerbated the overcrowding. As qualified staff left the asylum because of poor pay and the lure of the Victorian goldfields, the government found it increasingly hard to replace them with suitable people. As a result, the quality of the staff was severely diminished. In 1858, new wooden wards were added for female inmates, a male ward in 1859 and an infirmary added in 1862. Various outbuildings, mainly of timber were also added around the area. By now, the asylum was facing calls for its closure. Hoverbox Photo Gallery -Yarra Bend Asylum This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets 1. Yarra Bend Asylum circa 1868 2. Yarra Bend Asylum - no date 3. Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum - no date 1   2   3   Above: A map locating Yarra Bend Asylum in1899

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Yarra Bend Asylum :- cont By 1865, the chronic overcrowding became so bad that the Victorian government commenced work on Kew Cottages across the Yarra River. It was intended to replace the Yarra Bend Asylum but when it opened in 1871 in became, instead, a ward of the existing asylum. By 1872, Kew Cottages had become a separate organization and Yarra Bend Asylum continued to operate. Overcrowding in the states mental institutions continued to be an issue and even the opening of several new asylums, including Ballarat (1877) and Ararat did little to ease the situation. The large influx of people during the gold rush swamped existing services. Another factor was the increasing number of people diagnosed as having psychological problems from the 1850s to 1880s. In the 1850s, 0.95% of the population were labelled as 'lunatic'. This was compounded by the practice of housing 'inebriates', 'idiots' and 'imbeciles' in with the 'lunatics' at lunatic asylums up until the 1880s. By 1880, that number had swelled to 3.4%. It was little wonder that the Yarra Bend Asylum continued to operate long after it had been considered obsolete. It was not until 1925 that admissions ceased at the asylum. In the following year, patients, such as Tom Blackman (qv) were relocated to the newly opened Mont Park Psychiatric Hospital and the asylum closed. Sources: Darebin Heritage (Accessed: 26 August 2017) Wikipedia (Accessed: 26 August 2017) Bonwick, R. (1996). The history of Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum, Melbourne. Masters Research thesis, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne. (Accessed:26 August 2017)

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass		Version B32 Updated07 June 2023