Key to Rookwood Asylum

It's not often that we find physical objects in the State Archives collection. This imposing key to Rookwood Asylum has been preserved in the Colonial Secretary's Letters Received (NRS-905 [1/2651B]), dating from 1887.

The key was sent to the Colonial Secretary by the Department of Public Works after completing work at what was known as the Rookwood Reformatory site. All other keys stayed with the buildings on-site.

The buildings at Rookwood were originally intended for a Boys Reformatory but were repurposed instead to provide shelter for infirm and destitute men. Rookwood Asylum opened in 1893.