Mental Health Patient Records

In 1811, Governor Macquarie ordered that several Parramatta Gaol inmates who were ‘labouring under the affliction of mental derangement’ be transferred to the former convict barracks at Castle Hill, establishing the first government asylum in NSW. By the end of the century, a total of 4,198 inmates were housed in government-run and -licensed institutions across NSW.

This webinar will explore the surviving patient records created by government mental health facilities that are held within the State Archives Collection, such as registers, admission papers, medical case books and case papers. Learn how you can start searching and accessing these records yourself.

Note:
1. Sydney Morning Herald, 1 June 1811