Talk:Callan Park Hospital for the Insane

Post-AFD cleanup of this article
The nominator withdrew so I assume this is going to survive AfD. I've had a good look at the article and noted some of my thoughts and concerns below. Any other research, comments or suggestions are most welcome!

Article title and modernization
I think the title of the article should change. The facility at Callan Park may have been called a "Lunatic Asylum for the Mentally and Criminally Insane" in the 19th century, but the name has surely changed since then. The article should be named after the most recent name, and the previous names mentioned in the article and created as redirects.

According to State Records NSW, the sequence of names is as follows:
 * Callan Park Hospital for the Insane (1878-1914)
 * Callan Park Mental Hospital / Callan Park Hospital (1915-1976)

The Estate at Callan Park was purchased in 1873 as a site for a new Asylum, and early in 1876 repairs and alterations to make the building habitable for patients commenced on the old mansion house, while plans were underway for the construction of a new hospital on the site The establishment was managed as a branch of Gladesville Hospital, with 44 male patients transferred from Gladesville to Callan Park in May 1876.(1)

On 11 June 1878 the Governor directed it to be notified that the buildings at Callan Park were to be appointed a Public Lunatic Asylum.(2) The Report for the Inspector General of the Insane lists the proclamation date for Callan Park Hospital for the Insane as 1 August 1878.(3)

FOOTNOTES 1.Inspector of the Insane, Report for 1876, in Votes and Proceedings 1876-77, Vol 4, p.768-69 2.NSW Government Gazette 1878, 11 June 1878, p. 2309 3. Inspector General of the Insane, Report for 1879, Votes and Proceedings 1879-80, Vol 2, p.817

The Facility has never been referred to im official documents as being for the "Mentally and Criminally" Insane.

Rickrocksoz (talk) 02:46, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

The article should be called Rozelle Hospital, as Callan Park was merged with Rozelle in 1994.

The mention of the "warden" (actually Glenda Cleaver, the General Manager of Rozelle Hospital), shows that this article seems very much phrased in 19th century terms for mental illness: "asylum", "warden", "insane", "lunatic", etc. If the hospital is still operating, these terms should be rewritten in modern language.

The attempt to link the Callan Park facility to Bethlem (Bedlam), at a time 150 years before Callan Park Lunatic Asylum was built, is emotive and misleading. Referring to the Bethlem entry I note the following: In 1815, (60 years before Callan Park Asylum was built), Bedlam was moved to St George's Fields, Southwark, where the inmates were referred to as "unfortunates." This building had a remarkable library as an annexe which was well frequented. Although the sexes were separated, in the evenings, those capable of appreciating music could dance together in the great ballroom. In the chapel the sexes were separated by a curtain. Finally, in 1930, the hospital was moved to an outer suburb of London, on the site of Monks Orchard House between Eden Park, Beckenham and Shirley.

Rickrocksoz (talk) 02:22, 5 May 2008 (UTC)


 * I agree on change of title. The title in my opinion is an offensive and outdated term for people with mental illness, and I for one find it offensive. I imagine others could feel the same. I think there is enough stigma associated with mental illness and especially hospitalisation for the same that I don't find it necessary to add to this by entitling an article for a location with offensive content. How is it supposed to make the people who may have been inpatients here as recently as 2008 supposed to feel?

It is more correct to title it Rozelle Hospital because that is what it is called to this day. It is unnecessary even to describe it in the title as a hospital for people with mental illness. Rozelle Hospital is what the location is referred to on Google Maps for example, so the current title is not even useful. It is more accurate and informative to use the terms to describe a place with what it is referred to closer to the current time, rather than an antiquated and offensive term used a long time ago which could cause potential offense to this day.

Mandy4444 (talk) 23:26, 3 December 2014 (UTC)mandy4444

The Facility
I think some of the suggestions to Merge the article with Callan Park, New South Wales were valid in that there seems to be some confusion about what "Callan Park" refers to. The other article refers to the precinct. Does this article refer to the Hospital as an entity, the area or the buildings used by the hospital, or a particular building. Does this include Garry Owen House, Broughton House and the Kirkbride Complex?

Images
There are some images which would be in the Australian public domain by now and could be used in the article here.

--Canley 05:10, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

The Hogarth image relates to a period 150 years prior to the construction of the Callan Park Lunatic Asylum. Furthermore, the associated comment has no basis in fact and only adds to the emotive style of the whole entry. I propose that the image be removed as irrelevant.

Rickrocksoz (talk) 23:28, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

Future of the sit e
I have first-hand experience of the emotive nature of the Callan Park debate, so I hesitate to say anything that will get me hate mail. But the 'Future' section needs two changes - firstly, the future of the mental health facility at Callan Park is not unclear - the State Government has repeatedly announced that it will close in 2007-08 and all remaining patients will be transferred to Concord Hospital.

Secondly, there are no plans to 'redevelop' the site - it was proposed in 2002 to allow development on around 5% of Callan Park to finance the heritage and open space works on the rest. These plans were opposed by the Leichhardt community, and were legally prevented by the passage of the Callan Park Act 2002, which limits future uses of any part of the park to health and education. So - 'redevelopment' is no longer an accurate term.

A better section would perhaps read "The future of the Asylum buildings at Callan Park is unclear, with the remaining patients to be transferred to Concord Hospital in 2007-08. The Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002 restricts future uses to health and education, but the New South Wales Government has not revealed its intentions for the site when the existing facilty closes."

I would welcome the opinions of others on this proposed change. Jeendan 05:25, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Romantic Language?
I'm just a 'drive by' on this one, but the following seems a bit flowery for an encyclopedia...

Yet the asylum’s vastly different past is never too far away: in the late afternoon, the calls of magpies and currawongs hint at the cries and deranged sounds of the inmates that once echoed between the sandstone wards

GideonJones (talk) 06:07, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

"Bedlam in Balmain" is a bit over the top - particularly as the facility isn't even in Balmain!

Rickrocksoz (talk) 01:53, 5 May 2008 (UTC)