Aradale is located 3 km from the centre of Ararat and covers approximately 101 hectares. It consistes of an impresive group of mainly heritage buildings of national significance surrounded by open farmland. Aradale was designed in 1864 in the Victorian Italianate style by John James Clark of the Public Works Department, Victoria. A three storey nurses quarters was built in the 1930s and the Forensic Psychaitry Centre was established in the 1980s. The design of asylums as a specific building type orginated in England in the mddle of the 19th century when it was decided that 'pauper lunatics' would be better cared for in a separate institution rather than being house within the workhouses. Some of the early purpose built asylums were based on the radiating principle of prisons but the arrangement of separat wings at right angles used in hospitals and whorkhouse design soon came to be seen as the most appropriate. The largest 19th century asylum in England was built at Colney Hatch. Kew, Beechworth and Ararat Asylums closely followed the Colney Hatch model. In victoria the population rose due to the gold rushes resulting in severe housing shortages, and additional pressure on asylums. The first asylum in Melbourne was established at Y arra Bend. In 1862 a new asylum was established at Kew. Ararat Asylum and Beechworth Asylum were designed in 1864. Ararat was opened on 19 October 1867, with Beechworth Asylum opening five days later. Soft covered bookletararat regional development board inc., aradale training centre, aradale, grano street ararat, alfred st ararat, ivar nelson, john christie, jon duggan, wes matthews, peter helfer, michael burke, john grant, asylum, lunatic asylum, colney hatch asylum, ararat asylum, fever tents, sunbury asylum, kew asylum, beechworth asylum, wine industry training