Historical information

An agreement was made with the Defence Department in 1914 for the latter to erect the Mont Park central block (the "Chronic Wards") for use as a Military Hospital, and for it later to revert to the State as portion of Mont Park Hospital. The buildings now known as the Chronic Wards were completed in this way in 1916 and used as the Australian General Hospital no. 16 for the duration of the war. One wing of this building was set aside for mental patients during this period.

The Military Mental Hospital was built in 1919 to accommodate 84 patients who were suffering from psychiatric conditions as a result of their service in World War I. It was occupied by military patients until 1933 when they were transferred to Commonwealth facilities. The Military Mental Hospital consisted of a two storey brick Administration Building with two single-storey pavilion wards and a single-storey kitchen-dining room pavilion at the rear, connected with covered ways. The ward sections of the Military Mental Hospital have undergone considerable alteration.

Significance

Lara R.S.L. received the picture miss-labelled as "The Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital - 1919
' after some research it was relabeled as belonging to Mont Park Military Hospital "Chronic Wards"

Physical description

Rectangular shaped glass covered photo frame showing a photo of part of Mont Park Hospital in 1919.

Inscriptions & markings

Mont Park Hospital 1919.
Donated by Ron Ellis 9th September 1984.