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The Beechworth Burke Museum
From the collection of The Beechworth Burke Museum
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Postcard, c1910

  • A sepia toned image of a landscape with trees, farmland, and a wooden fence in the foreground, and the May Day Hills Mental Hospital building in the background, partly obscured by trees.

    1997.2459 (Cropped)

  • A sepia toned image of a landscape with trees, farmland, and a wooden fence in the foreground, and the May Day Hills Mental Hospital building in the background, partly obscured by trees. A boarder on bottom edge with text saying "Beautiful Beechworth (Vic.) 1800 ft. above Sea Level - General View of Asylum for Insane" with "Copyright. F. Foxcroft Photo" underneath

    1997.2459 (Obverse)

  • The reverse side of the postcard with space provided for correspondence and an address, this has been left blank. The collection identifying number 1997.2459 is in the top right corner

    1997.2459 (Reverse)

  • A sepia toned image of a landscape with trees, farmland, and a wooden fence in the foreground, and the May Day Hills Mental Hospital building in the background, partly obscured by trees.
  • A sepia toned image of a landscape with trees, farmland, and a wooden fence in the foreground, and the May Day Hills Mental Hospital building in the background, partly obscured by trees. A boarder on bottom edge with text saying "Beautiful Beechworth (Vic.) 1800 ft. above Sea Level - General View of Asylum for Insane" with "Copyright. F. Foxcroft Photo" underneath
  • The reverse side of the postcard with space provided for correspondence and an address, this has been left blank. The collection identifying number 1997.2459 is in the top right corner

Historical information

Mayday Hills Mental Hospital was originally constructed in 1864 under the name of the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum. It was built for locals in need of help who were kept in the local gaol. In its first decade, the residents of the hospital were used as menial labourers but over time, as mental healthcare progressed, were cared for in more nuanced ways. This site became a training hospital for nurses in the 1960's. Eventually, mental health patients were moved to other care facilities and Mayday Hills was operating as a geriatric care facility. It was closed in 1995, after which the buildings and their grounds were purchased to La Trobe University to be used as a campus. The university sold the site in 2011 to private ownership.

This postcard depicts the Mayday Hills Mental Hospital (Titled as 'Asylum for insane') from a distance and includes the surrounding grounds and farmlands.

Significance

Mayday Hills Mental Hospital is a historically significant site for many factors. It is representative of healthcare practice in nineteenth century Victoria. It contains rare examples of construction and architecture. It is also significant for aesthetic and technical reasons.

Physical description

Sepia tone postcard printed on matte card

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse:
Beautiful Beechworth (Vic.) 1880 ft. above Sea Level - General View of Asylum for Insane/
Copyright F. Foxcroft

Reverse:
1997.2459/
Post Card/
THIS SPACE MAY BE USED FOR CORRESPONDENCE/
THIS SPACE FOR NAME AND ADDRESS

Subjects

References

  • DHHS - Beechworth Lunatic Asylum A basic history of the institution, including a listing of all names the site has been known as
  • VHD - Mayday Hills Hospital A visual and descriptive history of the site and a statement of significance
  • Beechworth - A Titan's Field by Carole Woods ISBN/ISSN: 0949905259 A book on the history of Beechworth and its surrounding areas. pp. 122, 123, 163, 192, 193
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