Building the Foundations: 1864 Built by convicts on a grant of
six acres, this splendid example of Australian Gothic
architecture first opened its doors in 1864, as the Convict
Establishment Fremantle Lunatic Asylum and Invalid Depot. All
inmates were under the punitive control of prison rules and
regulations and, over time, the asylum became the depository for
any social problem, such as alcoholism, prostitution and the
elderly. The Gold Rush: 1890 onwards During the gold rush of the
1890s, miners and Chinese labourers were admitted suffering the
effects of sunstroke and Opium smoking. The death of a Mrs
Clifford in 1900, at the hands of a violent patient, finally
sparked a public scandal. At the time of Mrs Clifford’s death,
219 patients were residents in the asylum, with 17-20 occupying
one room. An official inquiry finally resulted in the
appointment of a medical superintendent and a trained mental
health nurse. Women’s Home: 1909 onwards In 1909, in order to
solve the problem of a decaying Government Hom