Year 10 Psychology Excursion

On Wednesday 24th May, Mr Kelly and Ms Smith took their Year 10 Psychology students to the Aradale Mental Hospital in Ararat. 

Operating from 1867 – 1993, Aradale was originally built to accommodate 250 patients. At it’s peak it held 1000 patients and had 500 staff. The purpose of the excursion was to hear stories of how people with mental illnesses were treated in the early days. We learnt that those who were diagnosed as being mentally ill were classified into three groups: idiots, morons or imbeciles (each a reflection of one’s mental age). The way we treat people who are mentally ill and the labels we give them today have certainly changed since the 1800’s! 

The Aradale complex comprises 63 buildings and we all thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the complex and the many stories that were told. Some highlights from students include the tour of the morgue, hearing a story about a patient who put 18 towels down a toilet - and the poor plumber who had to deal with the blockage, a walk through “Australia’s most haunted hallway” and hearing stories of patients (such as Bill) who lived at Aradale until his death as a 108-year-old.