The Turquoise Ward, also known as F9, was designed and built in 1936 as a dedicated female ward for patients with congenital mental disabilities. The building was designed by Percy Everett, the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department. Everett was known for not harmonising new buildings in line with existing designs as the Turquoise Ward attests. The layout featured three wings: the central section housed day rooms and a dining area, while the two side wings contained patient wards.
The Wards. Photograph courtesy of the Burke Museum, Beechworth. Nurse in the foreground: Miss Neary.
Beds in the wards were arranged according to the Nightingale system, with beds along each side facing a central aisle. This allowed staff to observe patients easily and also ensured good ventilation, seen as one way of minimising cross-infection. Beds were placed close together, and there were no partitions or screens to provide a measure of privacy. The ward furniture was solid and simple. Bed frames were made of metal or wood. Bedspreads were standardised government issue, and pillowcases and covers for the attendant’s tables were sometimes made out of the blue-striped canvas and calico.
Blue striped canvas pillowslips stamped with ‘MENTAL HOSPITAL BEECWORTH in red. Item held by Melbourne Museum
In 1996, La Trobe University acquired the former asylum to establish its Beechworth campus. As part of the university’s hotel and convention facility training programs, the former Turquoise Ward block was refurbished and transformed into a convention and conference centre. It was subsequently renamed the Pines Convention Centre
The Pines Convention Centre, courtesy of the Conservation Management Plan
In 2015, the building was repurposed once again, becoming home to the Indigo Shire offices. Notably, the original leadlight windows remained intact, preserving a key architectural feature of the structure.
Sources:
Craig, D. A. (n.d.) The Lion of Beechworth. An account of the history of the Mayday Hills Hospital Beechworth 1867–1995.
Frances O’Neill, ‘Everett, Percy Edgar (1888–1967)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/everett-percy-edgar-10136/text17897
Lovell Chen Architects and Heritage Consultants. (2012) Former Mayday Hills Hospital Conservation Management Plan Review. East Melbourne, VIC: Author Publisher.
Written by Dr Alison Watts, Adjunct Lecturer at Southern Cross University.
See Alison’s full bio here
Explore the Beechworth Cemetery Virtual Tour
Explore the Mayday Hills (formerly the Beechworth Asylum) Virtual Tour
