Historic Gladesville Hospital

Grand Structures & Hidden Ruins

An afternoon’s exploration of the historic Gladesville Hospital complex was filled with many surprises! Not only did we discover beautifully maintained buildings, but also a large forgotten structure… an ornate ruin consumed by nature, tangled in a mass of vines and covered in moss and lichen. Gladesville Hospital is certainly a memorable destination, a place with an interesting history, character buildings and peaceful surrounds with water views.

History

Initially known as the Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum (1838-1868) the hospital was renamed Gladesville Hospital for the Insane (1868-1914) and finally Gladesville Hospital (1915-1993).

The hospital officially closed in 1993, with the last in-patient services ceased in 1997. Today many of the buildings stand empty or have been repurposed for other health related services. More historical information can be found on Wikipedia.

The Final Resting Place

You will find many informative signs throughout the site. One sign in particular which is adjacent to the final resting place of 1200 people captures today’s perspective on the treatment and attitude toward those who suffer with mental health issues:

“In closing this road to vehicles we begin to restore some respect to those whose remains are here in unmarked graves. Our community acknowledges their journeys of suffering, distress and abandonment. Designating this burial place will mark the beginning of a journey to honour their memory.

Society still has a long way to go to appropriately respond to people who experience challenges with their mental health. This site is a poignant reminder that we must never again allow vulnerable people to be abandoned, devalued and hidden away. Instead, we must focus on hope, recovery, support and inclusion. As you walk through this cemetery you are invited to reflect on the value of every person interred here and honour their hidden lives.”

What to See & Do

The Gladesville Hospital is located on a large area of public land on the northern banks of the Parramatta River in Gladesville. It is a treasure trove of historic buildings, surrounded by beautiful parklands and water views.

There’s an eeriness about these mostly deserted and forgotten spaces, which only adds to the experience of exploring the complex. One can only imagine what life must have been like for the patients, so many stories untold.

This is an ideal place to visit, especially if you want to avoid crowds… there were only a handful of others exploring the site when we visited. Also, the expansive water views over the Parramatta River makes it a perfect location for a peaceful picnic.

Architecture

On our first visit we spent a good few hours admiring the historic architecture, wandering down roads lined with large trees and character stone walls. We knew we wanted to see the surrounding parklands but soon realized we just didn’t have the time or energy to do it justice.

The following week we visited again! This time we followed the shoreline of the Parramatta River, just below and adjacent to the hospital complex. To our delight we stumbled upon the ruins of a rather ornate building, partially hidden in the trees and adorned with graffiti, enhancing the sense of neglect and decay.

It is believed to be ruins from the 1870’s, possibly an extravagant garden structure. At one point it was apparently used as a staging post where officers of the Colony could stay overnight on their way from Parramatta.

parklands & WATERFRONT RESERVES

The Gladesville Hospital is surrounded by sprawling open spaces, trees and a few remnants of old gardens and stone walls. Around the shoreline winds a network of paths that lead you through lush vegetation and down stairs to small sandy beaches.

Remnants of a Once Flourishing Garden

On one of the tracks is an information board that provides insight into the development of the hospital gardens:

“The isolated and picturesque bushland setting of Bedlam Bay influenced the Colonial Government’s decision to establish the Lunatic Asylum here 1835. At that time, a humane new philosophy was emerging among the medical profession which held that the mentally disturbed could be rehabilitated in remote asylums with pleasant natural surroundings where they could work and wander.

During the early years, the Asylum inmates were induced to work with rewards of food and tobacco. At this time patients were responsible for clearing much of the original forest around the asylum grounds.

Following the construction of the Asylum boundary walls in 1866, many of the inmates were employed in the enclosed vegetable gardens, and also permitted to cultivate their own ornamental gardens outside the walls. By the late 1860s, the Royal Botanic Gardens were assisting the hospital by regularly donating exotic plant species. Pathways, rockeries and other garden structures were laid out throughout the grounds, while the haphazard native scrub was replaced by orderly lawns and imported plantings.

Surviving Moreton Bay Fig trees and occasional clumps of Giant Bamboo in this area are likely relics of the patients’ ornamental plantings. So too are the fragmentary remnants of decorative stonework which traced meandering paths through this once luxuriant garden.”

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Information

Where: Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW
Walk: Easy grade – 1-3 hours or as long as you like to explore!
Open: Every day – no entry fees
Visit: Explore Inner West Sydney

Map Gladesville Hospital