Malvern Clinic history in brief
The Mental Hygiene Authority opened Malvern Clinic in 1961 as a psychiatric unit providing short term inpatient, day patient and outpatient counselling, therapeutic and consultative services. An excerpt from the Authority’s 1961 report reads as follows:
“COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES:
During 1960 it was possible to open four additional clinics within a very short period (Clarendon Clinic, Malvern Clinic and Day Hospital, Alexandra Parade Clinic, and Personal Emergency Advice Service).
The Malvern Clinic and Day Hospital was opened with three functions all of which are closely related.
First outpatients are seen who are sent for examination as potentially suitable for the day hospital, though it is found that quite a larger number can be managed at this level, without needing further day-patient care. This out-patient service is growing more rapidly than the rest of the clinic activities.
The day hospital was originally a very large old house which had been used as a private hospital. This was modified to make adequate changing rooms with a cafeteria, an occupational department added, thereby giving facilities for occupational activities, group discussions, physical treatment, psychotherapy, exercise, creative activities, social activities, and the opportunity to participate in a full-day hospital programme. There is accommodation for 60 day patients as well as the in-patients. These patients attend on five days weekly from nine to five, sleep at home and stay with their families at the weekends. This saves hospital staff, expense, and accommodation.
The third division consists of 20 in-patient beds for those people who would attend the clinic except that they have not the facilities for home care, or live too far away. Whilst living in this unit they participate in the day hospital activities in exactly the same way as the day patients.”
The Malvern Clinic closed sometime between 1990 and 1994.
Warning about distressing information
This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.
Disclaimer
Please note that the content of this administrative history is provided for general information only and does not purport to be comprehensive. The department does not guarantee the accuracy of this administrative history. See Find & for more detail of child welfare in Australia.
Source:
Mental Hygiene Authority report 1961–62
Patient information
PLEASE NOTE: Patients could be admitted to a Receiving House for short-term treatment and care, but were not permitted to remain longer than two months.
Patients still needing treatment after two months could be sent to a Psychiatric Hospital, in the same institution/complex or another.
Hence, there could be more than one set of records for any one person. Please check each location for former patient records.
List of records held by the department
For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.
Personnel files (c.1983–c.96)
File; Permanent (Unappraised)
Contents: These records document the employment histories of individual staff members employed at the Malvern Clinic circa 1960–91.
The files were maintained by the clinic to record details of individual staff members and include leave entitlements, injury reports and WorkCare claims.
The files are informal and contain little documentation; however dates of retirement, resignation or transfer are noted on the file covers. The records are arranged in alphabetical order.
Superintendent of the Malvern Clinic Subject Files (1967–98)
File; Temporary
Content: These records are the personal papers of Dr Norman Gold, not those of his role as Superintendent of the Malvern Clinic. The files have valuable reference material for researchers in psychiatry but do not in the most part reflect his role as superintendent (only in a peripheral way with invitation to give presentations or attend a conference etc.).
This collection consists of Dr Gold’s subject files which cover a wide range of subjects: psychiatrist’s accreditation registrations with the Royal Australian And New Zealand College Of Psychiatrists for the Malvern Clinic; group homes; Huntington’s disease; personnel; Hospital Employees Federation; drugs; child psychiatry; deafness; disabilities; clinical services; Mental Health Division; education and research; RANCP newsletters; psychiatric newsletters and reports.
Suicides - Malvern Clinic (1971–88)
File; Temporary
Contents: File containing reports on suicides at the Malvern Clinic. No contents description exists. Refers to case histories of individual patients who died while in care/being treated.
Destroyed 4/8/2004 under the PROV retention and disposal authority, PROS 99/04 class 1.2.0. Destroy 10 years after date of death, or after access on patient’s behalf.
Reviewed 26 August 2016