Parkville Psychiatric Unit history in brief
In October 1965, following the foundation of the Cato Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, the Parkville Psychiatric Unit was opened under the auspices of the Mental Health Research Institute.
Parkville’s purpose was to provide inpatient cases for postgraduate psychiatrists in training. In its first year the Unit had 36 admissions and an average number of 13 residents during the year.
In 1970, the unit renamed itself the Institute of Mental Health Research and Postgraduate Training. By 1975, facilities included inpatient treatment (36 beds), day patient attendance, outpatient care and individual and group therapy. It continued, however, to provide a facility for teaching of post-graduate doctors and medical students.
At the time, the unit did not admit children, adolescents, dementia patients, chronic alcoholics and people with certain types of drug addictions. Adult patients represented the broad spectrum of psychiatry.
In December 1982, Parkville changed from being an adult psychiatric unit to becoming an adolescent service for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. It was a free service within the Mental Health Division of the Health Commission of Victoria. Referrals were accepted from all regions of Victoria, with closest ties being from the North-West zone.
From 1984, it was a 12 bed psychiatric hospital providing inpatient and outpatient care and its title was changed to Parkville Adolescent Unit.
In 1991, the Parkville Unit ceased functioning as an inpatient service and was decommissioned in 1992.
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 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.
Sources
Charles Brothers Historical Records, 1862–1995
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.
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.
Patient master index (1998)
Card; Unappraised
Content: Patient master index cards from Parkville Psychiatric Unit, arranged in alphabetical order by patients’ surname.
Patient Case Histories (1965–83) [Contents date from c. 1920–c.2001]
Files; Permanent (VPRS Number 18203 / P0001)
Content: Medical records of patients admitted to Parkville Psychiatric Unit (PPU).
Each patient admitted into PPU was required (by legislation) to have a file created documenting their case history from admission to discharge or death. The function of the records was to document clients’ condition, treatment and care during their periods of admission and residence.
Content of files varies but may include a 'Statement of Personal Details of Patient', letters of referral, reports of the Superintendent's examinations, specialist reports, dental reports and reports of special investigations, physical examinations, psychiatric history and examinations, re-admissions, re-examinations and post-mortems, and reports by nurses, occupational therapists and social workers.
Also information relating to treatment, procedures and medicines prescribed. Some include papers relating to admissions either to PPU or other institutions that predate the commencement date of this collection. This explains the content date range stated as 1920 – papers relating to admissions as early as 1920 have been added to files.
The files are printed folder covers, bearing the words Hospital Record. They contain the complete medical history of patients during their stay at PPU and also records of previous institutional care if the patient had any such history.
Dates of admission and discharge (or death or trial leave) are recorded in columns on the front covers of files.
Some files contain papers added after closure of the series, e.g. while the files were in the custody of Archival Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, papers and copies of correspondence relating to matters such as FOI requests were added to relevant files.
Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (1965–91)
Volume; Permanent (VPRS Number 18025 / P0001)
Content: Volumes recording information on the admission and discharge of patients at Parkville Psychiatric Unit (VA 5143). The Unit treated adult psychiatric patients until 1984 when its focus changed to providing inpatient and outpatient care to adolescents.
Information recorded varies but typically includes:
Type of Admission (using a referral code [1 - 8] found inside the cover of the second register)
- Date of admission (by gender)
- Full Name
- Telephone Number and Address
- Name of Consultant
- Age
- Occupation
- Previous Place of Abode
- Form of Mental Disorder
- Religion
- Where Referred From
- Dates of Discharge and Re-Admission
- Where Discharged To
One volume has "Leave of Absence Register" written on the exterior. However, the record was to record admission and discharge information.
From at least 1845 and the proclamation of An Act for the Regulation of the Care and Treatment of Lunatics, public asylums and licensed houses were required to maintain a Register of Patients. Initially the register maintained by licensed houses was officially known as the Book of Admissions. In some institutions the Register was also known as an Admissions Register or as an Admission and Discharge Register and these terms were sometimes stamped on the volumes.
Immediately upon the admission of a person to an asylum, the clerk of the asylum was required to make an entry in the Register of Patients. Further details were entered in the register on the death. The Register of Patients and Discharge Register officially superseded the separate Discharge Register; however some institutions continued to maintain a separate record of patient discharges, transfers and deaths.
Summary Admission and Discharge Register of Patients (1966–80)
Volume; Permanent (VPRS Number 18203 / P0001)
Content: The purpose of this record has not been established. It is a summary record documenting the admission and discharge of patients at the Parkville Psychiatric Unit. However, it is not the official Admission and Discharge Register. The entries in this book are often in different pen colour and entered by a different hand.
Almost every entry in this book can also be found in the Admission and Discharge Registers.
The book begins with a name index, which lists patients alphabetically by surname, with a reference to the page within the book where the entry for that person can be found.
The main section of the book then lists admissions chronologically, and details:
- Date of Last (or Previous) Admission
- Gender
- Date of Reception
- Full Name
- Age
- Marital Status
- Religion
- Previous Place of Abode
- By Whose Authority Sent
- Contact Details of Next of Kin (Name, Address, Telephone Number)
- Date of Discharge, Removal or Death
- Where Discharged To.
Other occasional information includes: Name of Referring Doctor; Religion; Comments.
The volume entries are listed chronologically by date of admission.
Departmental administration
Staff Files (1996–97)
File:
Content: Records documenting the employment histories of individual staff members employed at Parkville Psychiatric Unit.
These files contain the following information:
- personal details
- appointment details
- leave
- salary
- termination details
The files are arranged in alphabetical order by employee family name.
Nursing Student Files (including Record of Training Cards) (1974–96)
File:
Content: Records documenting the provision and administration of the psychiatric nursing course through the Metropolitan and Eastern School of Psychiatric Nursing.
This school provided a course in basic nursing training at the following facilities: Royal Park, Hobson Park, Mayday Hills, Willsmere, Footscray, Parkville and Pleasant View.
A 12-month post basic psychiatric nursing course was conducted at the Muriel Yarrington School of Psychiatric Nursing.
Most records are individual student’s files, detailing progress, results and placements during the course. Information contained includes personal details, application and enrollment forms, results, attainments, transcripts, certificates of completion and correspondence.
Some of the individual student files contain a Record of Training card – a summary of that student’s results over the entire course.
There is separate sequence of Record of Training cards within this series.
There is separate sequence of Student Registers within this series which detail attendance and test results.
A smaller number of administrative records contain subject files, syllabus and curriculum material, correspondence to students, some examination papers, blank certificates, badges and other items.
Reviewed 24 April 2019