St Nicholas Hospital history in brief
St Nicholas Hospital was located at 15 Pelham Street, Carlton on the site of the former Children’s Hospital which had moved to Flemington Road, Parkville.
In November 1962, the Mental Health Authority took over the site. After substantial renovation and construction work, the hospital was officially opened in December 1964 and 20 patients were admitted. It operated with four wards and catered for children assessed as being moderately to profoundly intellectually disabled.
During the 1970s, patient numbers at St Nicholas Hospital reached more than 160.
Services operating from St Nicholas Hospital included:
- Mental Deficiency Training Services (MDTS) from circa 1964. MDTS was renamed Mental Retardation Services by the late 1970’s, evolved into the Mental Retardation Division in 1981, and later became the Office of Intellectual Disability Services (OIDS).
- Teacher training for day training centre teachers, from May 1964
- The St Nicholas Hospital Sheltered Workshop was established in May 1964
- The St Nicholas hostel for girls with mild intellectual disability opened July 1966.
- In 1967 a laboratory to undertake chromosome and other biological tests was opened.
- In March 1967, the hospital was approved by the Nursing Council as a training school for nurses.
By 1985, St Nicholas Hospital closed and all residents were relocated to residential units in multiple community locations.
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. For more information on the history of child welfare in Australia, see Find & .
Source
- DHHS Records Management Unit
St Nicholas collection guide download
Reviewed 04 October 2016