Cooma Temporary Hospital for the Insane
| Cooma Temporary Hospital for the Insane | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1877 |
| Closed | 1874 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Cooma, NSW |
| Alternate Names | |
History[edit]
On 27 October 1876 it was proclaimed that the Cooma Gaol building was to be closed as a prison, and used instead as a temporary lunatic asylum. After alterations and additions to render the building more suitable, 60 patients were transferred from the overcrowded wards of Gladesville Hospital in May 1877. The patients chosen for transfer were male, young, in reasonable physical health, with "demonstrative" forms of insanity, and included all those with relatives in the Monaro district. During the first year an improvement in the physical and mental health of the patients was noted. The Hospital also admitted patients from the Monaro district, receiving 4 new admissions in 1877 , under the provisions of the Lunacy Act, 1843 and it's amendments.
In November and December 1884 all patients were transferred to Callan Park Hospital, where building of new wards was in progress. The prison character of the building at Cooma, as well as the high rate of maintenance owing to the prices of provisions and stores, and the very isolated position of the establishment were considered drawbacks to it's continuance. On 31 December 1884, with no patients remaining, the Temporary Hospital for the Insane at Cooma was closed by the authority of the Colonial Secretary.
