Lake Alice Hospital
Encyclopedia
Lake Alice Hospital was a rural psychiatric facility near Bulls
in Rangitikei
, New Zealand
. It was opened in August 1950, and had a Maximum Security unit.
Like many New Zealand psychiatric hospital
s, Lake Alice was self-sufficient, with its own farm, workshop, bakery, laundry, and fire station. It also had swimming pools as well as glasshouses and vegetable gardens.
The facility slowly shut down during the mid 90's, finally shutting its doors in October 1999.
The buildings and 56-hectare
grounds were purchased in July, 2006 by Auckland accountant & property developer's group Lake Hicks Ltd.
Plans to develop the former psychiatric hospital have been scrapped after the owners fell into financial difficulties. The property was sold for a second time in December 2008. The new owners of the property intend to demolish most of the buildings including the infamous Maximum secure unit, A few buildings such as the Admin block will remain and the land will be used for farming. http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/2050487/New-vision-for-Lake-Alice .http://www.lakealicehospital.com/newspaper-articles--news.html
Former patients of the hospital's child and adolescent unit have made allegations of abuse there during the 1970s, including the use of electroconvulsive therapy
and paraldehyde
injections as punishment.
The New Zealand government issued a written apology in 2001, and has paid out a total of NZ$
10.7 million in compensation to 183 former patients.
The former head of the unit gave up the practice of medicine in 2006 in order to forestall a disciplinary hearing by the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in Rangitikei
Rangitikei District
The Rangitikei District is a Territorial Authority located primarily in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region in the North Island of New Zealand, although a small part, the town of Ngamatea , of it lies in the Hawke's Bay Region...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was opened in August 1950, and had a Maximum Security unit.
Like many New Zealand psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
s, Lake Alice was self-sufficient, with its own farm, workshop, bakery, laundry, and fire station. It also had swimming pools as well as glasshouses and vegetable gardens.
The facility slowly shut down during the mid 90's, finally shutting its doors in October 1999.
The buildings and 56-hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
grounds were purchased in July, 2006 by Auckland accountant & property developer's group Lake Hicks Ltd.
Plans to develop the former psychiatric hospital have been scrapped after the owners fell into financial difficulties. The property was sold for a second time in December 2008. The new owners of the property intend to demolish most of the buildings including the infamous Maximum secure unit, A few buildings such as the Admin block will remain and the land will be used for farming. http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/2050487/New-vision-for-Lake-Alice .http://www.lakealicehospital.com/newspaper-articles--news.html
Former patients of the hospital's child and adolescent unit have made allegations of abuse there during the 1970s, including the use of electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
and paraldehyde
Paraldehyde
Paraldehyde is the cyclic trimer of acetaldehyde molecules. Formally, it is a derivative of 1,3,5-trioxane. The corresponding tetramer is metaldehyde. A colourless liquid, it is sparingly soluble in water and highly soluble in alcohol. Paraldehyde slowly oxidizes in air, turning brown and producing...
injections as punishment.
The New Zealand government issued a written apology in 2001, and has paid out a total of NZ$
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
10.7 million in compensation to 183 former patients.
The former head of the unit gave up the practice of medicine in 2006 in order to forestall a disciplinary hearing by the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria.