Aradale mental hospital was an australian psychiatric hospital, located in ararat, a rural city in southwest victoria, australia. Combined jwardaradale historic day tours friends of jward. J ward housed criminal and dangerous male patients under maximum security. Take a guided tour explaining the early history of the goldfield times and later, the incarceration of the criminally insane. The friends of j ward tell the story of j ward ararat, victorias s. The complex served as the ararat county gaol until 1887. Australias most haunted building, melbournes ararat. Stories j ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum.
Take a guided tour of j ward, ararat s old gaol and lunatic asylum. Construction of the gaol commenced in 1859 and the facility was opened in october 1861. J ward, asylum for the criminally insane goldfields guide. Ward is famous in the literary world for writing paranormal romance. May 11, 2012 a short photo board story about j ward ararat information and photos collected from the internet. Jacqui sanders explores the lives of the women who were imprisoned in old ararat gaol and the j ward asylum during the nineteenth century. Allegedly, people have reported hauntings of nurses in white uniforms, moaning, crying and hearing footsteps. Starting in 1859 as a jail for miscreants of the local goldfields, j ward started housing the criminally insane when the gold ran out less than three decades later.
Jward is the premier tourist venue in the victorian town of ararat, visited by more than 10,000 persons per year. In 1887, after alterations, the building was transferred the lunacy department and used as a special ward of the ararat asylum for the criminal insane. A history of j ward with interesting prisoner and patient stories. You will see the place where murderers breathed their last. J ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum, attraction, grampians. The ararat lunatic asylum was massive with 63 buildings and 500 employees.
J ward was built between 1860 and 63 as the ararat gaol, to a design based on the pentonville concept by the public works department. Ararat was a christopher golden book that i eagerly awaited, but i was disappointed with the novel in the end. While never tried or convicted, wallace was a suspected murderer who allegedly shot a friend over an argument about a cigarette and was then declared insane by two separate doctors in 1925. The county gaol turned lunatic asylum j ward, ararats. J ward museum complex ararat 2020 all you need to know. Ward is actually a pseudonym used by jessica rowley pell bird. J ward historical day tour friends of jward reservations. The county gaol then became a ward j ward of the ararat lunatic asylum where the most depraved and most dangerous men in victoria were housed in horrific conditions under highest security.
However, out of the asylums 60 buildings, the j ward was known for housing ararats most infamous patients, with one of its most prominent being bill wallace. J ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum visit grampians. Today, you can tour the defunct prison and hear stories about its inmates from local volunteers. Ararats premier tourist attraction with a unique blend of infrastructure and history. J ward lunatic asylum ghost tour, tour, grampians, victoria. See more ideas about australia, history and j ward. Media in category j ward, ararat asylum the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. Take a guided day tour, evening ghost tour or paranormal investigation of ararat s premier tourist destination. J ward officially closed in january 1991 and in 1993 it was reopened as a museum providing tours. The premise was great, but i thought it was handled rather poorly and unconvincingly. Hear stories of murderers, ghosts and mistreatment of mental illness. See lantern ghost tours, j ward lunatic asylum and all ararat has to offer by arranging your trip with our ararat trip maker app. Ararat local kim kerr initiated the concept and worked closely with many volunteers and organisations to get it off the ground.
J ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum attraction. Starting its life as a gaol to serve the gold rush of the 1850s, jward housed victorias criminally insane men for more than 100 years. Free wifi is offered throughout the property and free private parking is available on site. Although macabre in places the history of j ward is generally not disturbing because of its simple truth. The 10 best hotels close to j ward museum in ararat, australia. J ward is now a museum complex within the original prison structure dedicated to recording and preserving the history of the criminals imprisoned and hung here during the life of the goldfields gaol and later as the infamous maximum security housing for victorias criminally insane men in a ward j ward of the ararat mental hospital. If this eventuates, the friends of j ward will notify all online customers and.
J ward by margaret burin j ward the institution for those deemed criminally insane housed some of victorias most dangerous men up until it closed in 1991. The ararat asylum was the first victorian hospital to open for the mentally ill and the last to close and its unique history is being celebrated as it marks its 150 year anniversary. J ward paranormal investigation, tour, grampians, victoria. Dec 24, 20 the 23page book was developed to enhance the previous guide which had been put together by the historical society friends of j ward. Ararat heritage booklet to assist visitors the ararat.
Ararat, victoria simple english wikipedia, the free. While j ward is closed due to covid19 and everyone is under social distancing restrictions, why not purchase one of the books available about the old ararat gaol j ward. You will see where their bodies are buried in unconsecrated ground, supposedly in unmarked graves. Aug 24, 2019 j ward asylum ghost tour renz bulseco. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you. The county gaol turned lunatic asylum j ward, ararats old. J ward is an historic building and as such might appear to be unwelcoming to mobility impaired visitors. Relive the past by taking a guided ghost tour conducted by lantern ghost tours, an award winning evening ghost tour or an overnight paranormal investigation with an expert paranormal investigation team. Visit j ward museum complex on your trip to ararat or australia. Today you can book daylight tours of j ward and learn about the early history of. In the 1970s, j ward still housed more than 40 very disturbed and sometimes dangerous patients. J ward was intended as a temporary solution, but it nonetheless continued for more than 100 years. Closed in 1991, jward is now a museum preserving the living conditions and the stories of the men lost to society. Take a guided tour of j ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum.
It consists of twostorey blocks around a central arched gateway which has some fine detail in the masonry. In 1887 it was converted for use as a maximum security psychiatric ward for the criminally insane. A short photo board story about j ward ararat information and photos collected from the internet. Your night starts with a 2 hour ghost tour of the home of notorious criminals including chopper read, gary webb and william wallace. A history of the ararat lunatic asylum in the 19th century. J ward is the premier tourist venue in ararat, visited by more than 10,000 people annually greater than ararat s population, while aradale is now a ghost town that once housed lunatics. Victoria to know more about the dark history of this town. It is a subgenre for romance and speculative fiction which involves elements beyond scientific explanation. Please send us a message via the form below, or call 1800 657 158. J ward originally the ararat county gaol, was an australian prison, of the latter a psychiatric facility to house the criminally insane, located. Ward s first book, leaping hearts, was published in 2002.
Visitors will gain a greater understanding of the history of the victorian mental. Book your visit to j ward take a guided tour of j ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum. We went on the j ward tour the day after our aradale investigation it was a. J ward is two and a half hours from melbourne, close to the grampians and open daily for tours by passionate friends of j ward volunteers. J ward asylum for the criminally insane located on girdlestone street is the classical revival bluestone building known as j ward which was built in 186061. Visit australias home to the criminally insane, j ward lunatic asylum. J ward originally the ararat county gaol, was an australian prison, of the latter a psychiatric facility to house the criminally insane, located in ararat, victoria, australia. Take a guided tour explaining the early history of the old ararat gaol and incarceration of the criminally insane. The ararat lunatic asylum haunted place in ararat, victoria. Book your tickets online for lantern ghost tours, j ward lunatic asylum, ararat.
J ward is open to the public and tours are held daily. View all attractions near j ward museum complex on tripadvisor. Originally known as ararat lunatic asylum, aradale and its two sister asylums at kew and beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of lunatics in the colony of victoria. In 1886, the old ararat gaol was proclaimed j ward of the asylum.
Each of the guides is knowledgable in the history of j ward but each has a wealth of favourite true stories to tell. Join us on the ultimate overnight paranormal investigation. In the ararat lunatic asylums j ward three prisoners were hanged while the asylum was a jail. Aradale, also known as the ararat lunatic asylum and the ararat hospital for the. A rare insight into the unique history of victorias first.
J ward was decommissioned in 1991 and opened as a museum to the public in 1993. Explore jward, ararats oldest prison which was established in 1859 as a goldfields prison before being temporarily converted into a home for the criminally insane where the most deranged and dangerous men were kept under the highest security of the time. Bus tours, schools and clubs etc are all most welcome at j ward. A special deal is offered were a ticket can be purchased for a combined j ward and aradale tour. J ward started its life as a goldfields prison in 1859. Lantern ghost tours, j ward lunatic asylum, ararat. Ghost tours j ward, ararats old gaol and lunatic asylum. J ward is now a museum complex within the original prison structure dedicated to recording and preserving the history of the criminals imprisoned and hanged here during the life of the goldfields gaol and later as the infamous maximum security housing for victorias criminally insane men in a ward j ward of the ararat mental hospital. If a joint ticket holder decides to do the tour on the same day it is recommended that they participate in the 10am j ward tour and then do the 2pm aradale tour. The following books and souvenirs are available for sale at j ward.
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