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Commercial Ghost Tours, New Age Shops and Readers in your area => Western Australia => Topic started by: mitzib on December 06, 2009, 05:18:06 PM

Title: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: mitzib on December 06, 2009, 05:18:06 PM
I have recently discovered (thanks to my very clever Mum lol) that Greylands was not always our home for the mentally ill. Originally we had freo insane asylum (well known for its ghosties) but then after alot of "mishaps" with the patients they decided to open a new one in Claremont called the "claremont home for the mentally ill". I have found alot of info on the mistreatment of the patients. Freo asylum transfered their patients to claremont between 1905 and 1909 and claremont itself finally closed in 1993. I do know that claremont had many of his buildings demolished around 1975 before it came under the heritage listing. It seems to have a fascinating history and Im going to take a stab in the dark and suggest that after such a history, it could be that some kind of emotional imprint may still be there. I would love to find the place but unfortunately everywhere I have looked doesnt provide an address. I even went as far as trying to track down a road directory from 93 to see if I could look it up in there but unfortunately I couldnt find a copy. I'm also trying to track down who to speak to about how to get in the place (all above board this time - no hiding from security lol)
Has anyone else heard of any stories about this place or even know of how to find it??
Thanks :)
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Salt Breeze on December 06, 2009, 06:44:40 PM
If it's heritage listed, they will have a location for it. 
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: nick61 on December 07, 2009, 10:29:40 AM
Sorry, Sydney boy. But it's interesting how mental asylums figure predominantly in cases of the paranormal. 61
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: catseyes on December 07, 2009, 02:01:17 PM
I think if you consider the way the mental patience were treated back then its not surprising they come back as ghosts.  Conditions were horrific.....mentally ill people tend to fixate, good recipe for a haunting.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Salt Breeze on December 07, 2009, 03:26:55 PM
..... I'm guessing some of the patients have never left ..... probably waiting in hope of getting a hold of the people who treated them so badly.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: catseyes on December 07, 2009, 03:40:07 PM
...or no one told them to go.  ROFL

At a big Asylum we went to His Lordship and I found a hoard in the old chapel, just sitting and waiting.....forever.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Lawzie on December 07, 2009, 06:06:02 PM
I think your best shot is your Libaray Mitzib, if you haven't already been there. Maybe try the council in the local area??
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: mitzib on December 07, 2009, 06:40:28 PM
I worked out why I couldn't track it down. It turns out it now goes under the name of Point Heathcote. The remaining buildings have been turned into a museum so making a visit should be easy.
I do believe places like this could prove interesting.... all the turmoil and suffering must have left something behind. One story reported in "The Mirror" a way back when paper that a patient died after an attendent jumped on his chest. Witnesses (who were also inmates there) reported it as dancing and jumping on his chest. The injured patient was treated for coughing up blood but then died the next morning.... not a surprise really after having something like that happen to him.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Lawzie on December 07, 2009, 09:48:06 PM
Thats horrible!
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Salt Breeze on December 08, 2009, 08:47:46 AM
It may not be the perfect place to stay over night Mitz.  Rofl.   I think there may be a few angry souls 'too keen' on entertaining overnight investigators.   

....... then again...... it certainly wouldn't be boring.   
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: catseyes on December 08, 2009, 12:05:25 PM
The angry, nasty ones are the most interesting.  LOL
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: cripau on March 05, 2010, 10:14:50 PM
here is a web page for it

http://www.thisreview.com.au/Reviews/Health/Hospitals/Western-Australia/Graylands-Hospital-Mount-Claremont-Western-Australia


have a look it might help you outs
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: catseyes on March 07, 2010, 12:53:53 PM
Cool.  Thanks Cripau.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: mitzib on March 09, 2010, 08:19:31 PM
Thank you Cripau... I had actually gotten my facts wrong in the dirst place and silly me didnt think to double check everything until almost at the end..... Claremont is actually part of what is now known as Graylands..
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: jarnsaxa on October 24, 2010, 12:57:17 PM
You asked about the Freo Asylum.It shared the grounds with the Skinner Street Cemetary,now known as John Curtin.Many of the bodies were re-interred at Freo Cemetary but there still remains about 200 bodies in the vicinity.On the corner of Vale and Skinner streets,Freo.Part of the convict wall still stands and some of the surrounding walls remain.There is a large notice at the entrance to the oval which gives a bit more detail.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: XLR8 on December 10, 2010, 12:28:08 PM
Out of curiosity Mitzib, did you eventually find this building? What remains of the hospital is now in the middle of a residential estate on St Johns Wood Blvd, Mt Claremont. Having not been there since the redevelopement took place, I cannot say how "active" it is, although my cousin and I used to go there alot between it's closing in the late 80's and site being fenced off prior to restoration/redevelopement in the early 90's.

On more than one occasion, lights were seen in windows and screams could be heard coming from the rear building, which now borders the college grounds. Not having ever been inside, this could be put down to people using the building as a shelter. Whether haunted or not, it is worth going to look at simply for the historical and architectural value of the building and remaining grounds
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: XLR8 on December 10, 2010, 12:39:15 PM
Just found some photos of the inside, although the place has been defaced with mindless graffiti.

http://www.6000times.com/2010/01/swanbourne-abandoned-mental-crazy.html

To correct my earlier post, the building where lights were seen was actually the St Johns Wood Blvd side. The entrance is on Heritage Ln, which borders the college. I had my bearings wrong, sorry
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Salt Breeze on December 10, 2010, 05:08:18 PM
What an amazing old building.  Thanks for the link XLR.  It's incredible that such large and nice old places just lie in ruin, at the mercy of vandals, and are not put to some worthwhile use.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: catseyes on December 10, 2010, 07:12:49 PM
With the amount of people homeless I can not see why they didn't conver these places into flats.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: XLR8 on December 10, 2010, 07:31:21 PM
It makes sense but it would probably have taken major plumbing and electrical works to make it suitable that may have gone against the terms of the heritage listing. At least it is safe and not another fading memory of Australian History
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: GaryTheDemon on December 10, 2010, 09:50:39 PM
LOL.  It's OK for people to live and urinate on the streets but not in a heritage listed building with 19th century plumbing .....  there's probably more to it of course, but given our housing problems there are actually a hell of a lot of empty houses and shops...
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: nick61 on December 11, 2010, 10:56:38 AM
Great pic's XLR8.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Johndodd on February 22, 2013, 11:59:00 PM
I realise this is an old thread but if anyone stumbles across here this site is very interesting. Read the comments to. http://www.6000times.com/2010/01/swanbourne-abandoned-mental-crazy.html?m=1
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Christine on February 23, 2013, 02:10:21 PM
Wow, what a place. I got chills seeing the pictures. Reminds me of Beechworth and Aradale in Victoria.
Title: Re: Claremont Home for the Mentally Ill
Post by: Colleen on March 05, 2013, 11:45:14 AM
It is a fantastic building.  What a pity it is just left to go to ruin.
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