Mount View Lunatic Asylum

Mount View Lunatic Asylum
Mount View Asylum, c. 1906
Geography
Location	Wellington, New Zealand
Organisation
Type	Specialist
Services
Beds	200
Speciality	Psychiatric hospital
History
Former name(s)	Mt. View Lunatic Asylum, Mount View Asylum
Opened	1873
Closed	1910
Links
Lists	Hospitals in New Zealand

Mount View Lunatic Asylum, also known as Mt. View Lunatic Asylum or Mount View Asylum, was a significant psychiatric hospital located on 113 acres near the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. The site where the asylum once stood is now occupied by Government House.

History

Establishment

The construction of Mount View Lunatic Asylum began in 1872 as part of an effort to replace the overcrowded Karori Lunatic Asylum, the first such institution in the country. It opened its doors in May 1873, originally designed to accommodate 28 male and 28 female patients. However, due to the immediate transfer of 70 patients from Karori, the facility faced significant overcrowding issues from its inception.

Expansion

Recognizing the need for more space, the asylum underwent its first expansion in 1879, adding a two-storey wooden structure that could accommodate an additional 50 male patients. The following year, another wing was constructed to further increase capacity. By around 1885, two more wards were added as the patient population continued to grow.

Despite these expansions, by 1905 the asylum housed 250 patients, necessitating further transfers to alleviate the overcrowding. Over the next five years, many of the patients were moved to the Porirua Lunatic Asylum and other facilities. The asylum ultimately closed in 1910.

Legacy

The history of Mount View Lunatic Asylum is a reflection of the evolving attitudes and treatments towards mental health in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New Zealand. Its closure marked a shift towards more modern facilities and approaches in the care of mentally ill patients.

Aftermath

Following the asylum's closure, the land was repurposed and eventually became the site of Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. This transition from an institution of mental health to a gubernatorial residence is indicative of the significant urban and social changes in Wellington over the years.

See Also

• History of psychiatry
• List of historic places in Wellington
• Mental health in New Zealand