Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital
Lake Alice was the birth of Urban Exploration for me, and had captivated me for much time. While I had always been interested in exploring (attic in our house or roofs, even cemeteries) but at 19 I hadn't gone anywhere near as far as an abandoned hospital complex, nor was I expecting one with such history and stigma.
I started a website called Lakealicehospital.com in March 2008, as a way to share the photography and explorations, I knew so little about this place besides what the "media" had to say about the compensation and abuse. I became so interested in the history beyond any of this, that I started doing my own research in public archives, but within months within having the website online I was contacted by dozens of people, past patients to staff, list went on. A human rights worker whom had worked on the abuse case for over the 30 years at the time contacted me and was curious of my interest and informed me I was the first to step up such a website and put me in-touch with former patients, I would later go onto spend 2-3 years aiding there cause, I promoted the website as a place past patients could come for support and news of possible justice and further compensation. Today the website remains online as a archive for the images and history for research.
I don't recall how many sneaky night's I spent with friends exploring LA.
But the first time was around June 2006, flash lights complete I had no idea what I was getting into. I remember for awhile every Thursday night was spent there uncovering a new building or hidden area, we even managed to climb the water tower few times as-well as walking into electric fences, bumping into other curious young people.
Opening in 1950, Named after the Lake which shares the same name, the second lake to the south of the estate. Built as a psychiatric hospital and to be self sufficient, the complex which consists of 56 Acres with 10 two story 11 bed villas, fire station, 2 swimming pools, Maximum secure villa, staff quarters, library, community hall, chapel, morgue and 4 two storied 50 bed villas along with plenty garaging and workshops, administration building, glass houses/gardens, central dinning, rugby and cricket patch’s.
The hospital slowly shut down during the mid 1990's as apart of merging patients back into the community as institution's were seen as a negative look upon the mental health sector at that time although they had talked about shutting Lake Alice and many of the other institutions around New Zealand down for a few years prior.
Catering for all sort of mental illnesses and people from the young to criminally insane to geriatric. While the there is more history then will ever be known the most unbelievable accusations to surface was the Child and Adolescent unit abuse. During 1972-77 mistreatment went on towards the adolescent patients. Abuse claims consisted of unmodified ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). This would cause the person to pass out, one patient described the feeling as a sledge hammer hitting the side of his head. Mistreatment also went on with the ECT machine where patients would be instructed to shock fellow patients sometimes on there genitals and other body parts. ECT was not just used on the the Adolescent unit patients and it did not stop when the unit shut down in the late 70's. Painful injections of paraldehyde were also a common practice. paraldehyde is a anti-epileptic. used to treat certain convulsive disorders It also has been used in the treatment of alcoholism and in the treatment of nervous and mental conditions to calm or relax patients who are nervous or tense and to produce sleep. However, paraldehyde has generally been replaced by safer and more effective medicines for the treatment of alcoholism and in the treatment of nervous and mental conditions. The main reason this drug was used was for sedation, the drug was very painful and could leave the patient unable to walk for hours. The medicine may either be given as an injection into the muscle or through the anus.
There has been many claims of sexual abuse throughout the duration that the hospital was opened this was one of the accusations made during the duration the adolescent unit was open, many patients claimed they were sexually abused by other patients (some from other wards) and nurses.
I don't recall how many sneaky night's I spent with friends exploring LA.
But the first time was around June 2006, flash lights complete I had no idea what I was getting into. I remember for awhile every Thursday night was spent there uncovering a new building or hidden area, we even managed to climb the water tower few times as-well as walking into electric fences, bumping into other curious young people.
Opening in 1950, Named after the Lake which shares the same name, the second lake to the south of the estate. Built as a psychiatric hospital and to be self sufficient, the complex which consists of 56 Acres with 10 two story 11 bed villas, fire station, 2 swimming pools, Maximum secure villa, staff quarters, library, community hall, chapel, morgue and 4 two storied 50 bed villas along with plenty garaging and workshops, administration building, glass houses/gardens, central dinning, rugby and cricket patch’s.
The hospital slowly shut down during the mid 1990's as apart of merging patients back into the community as institution's were seen as a negative look upon the mental health sector at that time although they had talked about shutting Lake Alice and many of the other institutions around New Zealand down for a few years prior.
Catering for all sort of mental illnesses and people from the young to criminally insane to geriatric. While the there is more history then will ever be known the most unbelievable accusations to surface was the Child and Adolescent unit abuse. During 1972-77 mistreatment went on towards the adolescent patients. Abuse claims consisted of unmodified ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). This would cause the person to pass out, one patient described the feeling as a sledge hammer hitting the side of his head. Mistreatment also went on with the ECT machine where patients would be instructed to shock fellow patients sometimes on there genitals and other body parts. ECT was not just used on the the Adolescent unit patients and it did not stop when the unit shut down in the late 70's. Painful injections of paraldehyde were also a common practice. paraldehyde is a anti-epileptic. used to treat certain convulsive disorders It also has been used in the treatment of alcoholism and in the treatment of nervous and mental conditions to calm or relax patients who are nervous or tense and to produce sleep. However, paraldehyde has generally been replaced by safer and more effective medicines for the treatment of alcoholism and in the treatment of nervous and mental conditions. The main reason this drug was used was for sedation, the drug was very painful and could leave the patient unable to walk for hours. The medicine may either be given as an injection into the muscle or through the anus.
There has been many claims of sexual abuse throughout the duration that the hospital was opened this was one of the accusations made during the duration the adolescent unit was open, many patients claimed they were sexually abused by other patients (some from other wards) and nurses.
Maximum Security Unit: Was the last to shut in 1999 was also the only one in NZ. It was also used as a prison for a small duration prior to opening.
After the closure in October 1999 the hospital lay abandoned for 10 years and was on sold twice. Past patients sued the government in 2001 for abuse such as physical and sexual as well as Electric shock therapy that was unmodified. Over 150 patients received ex Gratia payments as at the time they were under the states care and the treatments used were found inhumane. The government paid out a sum of over $10 million to the claimants and the lawyer Grant Cameron and asst when the government struck a deal with the lawyer to settle out of court.
Lake Alice's history spans from the Whistle blowing incident that changed NZ work place policy's when in the 1980's a Staff member of the Maximum Security unit spoke out about the poor treatment and abuse that was going on towards patients in the unit. This staff members father was a doctor who also worked at Lake Alice and was an important figure during his employment.
Lake Alice is now pretty much demolished and reverted back to land for farming, as of the ghosts of the past I think they'll forever linger sadly. If my time learning about this notorious piece of our decaying medical history has taught me anything , not all bad came of it, but it's hard to overcome the nightmares of one's past.
-Nathan
Lake Alice's history spans from the Whistle blowing incident that changed NZ work place policy's when in the 1980's a Staff member of the Maximum Security unit spoke out about the poor treatment and abuse that was going on towards patients in the unit. This staff members father was a doctor who also worked at Lake Alice and was an important figure during his employment.
Lake Alice is now pretty much demolished and reverted back to land for farming, as of the ghosts of the past I think they'll forever linger sadly. If my time learning about this notorious piece of our decaying medical history has taught me anything , not all bad came of it, but it's hard to overcome the nightmares of one's past.
-Nathan
