Being at Seacliff Lunatic Asylum

Being at Seacliff Lunatic Asylum

This exhibition illustrates aspects of the history of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum (later known as the Seacliff Mental Hospital) using the archives held by Archives New Zealand Dunedin Regional Office.

We hold archives documenting the provision of care for the mentally ill, dating from the 1860s and to the 1970s. They were created by the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum, Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, Seacliff Mental Hospital and Cherry Farm Hospital.

The photographs and images show the buildings and grounds of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum and aspects of the administration, particularly the work of the Medical Superintendent. Examples of case records for selected patients show the legal process for committing a person to the asylum, their medical treatment and discharge, although some patients remained at Seacliff Lunatic Asylum until their death.

The exhibition includes a digitised copy of the published report of the 1891 Committee of Inquiry into Frederic Truby King's management of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum. Frederic Truby King was the Medical Superintendent from 1889 to 1921. The Report highlights the reforms Truby King made in the care of the mentally ill.

Frederic Truby King's views and management style are also illustrated using letters from the Medical Superintendent's Outwards Letterbooks.

Additionally, this exhibition may be used as a resource for teachers and Year 13 students studying history, as part of the New Zealand History Curriculum. There are questions to assist in the exploration of the history of the treatment of mental illness.

More information

The book, Unfortunate Folk: Essays on Mental Health Treatment 1863-1992, edited by Barbara Brookes and Jane Thomson (published by the University of Otago Press, 2001) documents in more depth aspects of the history of mental health treatment.

A biography of Frederic Truby King, In a Strange Garden: the life and times of Truby King, by Lloyd Chapman, is available online on the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre's website.

More information about Archives New Zealand's holdings relating to mental health is in our Mental Health Research Guide.

Generally, more information about the role, functions and the holdings of Archives New Zealand is on our website and in our ARCHWAY database.