Wooroloo Sanatorium, Heritage site in Wooroloo, Western Australia.
The Wooroloo Sanatorium is a healthcare complex with 36 major buildings erected between 1914 and 1917, featuring open-fronted wards with verandas facing outward. The dormitories curve in tiers across the site, each with generous covered porches designed to allow natural air and light to reach patients.
The site opened in 1914 as Western Australia's first major tuberculosis treatment center, serving patients for over 50 years. In 1970, it was transferred to the Department of Corrective Services and changed its purpose.
The cemetery on the grounds holds graves marked with cast iron numbered tokens rather than names, reflecting how patients were remembered during the facility's medical years. These simple markers offer a quiet reminder of the many lives that passed through here.
The complex sits on Linley Valley Road and spreads across a large area with buildings scattered throughout. Allow time to walk between different sections and approach buildings from different angles to see how they were positioned for sun exposure.
The Recreation Hall built in 1922 was constructed by local community members as a gathering space during the medical years. This collaborative effort reveals how neighboring communities invested in the facility's social wellbeing.
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