Mont Park Asylum, Former psychiatric hospital in Macleod, Melbourne, Australia
Mont Park was a large hospital complex with separate residential blocks for male and female patients, treatment facilities, workshops, and farmland spread across extensive grounds. The layout allowed the institution to function as a nearly self-contained community with various activities and services all within the same area.
The hospital opened in 1912 and operated until the 1990s, serving at different times as both a civilian psychiatric facility and a military rehabilitation center during World War One. This shift in function shows how the site adapted to meet different needs over time.
The place reflected early approaches to mental health care where patients were encouraged to work and spend time outdoors as part of their treatment. Walking through the grounds today, you can see how the layout was designed to support these activities.
Several original buildings from the institution remain standing today on grounds now shared between La Trobe University and the Springthorpe residential development. Access is limited to certain public areas, so check in advance to find out which parts of the site you can visit freely.
Patients worked on farms across the grounds, producing food not only for the hospital itself but also for other psychiatric facilities in the surrounding area. This self-supporting system was a notable feature of how the place operated.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
