Beechworth Asylum

The complex comprises 67 red brick buildings scattered across 106 hectares, including patient wards, administrative offices, a chapel, laundry facilities and farm structures connected by gardens, orchards and open grounds.

Opening in 1867 as Victoria's second asylum, the hospital operated continuously for 128 years until its closure in 1995, housing over 1200 patients and employing 500 staff members at its operational peak.

The institution represented Victoria's approach to mental health treatment through moral therapy, encouraging patients to engage in farming, gardening and workshops as part of their recovery in a self-sufficient rural environment.

Evening guided tours provide access to preserved buildings and grounds throughout the year, with experienced guides explaining the medical and social history while leading groups through areas normally closed to the public.

Admission required only two signatures while discharge demanded eight, creating an imbalanced system that kept many patients institutionalized far longer than medically necessary, sometimes for decades despite improved conditions.