Z Ward Glenside
UPDATE June 2016
Beach Energy has kindly offered the National Trust a further 12 month extension of our access to Z Ward building, for public tours and special events.
Find out more about Z Ward events at www.zward.com.au
UPDATE July 2015
Beach Energy has kindly allowed the National Trust to keep Z Ward open to the public for regular historical tours, night tours and special events.
Find out more at www.zward.com.au
Originally published August 2014
South Australia’s former Hospital for Criminal Mental Defectives known as Z Ward was sold by the State Government in August to local company Beach Energy. It had been hoped that this important State Heritage listed building designed by Edward John Woods, SA Architect in Chief from 1878 to 1886, would become a South Australian medical museum. The new owners are in the process of appointing a heritage architect to oversee their plans to re-use the building as office space. They have met with the National Trust and the Glenside Hospital Historical Society to discuss the site’s future. We are looking forward to working with Beach Energy to achieve an adaptive reuse which respects the building’s significant history and provides for regular public access to parts of the building.
Z Ward is an imposing building. The construction of Z Ward for Criminal and Refractory Patients commenced in 1884 with the contract being let to William Pett & Son, builders. One of the particularly significant features is the Ha Ha wall which shielded the inmates from those passing without the need for added security measures at the top, the wall effectively being twice as high on the inside. A condition of the building contract was that it “had to be built at the same height at the same time.”
The polychromatic brickwork technique used by Woods in its design is the most elaborate, sophisticated example of this architectural style in South Australia. Additionally, Woods incorporated ventilation flues into each room and cell as he had done in designing Old Parliament House, the Mortlock Library and Martindale Hall. Fresh air being considered an important element in curing mental illness, the intent was to draw stale air out of each room.
Lack of staffing and financial resources prevented the new facility for 45 inmates from opening until 1888. being opened until 1888, three years after its completion. Only a minority of patients who were accommodated in Z Ward were Governor’s pleasure patients: those acquitted of their crime on the grounds of their insanity. The majority were people charged and convicted of a minor offence, but exhibiting sufficient signs of psychiatric instability that it was thought more beneficial for them to be placed in an asylum rather than in a gaol to serve their sentence. Another small group of patients were those who were considered to be dangerous to themselves or to others and were placed in there for the protection of the Asylum’s other inmates.
Originally known as “L Ward”, the name was changed to Z Ward following the installation of telephones throughout the hospital in the 1900s. The mishearing of the name when the telephone was answered led callers to mistake the ”L” for the word “Hell”. Adding a horizontal line to the “L” to form a “Z” was done to reduce the cost of remarking the ward’s laundry. Z Ward closed on the 13th December in 1973 with the 10 occupants being transferred to the Yatala Security Hospital.
The National Trust lobbied to save Z Ward from being demolished in 1974. Shortly after, the building was re-allocated to the Department of Mines and Energy who used it as a core sample library until it became too small for this use and was closed in 2003. It has remained empty since that time. In the 1980s attempts were made to have it considered as a medical museum for SA, an initiative endorsed by the Director of the Wellcome Medical Museum of London who visited Z Ward at our invitation and pronounced it admirably suited to that purpose. The proposal failed to find favour with the State Government, notwithstanding the successful re-use of similar former institutions Ararat and Beechworth in Victoria as tourism attractions. The challenge of preserving Z Ward and its extraordinary history has now been entrusted to a new pair of hands.
Beach Energy have invited the National Trust and the Glenside Hospital Historical Society to work with them in the planning for their new use of the site.
In order to meet the public interest in viewing Z Ward in its original condition, Beach Energy have scheduled an open day for Sunday November 2nd.
UPDATE: Please note, due to the huge interest shown in today’s open day, Beach Energy have agreed to a second open day on Saturday November 15th.
You can also find about more about Z Ward on Facebook.
i am still employed at Glenside campus, having started on 7/9/64. This year have written my memoirs & hope to get this published. “If Asylum walls could speak” my late Father also worked there including Z ward from 1960-1980. I didn’t work in Glenside but have a couple of stories from Dad that are included inmy book. I will be in Queensland when the next proposed tour is on which is disappointing as the photos we took today didn’t save to my PC and are now lost forever. I was a part of the original historical society that set up the museum. I believe that if my book was in print I would have sold out today as there seemed to be a lot of interest.
Note…I worked in Glenside but not in Z ward. I have just past my 50 year half century and am still employed full time in PICU Sandy Bayley
Thanks Sandy, I am sorry to hear about your photos. I’m sure alot of other people will be sharing theirs. You might like to visit the Z Ward Facebook group and see who can share with you.
Hi Sandy,
I look forward to reading your book when it is published. Sorry about the photo’s you took, that didn’t save. Many people took a lot of photos I am sure they would share with you.
Do you know anything about a basement/cellar in Glenside Hospital Main Admin Building? I have been told that there was such a place, once used to keep difficult patients, which was out of bounds in the 60’s. “Being boarded”
Yes Trish, there is rumoured to be a cellar in Z Ward also, but we haven’t found any clues. Maybe someone who worked there knows something?
The cellar at the Glenside administration building was used for storage, there were never any patients there. A facility of this size required much space for storage of food in particular prior to the advent of electric refrigeration.
I have searched the net for info on Glenside but have not found much I find the place intriguing and such a historical place to preserve for a long time , although their was pain and suffering in these walls in the past I still think if walls could talk they would thanks for sharing your info with us I still shall keep looking for past readings on the Z ward
hi Paula, my book ‘If asylum walls could speak’ memoir of my 50 year career as a mental health nurse at Glenside will be launched in a few weeks.
Hi Sandy
We are reopening Z Ward to the public this weekend. Maybe you would consider doing your book launch there?
Hi Darren. Who has the authority to give permission for this to occur? I haven’t got my books from the printer as yet, possibly still 10 business days away. I have a tentative agreement to use the Green Room by SA dim corp but only if they are not coming at the time. They have agreed, due to the content to allow me to use the room for 2/24 per gratis which is generous as there is usually a fee. I plan to come today to the art exhibition so will bring some flyers and my pilot copy with me. I won’t presume to impose and will need to seek permission to give out any promo stuff today. Will you be there? 0417083459
Sorry that should read SA Film corp and they may be filming then. Sandy
Hi Sandy,
It is Lisa, we met Sat 16/5/2015 at Memorial Hospital. My husband and I really enjoyed talking to both yourself and your husband. I am most interested in getting my hands on your memoirs novel ‘If Asylum Walls Could Speak’ which you told me about. Can you please let me know where I can locate a copy?
Many thanks.
Kind Regards,
Lisa M.
Hi Lisa
Email me and I’ll flick the details when they come to hand. sayley@nulladam.com.au
I am behind the campaign to save Z Ward!
Thank you Tracie. Please spread the word! Hopfully we will see you on the 15th.
please dont sell off or destroy Z ward …..it needs to house medical / psychiatric history and be accessible to the public as the example of fascinating architecture that it is.
Agreed Ruth. These places are too rare and special to be lost to future generations.
Will be sad if this historic building goes, so much history from SA lives that deserves to be left alone, lets hope that it does get preserved for the youngens growing up
I was disappointed not to be able to go to this open but was looking forward to the next one, however, if there is a line for the Nov 15th open like the last one, i wouldnt be able to stand there that long due to feet/leg issues …… is there disabled access/parking etc available for those who are unable to stand for long periods of time but would like to visit?? Thankyou
Hi Kathie, rest assured Beach Energy have no plans to demolish the building. Their plan is to refit it as office space. If you would like to email us we can make arrangements for disabled access close by the entrance for you on November 15. Email us at heritagewatch@nullnationaltrustsa.org.au.
When the Adelaide College of the Arts took over the P&O building at Glenside, they did not leave one single cell to show what it used to look like. They merged three cells together to create larger studio rooms which bear no resemblance to the original structure. I am surprised they were allowed to do this to a building listed on the state heritage register. I expect Beach Energy will do the same to the building. Why destroy its fabric forever to create office space when office spaces are short-lived and abundant?
Please keep the old building ,overseas governments don”t knock down their old buildings. I know they are expensive to renovate, but we need some historic buildings in SA
Hello Brenda, there is no plan to knock down Z Ward. Beach Energy intend to use it as office space.
See my reply above about destroying the fabric which removes the purpose of the building forever. For decades some groups including the SA Medical Heritage Society had been talking to state government asking for Z Ward to be used as a museum.
Thanks Gabriella, yes many people were hoping that would eventuate but the Government preferred to sell the building.
Shame on the Government to destroy out history in the name of profit.
My Grandmother was a resident in Glenside, somewhere for over 40yrs.
Shame shame
Hello Christine. It appears the government has very little respect for heritage. Please let your local representative know that you do care about protecting our heritage.
The opening times for 15th November are not advertised; please give out details of times. Also, is parking available at the site and what is the address exactly?
Hi Charlotte, the hours for the next open day have not been confirmed yet, but we will try to open from 9am – 4pm. Please remember that the opening relies on the availability of unpaid volunteers. There is no street address for Z Ward, but this map gives an indication of how to find it. There is parking nearby off Conyngham street, but it may fill up. Details for the next opening will be confirmed early next week.
I wonder if it would perhaps give your organisation more control of the proposed open day on 15th November if you asked people to book to come to the Z ward open day.
You do not need to charge for this service but you could then control the crowds more easily. I could not wait for the expected 3 hours the last time as I have had a hip replacement and standing around for any length of time becomes painful. I have another friend who also could not wait as she suffers from MS and again can’t stand for long periods. If the day was advertised on your website people could log in and book a time.
This would give you a good idea of how many people are still interested in seeing Z ward
Hi Mary, yes we will be using a pre-registration system to better manage access. We will also be announcing some paid tours where people can be guaranteed a spot. We appreciate your patience as we work to put these arrangements in place. If you are registered on the Heritage Watch site you will be advised of all the opportunities.
Hi,
I wanted to come to see the place last week, however the crowd was huge.
I read somewhere tha I need to put my email address down to come to the next open day.
I hope to see you there on the 15th.
Sally
Sally, your email is registered for the 15th.
My wife and I attended the opening of ZWard on the 2nd and the wait was well worth it. My father , now 87, spent 35 years at Glenside, 7 of them inZWard. It was quite an emotional experience and I shared my thoughts with dad later that night , displaying the photos we captured for him. To hear dad open up and talk about the many good times with his workmates and amazingly , some of the positive memories and time he managed to share with some patients , he is looking forward to returning to ZWard next weekend. I don’t know what to expect , but I will be interested to see his reaction. Thanks for the opportunity, I really hope the integrity of the building can be retained when a decision is made to repair and redevelop it.
Thanks you for sharing that experience Brett. I hope your father can make it next weekend. You will find the booking link here. We understand that for many people it is quite an emotional experience. Due to the huge interest, the National Trust is also starting a project to collect the stories the people want to share about Z Ward so they can be known and preserved. Please let us know if your father needs any special assistance next weekend.
Hi I m interest in doing the night tours , how would i go about organizing tickets and dates to do so ?
Hi Gerard
After Saturday tours will be available for a fee, which will be used by the National Trust to undertake the work of documenting the history of the Z Ward building and capturing the many stories we have heard from people who have a connection to the building and its past.
The first of the new guided events is a night time tour/investigation offered by Haunted Horizons for 20 people on November 16 at 8pm. A number of further dates are scheduled.
For more details and bookings contact alison@nulladelaidehauntedhorizons.com.au or call 0407715866.
Hope that answers your question.
Save this important piece of history. As a young Police Constable back in the early 60’s we were taken through Z ward as part of our training. I thought it a rather tragic place. Not only criminally insane were placed there but also the badly deformed and mentally retarded.
you are so right so called uncontrolable teenagers were sent there, wouldn’t happen today thank goodness
my brother died in that ward over 50 years ago and to this day i feel something went wrong there howerver being young i never pursued it . wouldn’t enter that place.
This is part of our history – it will be a money spinner for a long time. Please keep Glenside Z Ward it should be one of our States Heritage buildings.
If asylum walls could speak- a memoir of 50 years MH nursing at Glenside (formally Parkside) is being released soon. Published by Xlibris. Book launch will be held in the old Z ward. Expressions of interest to attend are more than welcome.