Z Ward opens again with Bad Girls

This weekend a two day art exhibition marks the reopening of Z Ward as Adelaide’s newest heritage attraction hosting tours, art, music and peformance presented by the National Trust of South Australia.

In 2014 South Australia’s former Hospital for Criminal Mental Defectives, known as Z Ward, was opened to the public for the first time in forty years and drew enormous crowds. This year the building owners Beach Energy have kindly agreed to the National Trust of South Australia operating the former Z Ward building as a heritage attraction for a period of one year. The program includes the sell out night tours of Z Ward presented by Adelaide’s Haunted Horizons.

Z Ward is an imposing building, completed in 1884 by one of colonial South Australia’s most important architects, Edward John Woods. The polychromatic brickwork technique used by Woods in its design is the most elaborate, sophisticated example of this architectural style in South Australia. For eighty years Z Ward housed those people considered unsafe or too dangerous for prison or other psychiatric institutions.

This weekend’s exhibition, featuring the work of regional artist Sue Wegener is the first public art event at Z Ward. Bad Girls: Into the Light is an exhibition that focuses on self-perception issues. The artist’s Bad Girl series of artworks evolved from recognition of self-esteem issues in women which can become self-perpetuating through erroneous belief, social and family conditioning. The exhibition looks at affirming positive concepts about one’s self, for both men and women.

The National Trust greatly appreciates the generosity of Beach Energy in allowing us to once again open Z Ward to the public. Funds raised from the events program will be used to undertake further research on the history and architecture of Z Ward and support the work of mental health charities including the Mental Illness Fellowship of South Australia (MIFSA) and Beyond Blue.

The exhibition is open from 9am until 4pm on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 29 August, with hot food, coffee and other hot drinks available outside Z Ward. Unfortunately wheelchair access in not possible at this time.
Access is from Conyngham Street, Glenside: Google Map.

Add these geo coordinates to your GPS device. -34.9422976,138.6262603