Swanbourne Hospital Conservation Area

Child Places

• 03972 Hospital Director's Residence, Garage & Grounds
• 02667 Administration Building Swanbourne Hosp
• 02666 Montgomery Hall

Statement of Significance

The remaining buildings at Swanboume Hospital have significant aesthetic, historic, social, scientific and
rarity cultural heritage value. They are of intrinsic aesthetic merit and important to the architectural history
of the State and the immediate locality. The Swanboume Hospital complex provides important evidence of
tum of the century gold boom public architecture by architects J H Grainger and Hillson Beasley. These two
men were prominent Chief Architects of the Public Works Department. The hospital is also directly linked
to Dr S Montgomery. an eminent figure described as the father of mental health services in Western
Austrnlin. Together with the Fremantle Asylum. Swanbourne forms the essential history of mental health
buildings in this state for o,·er 100 years.

When designed and constntcted the buildings represented the highest level of 'modern principles of asylum
construction' and engendered nn acceptance within the wider community for the treatment of mental health.
The hospital represents the change in approach to mental health from a form of incarceration with little hope
of cure. to one of expert treatment with cure as the goal.

Physical Description

The Conservation area contains the remaining five buildings of the former Swanbourne Hospital: the
Administration Building. Stores Building. Male Attendants and Nurses Quarters Building. Kitchen and the
Dining and Recreation Hall Building (Montgomery Hall).

The Administration Building is two storey with a brick and limestone external leaf. a Donnybrook stone
portico to the central gable roof entrance and with faceted. hipped roof bays to either end. At each end there
are flat roofed small wings with stone embattlements.

The Stores Building is constntcted of limestone and brick. The roof consists of queen post trusses supporting
a comtgated iron roof with a timber tongue and groove ceiling. The building is in original condition with
what appears to be original colour schemes still intact.

The Male Attendants and Nurses Quarters Buildings are similarly designed brick and stone two storey
buildings mnning cast-west and enclosing the kitchen and courtyard formed by the Stores Buildi ng and the
Hall. The two major rooms of the kitchen building consist of a kitchen and scullery. These are rectangular,
high ceiling rooms with queen post trusses. continuous roof lanterns and clerestory windows. Both rooms are
of exceptional architectural qua lity.

The Dining and Recreational Hall (Montgomery Hall) is a large brick and limestone structure with a clay tile
roof. which was used as a dining and recreation hall as well as a centre where visitors could combine with
patients in social activities. The hall has a large free span roof with decorative plaster ceilings. a sprung
timber floor and a large sloping stage.

The buildings are sited on 2.43 hectares of land. The buildings are structurally sound but have suffered
considerable damage to finishes. glazing. doors. skirtings, architraves. sta irs and mechanical and electrical
services. Most of the damage is the result of theft and vanda lism since 1987 when the buildings were
vacated. Enough remains of the items mentioned to allow duplication.

History

The few remaining buildings of the Swanbourne Hospital at one time formed the core of a much larger
complex. Of the original 160 hectares of buildings and grounds set aside for the Hospital, those that have
survived are the Administration, Stores, Covered Arcade, Male Att~ndants and Nurses Quarters, Kitchens and
Montgomery Hall. Their close proximity and common original use make them a precinct that demands
careful consideration for the future. Montgomery Hall and the Administration Building have been classified
by the National Trust.

When first built, Claremont Hospital for the Insane represented the latest architectural planning for the
treatment of the mentally ill for large open sites. The scale and faci lities provided were a huge advance over
the previous asylum at Fremantle, and were indicative of a State undergoing a gold-driven economic boom.

The hospital was like a self-contained town with its own power and water, farm, orchard, playing fields,
housing and administrative centre. In 190 l DrS Montgomery was appointed Superintendent of the Fremantle
Lunatic Asylum. Montgomery, who can be considered the father of modern mental health in W A, was
intimately involved in the design of the Hospital complex, and the principal architect Grainger, and his
successor Beasley, were important figures in the history of Western Australian architecture.

Construction commenced in 1903 and by August that year temporary buildings had been erected to house 20
patients. The asylum complex was completed by 1910 and provided accommodation for 678 patients and
associated staff.

The hospital continued to provide an important mental health service for many years under the Claremont
Hospital banner. In 1972, after expanding over a large area, the hospital was divided and renamed according
to their locality. Hence Swanbourne and Gray lands Mental Hospitals developed their own autonomy. In 1984
Swanbourne Hospital patients began to be relocated either to community orientated accommodation or
Graylands Hospital. The hospital closed in 1987.

The land was subdivided with low density zoning for residential use. The Director of Mental Health's
residence, the Administration building and Montgomery Hall, along with a few minor buildings, were retained
for their heritage value. Administration problems have arisen with the remaining Swanbourne Hospital
buildings. Conservation costs are high and much of the complex stands unoccupied. The Government is
currently considering its options for the future use of the property.

For further information see Place Record Form: Mount Claremont Locality: Graylands Hospital

Integrity/Authenticity

Very Good

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.