Compare and contrast 4 annual reports from different decades of the Parkside Lunatic AsylumÂ
In 1846, South Australia opened its first mental health institution, the Public Colonial Lunatic Asylum near Conyngham Street, Glenside. The establishment resulted from public pressure rather than professional advice. Before this, authorities housed patients at the Adelaide Gaol in the Debtors Yard, segregating them from the general inmate population.



In 1864, overcrowding at the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum, located in the Botanic Gardens, led to the establishment of a Royal Commission. The commission recommended either upgrading the existing facility or building a new asylum to meet specific requirements.
The requirements included:
- Land no smaller than 80 acres;
- A location no more than 4 miles from the city;
- Easy public access;



The site that best met these requirements was Glenside, near the former Public Colonial Lunatic Asylum. Authorities purchased the land in 1866, and by the end of that year, they had laid the foundation for the new building. Four years later, the asylum opened and began accepting patients.



The institution, initially known as the Parkside Lunatic Asylum when it opened in 1870, became the Parkside Mental Hospital in 1913 and then Glenside Hospital in 1967. Today, the site operates as Glenside Health Services and shares the land with the South Australian Film Corporation and the Adelaide Central School of Art.




These documents, much like the former Parkside Lunatic Asylum grounds, reflect the evolution of social and medical attitudes toward mental health. Although much of the terminology and practices have improved, it remains essential to reflect on the past.
Written by Anna Grigoriev, CALHN Health Museum