“Cool Asylum” That’s what some people call the Porirua Hospital Museum. It’s housed in F Ward a building dating back to 1909. This isn’t just any museum. It tells the story of mental health services in New Zealand from their very beginnings. Porirua Hospital wasn’t always a museum. It started life in 1887 as the Porirua Lunatic Asylum. It later became the largest hospital in New Zealand.
Imagine a time before modern medicine. Patients ranged from those with psychotic illnesses to the elderly or alcoholics. The museum holds artifacts from this era. You’ll see evidence of straitjackets and leather gloves used to restrain patients. Sedatives were almost unheard of. Nurses recounted patients screaming day and night. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
Porirua Hospital wasn’t just about confinement. It also played a key role in the region’s development. By 1905 it had 700 beds. At its peak it housed 2000 staff and patients. This impacted Wellington’s growth significantly. The museum even showcases bricks made by prisoners at Wellington’s Mt Cook Gaol. These bricks formed part of the hospital’s original construction.
The hospital’s history includes a working farm until the 1960s. You can see farm implements in the museum. There’s also specially made hospital crockery old medicine bottles and medical equipment like an enema kit and an ancient X-ray machine. You’ll even see machines used for electroconvulsive therapy. It’s fascinating and a little unsettling.
The Porirua Hospital Museum isn’t just about the past. It’s also about the future of mental health care. The museum shows how treatments have evolved. It highlights the challenges faced and the progress made. The museum keeps the memory of those who lived and worked at Porirua Hospital alive. It’s a place to reflect on the past and learn about the present. Don’t miss this unique and important museum.