Lake Alice Hospital

Lake Alice Hospital was a rural psychiatric facility in Lake Alice, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand. It was opened in August 1950, and had a Maximum Security unit. Like many New Zealand psychiatric hospitals, Lake Alice was self-sufficient, with its own farm, workshop, bakery, laundry, and fire station. It also had swimming pools, glasshouses, and vegetable gardens.

Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital
Aerial view of the hospital estate.
Geography
LocationLake Alice, Rangitikei, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand
Coordinates40.1258°S 175.3369°E / -40.1258; 175.3369
Organisation
Care systemPublic
TypePsychiatric
Services
Emergency departmentNo
Beds960
History
OpenedAugust 1950
ClosedOctober 1999
Links
Websitehttp://www.lakealicehospital.com Unofficial
ListsHospitals in New Zealand

The facility slowly shut down during the mid-1990s, finally shutting its doors in October 1999.

The buildings and 56-hectare grounds were purchased in July 2006 by Auckland accountant and property developer group Lake Hicks Ltd.[1]

Plans to develop the former psychiatric hospital were scrapped after the owners fell into financial difficulties. The property was sold again in December 2008. The new owners intend to demolish most of the buildings including the infamous maximum security unit. A few buildings such as the Admin block will remain and the land will be used for farming.[2][3]

Former patients of the hospital's child and adolescent unit made allegations that abuse took place there during the 1970s, including the use of electroconvulsive therapy and paraldehyde injections as punishment.[4] The New Zealand government issued a written apology in 2001, and has paid out a total of NZ$10.7 million in compensation to 183 former patients.[5][6]

Dr Selwyn Leeks, the former head of the unit, gave up the practice of medicine in 2006 to forestall a disciplinary hearing by the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria.[6]

  • Workshops and maintenance area at dusk (2003)
  • Villa 12 in springtime (2003)

References
  1. Miller, Grant (27 July 2006). "Buyer and Price of Lake Alice a Mystery". Manawatu Standard. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  2. "New vision for Lake Alice".
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Murphy, Padraic (11 July 2003). "Probe on Shock Doctor Claims". The Age. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  5. Johnson, Martin (29 August 2006). "Psychiatrist Must Pay $55,000 After Sex Abuse Case". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  6. Johnson, Martin (21 July 2006). "Lake Alice Doctor Pre-empts Tribunal". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
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