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August's Blog 08/01/2010
 
This month we have a special photo collection update, we have something you will probably never see anywhere else. 60 years ago this month the people of Marton and areas where welcoming a new industry into the Rangitikei with which it brought new growth to there community. This went well on until 1999, employing just as many locals as out of townees, many who still remain about today. August 1st 1950, 21 patients were admitted that first day. It wasn't until September 6 that another 27 followed. The Maximum Security Villa opened 1965 this would make it 45 years old.

These photos mainly of the Maximum, are taken before first in take, before the building was even used. For those who didn't know, before the Maximum was operated for the mentally ill it was utilized as a prison for almost 2 years! With many thanks to David Hyde for the images & the time he took speaking to me I thoroughly enjoyed hearing old stories, he was the CCTV technician until mid 70's.

Feel free to leave a comment :]

Later in the month the photos will be found on the Maximum page and the Gallery page where I will try to find a modern picture to compare them too. 
Nathan,..
 
 
Update for the month with recent photos of the hospital buildings. No news! Although Property Brokers still has the Admin block + land listed on there website. I don't know what Old McDonald's doing with the Villas but he's had the property now for over 19 months so anything's possible, after all he is from a small hick town.

It's been rather dead lately but next month is Lake Alice's 60 year anniversary,
that's all for now.
Nathan,
 
Junes blog 06/28/2010
 
I've had a super busy month and while there could be things happening around Lake Alice I haven't seen the place this month myself so have no updates sorry.

I will have a update next month, it's just easier to do a blog whenever there's news from now on!

Leave a comment or drop me a message if you have any LA gossip ;)

Nathan,
 
May's Blog 05/30/2010
 
I can't believe its the end of May already. I've had a few helpful updates lately which is great but over all it's a quiet month. Central dinning room is gone, Halls on it's way down and there is fire damage to the Maximum and Villa 12 which looks like it was deliberately lite (pyromaniac are we Old McDonald)  I'd say our wee Lake Alice is slowly turning to grass. He is removing fixtures off the Villas so I guess this means he's decided not to renovate which is ashame as there nifty old buildings, actually I say old but there only about 55 years old. My house I live in is older!

No news on any sale of the admin block except it's still listed on the Property brokers website.
 
Check out the latest photos below they are a few weeks old now I wanted to wait and release them on the blog. You will need to ignore the moisture and dust orbs in the photos I tried to remove most of them. Thank you for your comments and visits keep em coming!!

Next month I'll talk about the UN report and where it's at...

Have a cosy winter
Nathan,
 
Aprils Blog 04/29/2010
 
Slow month no word on the future of the Admin block which is meant to be sold and turned into a Backpackers, It is still listed on the Property brokers website still, so I can only assume perhaps the sale fell through?

The UN report (which is what all the recent news articles were about) does not have to be in until the end of May so I will follow that up in next months blog, this is a massive ordeal submitting a complaint rather costly & lengthy process, the public's support is much appreciated in this time. On that note I am very sad to say that one of the main Lake Alice activist's and survivor Kevin Banks is returning to live in Australia after being back in NZ since mid 2000's. Thank you to Kevin for his contribution to the website over the last year and a half. Best of luck in Aust!

Old McDonald has been very busy man on his farm, stripping back the Hall, removing the gib boards and floor boards (which are in pretty good condition) so he is obliviously trying to selvage what he can, at the same time he is also building himself a little retreat behind the Workshops for duck hunting season, home away from home. The word is that he is getting in demolition people in the next few months to come, believe it when I see it. I really don't think he will knock those resident Villas down as many of them are in good condition and he has asked around about getting developers in to look at doing them up.

Be weary of Old McDonald he doesn't want his precious floor boards stolen so is driving past the hospital each night. I swear he's a ex patient  ;)

Thanks for reading,
Nathan,
 
Marchs Blog 03/25/2010
 
Wow what a month March has turned out to be who would have thought the Police saying they would not be charging anyone for the abuse in the 1970's would cause so many news articles, check out the 'News articles page' for the latest articles. Paul Zentveld who was in LA in the adolescent unit has been doing a few interviews, I heard him on Radio Live earlier. TV One were interested.

So the Water Tower has been sold and is to be turned into a family home. Go grand designs! Will be interesting yet intriguing too see. Word is the Admin block has sold it will become a backpackers (although that is what it was marketed as) not much of a scary place to stay unlike the old Napier prison which was a backpackers now that's a thrill. Rest of the hospital still stands but I guess that will be coming dooooooown unless they can develop that into something soon!

Pictures below, 2 images of which were the old Nurses quarters which are now at Nga Tawa School in Marton. I will have to dig through to try and find pictures of the nurses quarters to see what they used to look like because it was a pretty big building & it appears only a small part has been moved to the school.

Thanks for reading,
Nathan...



 
February's Blog 02/26/2010
 
This month I'm going to talk about what has being going on with the Past patient/Human Rights side of Lake Alice.

A complaint was logged with the police almost 10 years ago by ex patient's regarding the behavior of the staff of Lake Alice Hospital during the 1970's. Understand this was nothing to do with the compensation payouts this was because of the people who were abused want justice, they want those people who hurt them when they where children to be punished just like they had been. If you were abused as a child by anyone let alone someone of the medical profession you too would want justice served. It's simple someone takes the authority they have been given to care of 'sick' people and abuse that power. That is corrupt! This is not our society we should not treat one another like this, not then not now, Sadly it seems while time has gone by very little has changed. Even if what happened at Lake Alice was 30 odd years ago the government today should be making thing's right instead of blowing off the complaints.

So unfortunately it seems the police have decided even without speaking to former staff many who still practice, that for the children of Lake Alice there will be no justice. Superintendent Malcolm Burgess told former Adolescent Unit patient Kevin Banks today that it was very unlikely former staff would be prosecuted for having any part of there physical and sexual abuse as well as the infamous unmodified ETC, while working at Lake Alice. This means former head of the Unit Selwyn Leeks who was responsible for ECT being administered is a free man, along with a long list of former nurses who still live in the Manawatu-Rangitikei. Who would have thought so many who worked there in the 70's abusing young people would remain in Marton years on, boy they must have some gut's. At least they would have got there property for a bargain!     

No update on the security around the place, although a few 'chilling' comments from people who have taken the big jump over the fence. Ah they make me smile =]

No word on the sale of the old Admin building, previous caretakers house, Water tower and land that is for sale. Few small news articles have claimed there has been 'strong interest', although I haven't followed that one up yet. Good luck to the new owners.

That's all for now might add more over the next week if I get the pictures sorted of the old Nurses quarters which is now accommodation at Nga Tawa girls school or that will be in next months blog. Make sure to leave a comment if you've been near the hospital lately!

Thanks for reading,
Nathan...
 
January's blog 01/29/2010
 
Wow what a month. Here was me thinking I would have nothing to talk about!

So we have parts of the hospital on the market, Admin block, the iconic Water Tower and 2ha of land. Tenders for the property are to be in by early February and from what I have heard there has been a fair amount of serious interest so we may see a backpackers or someones dream home replace these buildings in the years to come. I can't help to think though who would want to live out there :p

Security: From what I've observed the place is lacking security big time compared to the crazy wanna be police that where previously hooning around the grounds few months ago & where either slashing tyres or chasing you off the land with there pitch forks. I'm not sure whether Old McDonald has finally given up & realized theirs nothing to steal from the hospital or they just have the Marton police on speed dial. Either way the electric fences only tickle but I think that's about it!

The Old Nurses quarters which I remember spending the night in with a few friends when I first started with the Lake Alice 'obsession' was removed and has been refurbished & is now at a girl's school in Marton, where it is being used for accommodation etc. This is great I'm really glad some of Lake Alice could be salvaged from the 10 years of abandonment.

My minds gone blank but there was a few other things I wanted to mention so guess they will be for next month (Oops thats on Monday). But apart from that my blog from last month mentioning security cameras & trip wires I think I may have been miss informed, not really sure on that one but... mind your step.

Will upload a few recent photos of the place also check out the few aerial photos I added on the main galleries page, as well as some old photos & articles about the Maximum unit on the Maximum page so take a look...

Waipukurau Hospital,
Did you see the TVOne fire video footage huge bugger because I was due to visit the place with Phoenix Paranormal that coming weekend, I am glad though that I got in there last year before the fire and took loads of photos which can be seen on UrbanExplorers. Hope they catch the bastard's that burnt it down!!

Sorry this months blogs late been a busy month, I'm off too enjoy the summer sun in Australia maaaate ;)

Leave a comment or drop me a email if you've been by Lake Alice recently or wanna talk about the place it takes up 50% of my life anyway...

Enjoy the rest of your Summer all.
Nathan
 
December blog 12/19/2009
 
 Just as hard as it was to escape from the place back in the day, it seems asthough it has become just as tricky to get back in, for old times sack...

Property update:
Old McDonald who owns the property (yes thats his real surname but I'm still taking the piss) seems to have trip wires by the back gates so if you jump it your trapped between the gate and a trip wire, as well as infra red cameras I am told although I doubt they even go to anything with the houses been too far away and if they do actually operate then someone has alot of free time on there hands, pervert's!
So over all it's a minor warning to those over the holidays that I know will test there luck going out there but be warned that Farmer McD has teamed up with the local over paid police who together do nightly drive by's thanks to tax payers money for there gas, to check on the outside roads. If you are entering from Santoft road then I wouldnt bother because that's where abunch of people who are related to Farmer McD live although I do have to comment it's not the house up from the back gates I see there is a family who live in there so be vigilant while up that end as from what I have heard they mean no harm. So sounds like a circus out there most nights still, Hmm maybe the Lake Alice curse will cause him too sell up!!

National Letter: On another subject- Interesting and very supportive letter I posted on the site this weekend from Maori MP Tau Henare, that was sent to Prime minister's office and along with the response from ginger ninja Jonathan Coleman who does all Key's thankless task's oh and is Associate minister of Health, whom gave a very negative reply, he is always so serious can anything make this man happy. Mr Coleman if you happen to read this on the off chance then I invite you for tea & scones at my place in Palmerston North next time you are in the area. Read the letter here 

Anyway enough politics, there such a anal subject...

Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe and Happy new year. 2010 has quite a few things installed for myself regarding the website but you'll have to wait and see.

Thank you Paul for your updates to the site,
Thanks Alex for helping me shape the website to what it has become!

Thank you everyone who visits for another awesome year of many comments, emails, updates with the hospital and over all 95% good feedback  =]
 
Merry Christmas & Happy holidays,
Nathan
See you in 010!!
 
November Update 11/04/2009
 
I've been meaning to write a new blog but with the year drawing to a end other things to be done. I was interviewed last week by students from a University in Wellington who where doing a film project and chose to do a doco on Lake Alice (plenty to be told there). So good luck to them!

I have driven past the hospital recently and saw the army are still utilizing the property

I heard through the grapevine that the owners are considering doing a few of the Villas up and renting them out, this is a very ambitious plan, not sure if I would want to live at a old mental hospital. Either way time will tell...

While I'm at it I should mention I was also told that the police do night time drive by's past Lake Alice, checking the back gate for people etc there has also been a few incidents where people have came back to there cars & police were waiting for them (always used to dread that, lucky it never happend to me) and that the owners or should I say there Nazi security have taken the law into there own hands when it comes to dealing with people on there property, saying they will shoot and vandalize peoples cars which they find out by the gates so if you do not want your vehicle damaged I suggest leaving someone in the car or not going near the property (had to say something responsible) On that note you should be aware that willful damage is far worse then trespassing I would lay a complaint with the police should something happen to you, I would like to highlight to people that the definition of trespassing is when you are on somebody else's property and they ask you to leave to which you fail then you are breaking the law. Signs can be classed as a warning so be careful as these could be used against you if you where to be caught 'trespassing'.

All for now, Nathan...

Below: Recent photos