Comments

3/1/2008

This page is for anything Lake Alice.
Where really interested in hearing about your visits to the hospital
whether be past or present : )

This page can be helpful when learning about Lake Alice
as people can leave some interesting
stuff on here...

244 Comments

Charz

3/6/2008 08:01:20 pm

heard all about it would love 2 go there wat a grat website

PeterPan

3/8/2008 08:50:15 pm

Great site, learnt a lot from it, Can't wait till mores put up

fafairydustrydufairydustst

4/13/2008 06:12:36 pm

hi i just recently had a look on the outskirts of this hospital asd i no wlive in bulls and i got the weirdest vibe from it and made me wanna be sick
as soon as we got to marton i was sweet
great site but would like to see more and interested in actually having a look inside this haunted hospital

mundella

7/28/2013 08:12:54 am

we went there for three hours from 12am to 3am but nothing happend... we went inside the most of the buildings and there were no sign of ghost there..

FAIRY DUST

4/14/2008 11:44:06 am

HI
I HAVE RENTLY FOUND A NEW THING TO INVESTIGATE IN MY OWN TIME AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE THATHAS PIC OR VIDEOS ON LAKE ALICE
CHEERS

Brendon

5/9/2008 07:33:51 pm

Hi there,

I actually checked out Lake Alice today, and took a few photos. I kinda jumped the fence, and kept a low profile, and didnt get anyone's attention...(I only took photographs and left only footprints...), then I got home and found your site...

Obviously you have connections with the owners, and I just want to say that you guys have a good site here...(and pass on my compliments about the tripwires...very good....it took me some investigation to see that they were wired to alarms...)

caretaker

4/17/2014 11:02:07 am

yes I put them there to keep nozey parkers out .

Nicola

3/13/2015 06:08:18 pm

Hi there,
I heard that it's possible to do a night tour of Lake Alice and am interested in finding more information about this.
Thanks
Nicola :)

Corrina link

3/26/2016 01:42:18 pm

Hi as kids we used to live in the homes surrounding lake Alice and I didn't like how they treated the patients cause they were still in there at the time ,a lot were treated so badly it's quite sad really ,some went in for help and ended up worse than when thy came in, is there tours at all thru here as I'd be interested in looking thru always been curious , u could always make it a tourist attraction like how Napier prison has great way of history and making money :)

Jojo

5/12/2008 09:25:43 am

hi,

recently drove past with a couple of friends and didnt know much about it. so have been doing a bit of research and find it quite interesting. also found out that my great uncle worked there at some stage.

great site

Asylum_souljah

5/14/2008 06:31:43 pm

Hiya,

Just been looking at your pics - awesome storyboard you have put together about the place. Im not sure but my mother may have done some training out there in the earlier days, she ended up at Kimberly in Levin for about 25 years pre its shut down.

Might message you more about that on Bebo - would be good to maybe get in there and take a look around too. Id be in.

Keep up the great work - Some of those murals are way too gorgeous to be left to the vandals, what a shame!

A_S

casper link

5/29/2008 07:38:32 pm

great site, looked around the place 4 or 5 yrs ago, just drove through, looked like here today gone tomorrow, furniture lying around the villas. visited a old friend 18 yrs ago out there, he started off petty crime, stealing from a shop lollies or something, put in borstal at 12, then never let out at 17 transferred to sunnyside, where he spent the next 45 yrs or so in and out. horrible places, so glad times have changed, glad I was never put there for my teen years....... Keep up the great site, more pics please....

Rory

6/2/2008 09:51:30 am

Hey Guys Would Like To Get In Touch With The Owner Would Enjoy To Be Able To Go Out At Night.Should Be Able To Go Out AT night For A Charge!!

6/8/2008 03:49:15 pm

Hi, I am EXTREMELY interested in Lake Alice. I have a friend who did an army excercise there once, said it was one of the scariest experiences of his life, and the atmosphere had something eerie about it. I am interested in the history of the hospital and would love to know everything there is to know about it. If someone could help me with any details or pictures? I have yet to visit the place, but it is on my to-do list. If there are connections with the owner, I would love to get it touch. Great website, I intend to be a regular viewer :)

Mark wallace

1/16/2016 04:16:07 pm

I was a 12 year old when I went there.Not a day in my life passes without thinking of it.

Student

4/9/2016 10:23:28 pm

Hi Mark I'm doing an assignment at school and was interested in a few things like what were the other patients in the hospital like and whats really behind the closing of the hospital. If it's a difficult topic for you to talk about I understand but I was just eager to get some primary information from someone who has experienced being in the hospital.

Cammmo

6/23/2008 10:36:24 pm

i love this site! these pics r awsome n it's fun to read about this old mental home...shame it's not open anymore to the public...

6/30/2008 08:10:47 am

Hey would you know anything about the 40 Ferguson St house in Palmerston North. Im not sure what it was called but my great uncle who worked at Lake Alice remembers picking up and dropping off patients there.

3/28/2013 05:01:25 pm

It was where they housed people who were slightly mad, but they never realized they were being kept there as patients. It was used mostly for crazy children and experiments were carried out by medicating the water supply to the house. Later when some local authorities expressed concern over methods used at the house they had to close it down. The last patients were moved to the former Yugoslavia in 2002.

Chazza

7/7/2008 01:12:22 am

great website has improved heaps know so much about it, will have to go there sometime

wendy

7/20/2008 01:17:31 pm

i used to live rite next door no. 38 lake alice rd. it wa the most amazing place ive ever lived i have so many storys and photos if your interested. one day when it was still owned by the goverment we went in to take some photos we went into the crimmanally insane unit to see what we could find we found a small black bible on a table the photo would have been amazing later that day we got it devoloped the bible wasnt there . we went back later that day and the bible was compeletly going you gotta have alot of balls to live nextdoor

Paige Britton

8/1/2013 09:34:37 pm

Hi there Wendy, I'm 17 and from Wanganui, i find The Lake Alice abandoned mental institution very fascinating, i want to look into deeper detail of the whole topic. If you have any information/pictures i'd be very pleased, would you mind swapping emails so we can talk, i have a few questions i wouldn't mind asking you. if its not to much :)|

thanks heaps
Paige.

Kathleen

1/11/2015 06:34:04 pm

@ wendy
Your comment "you gotta have alot of balls to live next door" to a psych Hospital is extremely offensive and further flames the stigma of having an illness that one did not ask for.

Mental Illness strikes anyone, regardless of gender, race or age.

Kindly apologize to all past 'patients' and [current/future] survivors who live with Mental Illness.

Chris

7/30/2016 06:43:24 pm

I was there in '73 for just 3 weeks, in one of the outer villas. I have to say, as I recall I was basically scared out of my skin and into some sort of sense ! It was not a nice time at all.
Won't go into detail here.
But actually, I had a bit of a laugh at the comment about the courage needed to live close by. I think it's a perfectly normal response which encompasses several things but mainly the age old "fear of the unknown". Not offended.

Sara

10/2/2008 07:48:55 pm

Would love to get any photos or information that any one might have. I have a family history with the hospital that I have been peicing together, but unfortunately left it too late to be able to see the place in person. So thanks for the site, its good to gwet some info.
I'd be interested to get in touch Wendy.

wendy

10/7/2008 08:46:56 am

Hay there,
i am still waiting on photos we had a few issues with them . text you when i get them

Tracey

10/7/2008 06:41:09 pm

Great site and lots of interesting pictures and info. Hope there will be more - will be looking forward to it.

TOBY TOENAILS link

10/8/2008 05:43:13 pm

LOVED THE WEBSITE BRO I WOULD LOVE TO GO THERE AGAIN

Sapphire

10/22/2008 12:42:36 pm

I have a tonne of photos of lake alice if anyone is interested :) give me an email [email protected], or leave a message on my site www.bebo.com/staralise

jacob

10/23/2008 05:23:44 am

i went there when i was back at school with all my friends one night after seeing it on that ghoast hunt show man that place was scary people wrote your gona die and stuff on the walls do not recomend visiting at night unless u have a big group of islanders to look after you

Kyle

11/2/2008 05:32:01 am

Wow, its interesting to read all the stories everyone has posted.
My partner and i went down lake alice road just yesterday to have a look, but as im sure most of you are aware NO ENTRY!
Its a very spooky place and we were kinda freaked out, we wanted to sneak over the fence to have a look but the farmers were out and about.
This site does give you a good view on the place, but its alot more freaky if you go down the road and have a look for yourself. I think im going to be planing a night mission, i had better watch out for the trip wire.
cant wait to see Wendys photos!!

Dewdrop

11/5/2008 09:00:37 am

Hi guys,

My grandad was admitted to Lake Alice in the late 70's/early 80's after suffering chronic migraines.
They performed ECT on him on numerous occasions without anesthetic. He has told me a few sad stories but wont go in to too much detail.
I am originally from Wanganui and have been to Lake Alice with my cousins to explore the grounds. It is extremely eerie and has a very sad feeling about it. I think the photos do it justice as there are still abandoned wheel chairs left in the yards and sitting outside the secure unit. As mentioned on this website there are people that live on site and closely monitor any approaching visitors.
I am interested in hearing stories and really enjoyed looking through the photos on this website.
If i am able to obtain any more information from my grandad i will post it on the forum.
I'm also interested to hear if there are any reported hauntings/phenomenon that surround this sad place.

Thank you for reading.

jeremy

11/6/2008 03:26:35 am

cant believe im saying this here, but i actually feeln a little sori 4 u... go do some deleting on S.N mate theyve been at it again

carl

11/22/2008 10:01:32 am

went for a night trip there resently was like walking into another dimension very eerie presence, i do not suggest going there to anyone there are bad spirits there. I had a group of friends who went there once, one of the skitz out like something had possesed him and has never been the same since.

MysteryMartonGirl

1/3/2009 06:17:24 pm

I grew up in Marton in the 60's and 70's and remember having a relation at Lake Alice. He stayed there until they shipped the patients to the former childrens home in Marton. Also had an aunty and uncle who both worked at LA as nurses.
Went to school with a lad who was one of Leek's victims - and Leek's daughter went to my school!!
Some of the patients used to be allowed to come into Marton on a Friday night. I wonder if anyone else remembers that.

Danielle

1/10/2009 11:27:07 am

I am really getting in to this whole Lake Alice thing! I didn't know it had such an insane background!

My friend went there a while ago and swears she saw a person looking out a window, but when they went in there was no-one there. Also, she told me some of the patients actually physically scratched stuff into the concrete walls with there own fingernails!!! WHOA! I so would love to check this place out.

If the climb the fence is it possible to get inside the buildings? Or are they fully alarmed and stuff?

Richard

2/6/2009 01:11:38 am

I worked at Lake Alice in the early 1990s shortly before it closed. I'm greatful that someone has memorialised the place in some way. I had no pictures... I thought it perverse to take photos that might include residents and I regret that. I witnessed some awful nursing practice but also some great compassion at times. I did enjoy working with the residents and in some ways Lake Alice kick started an interest in mental health advocacy for me. It never had the warm and homely feeling that some other hospitals had... but I can't say that it was particularly spooky (even on night shift). Derelict buildings often take on a spooky aura.

Well done.

michael link

4/25/2015 04:02:28 pm

hi Richard. I spent 3and a half years at lake alice and thought it was a concentration camp. what villas did you work in? I was in villas 14, 3 and 12. even today I hate that damn place. I thought about suicide every day in that hellhole and if I never see the place again it will be to soon

Brooke & Grant link

2/6/2009 08:40:16 am

Hey guys. Awesome website. Me and a group of mates have been out there a couple of time's all about 12, 1 oclock at night. I didnt realize there was so much history behind the creepy buildings. We only made it into the prison barraks because one of the big wooden doors fell down & me being me. I freaked and made the rest leave. Love to be able to go out there during the day for a look. Someone should tell the owners to open it up again to the public and let us in. Maybe for a charge.

ricki

2/15/2009 09:47:04 am

we went owt 2 lake alice the otha nyt and got chased in villa 11 go there

LILMSG

3/3/2009 04:31:40 pm

it is great to see someone recognising the history of lake alice but moore importantly standing up for those that use to live there i use to work in another hospital that had some of the elder patiants from lake alice it saddens me even to this day what they were subjected to and how it became a way of routine and life for these poor people i am so glad that clinical practices have changed, i hope you page can bring awareness and support and some kind of justice for all the people of Lake Alice weather they be alive or dead today they deserve there dignity and respect.
with mental health on the rise its great that you are bringing awareness to mental health issues out in the open no one needs to suffer or live in shame
keep up the great work i will be checking back frequently i love this website

LILMSG

3/11/2009 07:18:26 am

Hi Nathen

dont give up hope in justice for LA patiants it may be a slow prcess but eventually it will happen i truely believe its people like you that will at some stage achieve the ultimate goal, the best thing anyone can do now is honor the memory of those that once lived LA, as someone that worked with several patiants that once lived at LA i can say there was many who each had there own unique personality with alot to give to a person you just had to look passed the physical and mental challenges they faced everyday, between the LA patiants and the Kimberly Hospital patiants i worked with i can honestly say they gave a lot to my career as a nurse and taught me things that have enabled me to be a better person and a better nurse sometimes learning come from within yourself and the person you are working with.
I have only been to LA once all this time people should not only look at the buildings and how they are now but more look inside the people who use to live there that is where the true history lies dont be afraid of the patiants they are the ones who hold the history to the true Lake Alice

3/14/2009 05:11:45 pm

I think there should be a tour before it is demolished!! I've never had a chance to see it. I wish I could, alot of my mates have snuck in there at night and said how creepy it is, I'm not that keen on breaking entry though. But if they won't do a tour I'll need to go in somehow :P

karlah

3/17/2009 05:31:23 pm

Very Inspiring!...have herd alot about this place and have begin reserching abit about it. its and amazing but creepy place! Have been out there but has such a werid feel...was to freaked out to go in! would also love to be toured around... Amazing website and photos. interested in finding out abit more if anyone has more info. [email protected]

alex guyan

4/6/2009 06:16:00 am

hey guys, soo much interesting things to read and study on this website.i used 2 live in marton my self and my dad went to the hospital for an excercise with the fire service he said he was creep out big time because he had to hide by himself in the units!!!!! if u wana add me 2 msn [email protected] thnx

George

4/27/2009 06:33:50 pm

i heard they got the shock treatment there. I was very disturbed at what i was told. Good job that it got shut down!

Nathan

4/29/2009 12:26:24 am

Bit behind the times, you speak as if you where a ex patient George. Some fail to consider that Lake Alice also did a few good things for the mental health system it wasnt always a nasty place, it kept many bad people away & took care of those who had no place or no one in its 49 years of operation. Just because a few doctors ran a unit in the 70's that used ECT does not make the rest of the hospital nor its staff bad. Are you forgetting they still use ECT in NZ today!

Nick link

5/11/2009 06:14:50 pm

hey kyle very intrested in this hospital im also keen as for a night mish out there some time. add me on bebo my user name is fucking_brap or my email adress is
[email protected]

greg

5/22/2009 01:07:37 pm

WoW!! I cant belive I found this website. About 2 years ago me and my best mate sneakd in there at night. It was so scary we had to park the car up the road to avoid attention so was a bit of a walk down lake alice road. The freakest part was when we were walking back and one of the houses on Lake Alice Road looked abandon so we decided to go in for a closer look. we went onto the property and the door was open so we decided to go in I went for the light switch turned it on nothing happens so we just thought the power must be turned of then as we got half way into the hallway this loud humming sound came from one of the rooms maybe a freezer or something it was so scary we took of so fast and ran the whole way back to the car it was pretty scary especially how the mains had been turned of!!! never will I return again that place is definetly haunted!

chelsea

5/29/2009 02:28:35 pm

hey i just think this website is amazing , who is it that even has created it??im at work and havnt done anything all day but look at photos,storys etc.
None of my mates are interested in this , but i am and i dont know why.
I live in kapiti , i WANT to go up to lake alice b4 it gets knocked down , my bebo is chechechelso or facebook is chelsea jane mckenzie

Jessy

6/22/2009 08:26:57 pm

iv heard alot about this place, mental health - ECT IS a scarey topic, what happened there was totally unacceptable. before LA gets demolished i realli wana have a look esspecially at the MAXIMUM unit, but dont know if i could do it at night, i would never be the same again. wana go during the day??

NATHEN or anyone else, can anything be sorted out??????

email, [email protected]

cole

7/4/2009 01:33:14 pm

We visited lake alice last night, the night before we visited aswell. we visited maximum security and all the other buildings around the community area. last night we went to the building furtherest away from everything by maximum security but down more. as we walked through the gate we heard birds churping then we went into the the house and they stopped. it was one of the most horrific events of my life. one of my friends decided to bring a log book/journal that he found in there back to wanganui but as we walked out he felt his hands burning.we eventually talked him out of it and told him to leave the book there(which is sitting on the grass outside of the house/building)I'd recommend all people visiting lake alice to not visit that building furtherest away by the maximum security track.

cole

7/5/2009 12:02:08 pm

We went there again last night, we went into maximum security and towards the morgue but diddnt end up going in, we also went into another building around the community area. it looks like a school for the children that were there. we walked through the hallways and saw all the doors. we went to the end of one of the halls and saw a closed door. i told my mate not to open it but he diddnt listen. the door opened and we heard somethign banging against the wall/roof. we shined the torch towards it and saw a fantail.it was three in the morning. fantails mean something bads going to happen in maori religion. that building and the previous one i wrote about have to be the scariest buildings atLA

Tansix link

7/6/2009 02:16:15 am

We where there tonight and had a great time the place has changed so much since my first visit in 06, sad to see how run down the buildings have become. Reading the comments about how the place is haunted cracks me up. I've lost count of how many times I've been there during the night & day but Never had a ghost pop out at me,lol. Probably also because I respect the place, theres only friendly energy about anyway. The Maximum is so trashed its more of a place to avoid then visit but walking around the Villas was peaceful and brought back that hospital vibe. I took a walk on my own through the old Minimum security that place isnt in a bad condition ashame the owners cant keep a few of those buildings cos they would make for good budget accommodation type of thing. Oh AND if the people with the flash light who went in the Hall then walked up past Villa 11 are reading this, we where only coming to say hello not to scare you off you didnt need to jump in your car & take off towards Santoft rd... By the way the owners know EVERYONE comes in via Santoft rd & parks at the back Lol thats been going on for years... DUH!!! RIP LAKE ALICE

Bonnie

8/8/2009 05:27:40 pm

been to lake alice sevral times. awsome place to look around. shame they pulling it down.

its true about people with a spotlight. had it happen to me and my mates but got away from the dumb fucks and never got in shit

paul zentveld

8/16/2009 06:38:35 pm

HI NATHAN, Yes Ive heard the screams of children as ihave left the grounds .SIMPLE Idont believe in ghosts on TWO visits IT shook me up MY COUSIN is IN the NZ ARMY SHE Told me that She knows of two army friends that will never go to La again too scared. they know these are big guys.WHOW .I stil wonder though.Any queries by any curious people or EX patients who would like some help or just achat call me on 0212123665 paul anytime.

Jaimee Lee

8/30/2009 10:37:01 am

Hi Guys
Me and some of my friends decided to go out there for a bit of fun the other day, was talking to a man that lived next door,said he didnt have much to do with the owner and we could go in at our own risk. so we did, weird vibes walking down the road.my friend took a photo of me and when we looked at it after there was like a black outline around my face as if some1 was standing there infronta me. it wasnt that cold of a day but when we hit the premisis we all felt cold i was even shivering.
we herd noises at stages, bells ringing? ummm like the sound of somebody moaning? but overall was a very interesting expeirence, if anybody has any good stories i would love to hear them. this place has realy caught my attention and i would like to know more.
My heart goes out to all those who suffered in that horrible place.

rina76

8/30/2009 01:29:09 pm

HI,
MY NEICE AND I WENT AND HAD A LOOK IN APRIL AT LAKE ALICE.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO INTRUDE TOO MUCH, WE KEPT OUR DISTANCE AND WAS JUST LOOKING OVER THE FENCE.
WE SAW THE OWNER DOING SOME TRACTOR WORK AND WAITED FOR HIM TO STOP TO TALK TO US AS HE WENT PASSED, WE WAVED HIM DOWN, BUT HE COMPLETLY BLANKED US.
HE SEEMS LIKE A REAL PRICK.
I CAN'T SEE ANY HARM IN PEOPLE HAVING A LOOK BEFORE THIS MORON PULLS THE BUILDINGS DOWN.
WE ALSO GOT A REALLY STRANGE FEELING FROM THE PLACE AND I ALSO FELT SICK,
VERY SAD .

THE OWNER WANTS TO WATCH IT OR SOMEONE WILL GET VERY UPSET WITH HIM.
ANYWAY, ON A BETTER NOTE, I LOVE THIS WEBSITE, THANX FOR SHARING ALL THIS INFO, VERY INTERESTING

CORRINA:)

8/31/2009 04:21:11 pm

hey guy dis is the cool websites i know thank to you for coming into dis website thank u

casey

8/31/2009 04:22:53 pm

hi nathan wat r u up to wanna go out

Nathan link

8/31/2009 08:45:35 pm

Hi Casey, to Lake Alice sometime sure why not...

Paige Britton

8/1/2013 09:58:28 pm

Hi there Nathan do you live in wanganui? and are you planning on visiting Lake Alice again if so LET ME COME :) email [email protected]

Hannah

9/4/2009 11:45:55 am

Hey, Its so cool i actually found a website for lake alice my boyfriend is in the army and is doing a exercise there this past week, Hes been telling me some creepy stories about lights randomly turning on and waking up in the middle of the night feeling that his sleeping bag is being shuck. he says its huge and very eerie as theres scratch marks from the patients and wheel chairs still in building i would love to find out more about the place.

Paige

8/1/2013 10:00:51 pm

Hi there Hannah was wondering if you wouldnt mind sharing the stories your boyfriend has told you in further detail im rather interested too!

- [email protected]

michael

4/25/2015 04:15:07 pm

hi paige. my name is Michael and i'm a former patient at lake alice. if you want you can email me (my email address is [email protected]) and I can tell you what I went through out there. it was horrible. hope to hear from you

alex link

9/13/2009 07:53:18 am

jamie lee and hannah i laugh at your guys comments on the basis i have been there and didnt see any lights go on,yes it was kind of cold because it was the middle of goddamn winter!!!!! but other than that it was sweet going through the buildings.the person who went with me (you know who you are) says ya'll should be worry'd about the living more than the dead lol.oh and marton hillybillys mud skiing lol anyways im going there again when i get enough $ to come up from chch so if u want to come just send me a message on my email [email protected] and ill sort something out.

greenmachineman

9/13/2009 06:25:14 pm

Nice website LA has fascinated me ever since i have joined the army. I havent been there personally but I have heard stories from my mates about that place. They stayed the night next to one of the pools during an exercise and apparently heard children playing in the pool. Wouldnt mind checking it out some time:D

Sarah

9/21/2009 11:20:56 am

Great website- what happens if you just want to go out t have a look and a little walk around in like the afternoon? not keen to have tyres slashed etc.

Nathan link

9/21/2009 12:07:17 pm

Well why not it sounds lovely going for a little walk around a falling down old abandoned mental hospital this time of year. Hell why not pack a picnic & bring the kids!

In all honestly it's up to you whether you want to risk it or not but the property has been used for training by the police recently (this week,22/8) so I doubt you would be alone...

P.S. Let me know how you get on with your tyres, Marton do a good price for Lake Alice visitors! Coupon code LA2009

sarah

9/23/2009 12:21:31 pm

sweet thanks for the help... so is the police training meant to mean that they'll be on site or something? ummm what you mean about the Marton code LA2009 thing? do you reckon its a good idea to go check it out the day before so we know where to go etc...?

Nathan link

9/26/2009 12:17:26 pm

I have no idea about the training the information was passed onto me. Marton code was a joke!! So many people ask how to get permission and how to get onto the property etc and all I'm gonna say is people have been arrested both by night & day lately, I've given up going out there. If you have read my blogs & comments people have left then you are aware of the risk's so its up to you... If you visit then drop a comment & tell us now how you went =]

alex link

9/26/2009 12:55:54 pm

sarah its not really worth going anymore if you ask me but there is other places to go to like, marton hospital lol im going there when i get back up north and some other undisclosed places so yea could go there ??

sarah

9/27/2009 02:49:08 pm

when there last night. didnt get past the sercuity dude that lives there. he saw us and came out of his house.... soooo scary!! going to try again this week but go from the back entrance. screw the front!!! :D

paul Zentveld link

9/28/2009 06:08:43 pm

HI NATHAN,MY COMMENT,RE NZPA SUN 20 SEPT 2009 ATTORNEY GENERAL COMMENTS ON TIME WAISTING LAWYERS NATHAN .YOU LOOK AT IT.HE,S MOANING.HE NEEDS TO PULL HIS HEAD OUT OF THE SAND,AND NOT TRY TOWIN CASES AGAINST THE CROWN WITH PRE 1960SLAWS .SUPREME COURT RULING AGAINST SONYA COOPER LOST.PAUL Z LOST. UN REPORT AGAINST NZ.GOVT .CONFIDENTIAL FORUM REPORT JUGDE GALLENS REPORT.16 MILLION BUCKS OF TAXPAYERS MONEY PAID OUT TOLAKE ALICE CLAIMANTS AND NEEDING AN OFFICAL INQUIRY.NOT REQUIRED HE SAYS. NO ACCOUNTABILITY NO JUSTICE.MY CASEWAS APUSHOVER WITH THE CALIBER OF THERE BEST.THE POLICE CANNOT STOP THE WIN IN SUPREME COURT RULING,LOOKOUT EX- STAFFMEMBERS SEEYOU IN COURT VERYSOON.

Madison

10/1/2009 07:21:20 pm

The place is really interesting!!! I would love to go out and have a look!!! Although was out there a couple weeks ago and spoke to a person who gave me the owners phone number to try and jack up a visit.. i talked to him and unfortunately he doesnt want people out there cos its being demo'd and is dangerous.... sad I know as wana have a look for my self!!! :(

jay

10/10/2009 08:58:22 pm

reading all these storys makes me laugh LA was a allright place , i used to interact with the residents and play ping pong and pool with them, i think alot of good work was done there , the people who lived there had no where else to go and were looked after well in my mind, i lived in the staff houses second road on the left from the entrance second house on the right, 4 bedroom it was nice place, we had use of the indoor swimming pool which was great and the snooker room and, the tuck shop waz great as well, liked to go to the staff quaters and watch the tv, there was always lots to do there for a teenager, the place looks bad now because it is run down, i remember when it was bright and well maintained, as for ghosts get a life or watch blair witch, the mind does strange thing at night in a abandoned hospital

TNM

11/11/2009 11:02:23 am

I spent a short time as an inpatient in the safecare unit in the early 90s, and have recently been out to see someone who farms next door a couple of times, and confess just the proximity really rattled me, but think that probably has more to do with my own personal ghosts than any there as such. I do wonder how much "taint" can come from the sheer concentration of pain and torment a place like that sees, especially over such a long time. Part of me would love to go in, and most of me is terrified. The signs everywhere were enough to put me off.

Lee

12/4/2009 05:35:16 am

I've been out to Lake Alice a few times now, last time some Crazy man/farmer chased me and my partner off the property with a hammer. It was wierd, when he finally caught up with us he was crying and told us not to come back. It was like he was an ex-patient (but I guess unlikely)Ive been through the maxinmim unit, The villa's, the hall, and Staff headquarters, Which there is blood smeared on the walls? either from the past or some silly kids tryna freak people out. I found patients records and Staff routines in a filing cabnet. Was chilling to read Childrens records that recorded in the 70's. Even signed by Selwyn Leeks. I also found a diary but didnt take it, It had many drawings in it like a child had done them, Was errie. I think its great that Paul Zentveld has seen this site he deserves all the the justice in the world for the hell he was ut through. Instead of felling spooked when Im out there, I feel the suffering, trauma and opression that went on out there. Keep up the good work Nathan.

3rd Gen

6/25/2012 07:58:04 am

Hey my grandad was in there around the 70's. He died well before I was born. Any idea what happened to those records you found?

Lee

12/5/2009 05:22:07 am

Its amazing atfer I talked to my father who lives in Aussie, about going out to lake Alice. He tells me its always been a secert but my Grandmother Cassie, was put out there in the mid 70's for depression. She was never the same when she came out, and never wanted to speak of it. She became an alcoholic atferwards and died in her early 50's. Ive always felt a strong conection to that horrible place, even knew a few people that worked there. But never known a family member was out there. Especially not my Grandmother.

Jess

12/10/2009 11:22:20 am

Hey everyone,
a few of us are heading up tonight.
will post another comment tomorrow! hope to get some pics and vid too!
driven past a few times never been in thou. cant wait!!!

strahanee

12/12/2009 06:19:11 pm

warning to all....

i warn all that r heading out to lake alice not to go.... the place is coverd in trip wires and cameras.... have seen it myself and all farmers are taking turns each night driving up and down the road and ruining parked vechiles and calling police.... it is a watch dog place now.. u cant even skip the fence with out sounding an alram or two off... there is electric fencing around the gates and a camera every 10 meters..

dont attempt guys

its just not worth it...

paul zentveld link

12/17/2009 12:11:01 pm

hi nathan,well well what has happen to la now.q has la reopened or who is hiding what.NO farmer puts up that much security for a now farm.thecost of this alone no farmer could bear by itself.govt funding very likely.why.?makes you wonder.what are they hiding now .maybe they found those unmarked graves?maybe the moaris finally woke up to having alot of the Whanau in those graves, you know what we found.sad but too late.shameful to the top govt officals for engineering all this.more news coming .not good though paul.z

alex link

12/30/2009 11:55:54 pm

happy new year everyone who visits the home of our wonderful lakealice :D

Basil Brush

1/4/2010 01:15:32 pm

A most interesting website. Would be keen to visit Lake Alice and finding out about the history of this scary looking place.

Basil Brush

1/4/2010 01:19:30 pm

Cannot understand why there is so much security around Lake Alice hospital. Surely visitors should be allowed to look around and try to experience what the patients had to put up with while incarcerated. I was keen to study Museum and Hertitage studies at University and if I had done so (might still do in future) I was going to study the history of Lake Alice and Porirua hospitals. Would have been fascinating I think?

Marcus

1/12/2010 12:13:23 pm

Obviously there was and still is a need for a hospital for disturbed individuals and children and Lake Alice may have been the last resort for many parents and Doctors. I may have been considered for Lake Alice as a child/youth but my parents tolerated my behaviour I suppose due to the stigma of having a child in a mental institution. Looking at this website has scared me a little knowing that I could have been one of the many young patients in Lake Alice. I am very sorry to hear of the childrens experiences which have obviously affected many of them for life.

Guss

1/26/2010 02:26:35 pm

After reading the above comments my suggestion is that people stay away from Lake Alice. Not worth getting your tyres slashed or being threatened by people. This place must be demolished and the land which is probably valuable used for housing or some other venture. Let this place just fade away like the horrible memories that people have.

Ex LA Nurse

1/30/2010 05:02:44 am

Firstly I would like to say to you all who have visited Lake Alice You all deserve to be served with tresspass notices!!! Who or what gives you the right to enter onto someone elses property?? If you wanted the right to enter on there as you please, maybe you should have purchased the place your self how would you feel if someone just turned up and let them selves into your house without permission?? I think you need to give the farmer a break he has obviously purchased the land to do something positive and after reading of all the rumors etc I think the best thing for Lake Alice is for it to be demolished and turned into farm land. I use to work there along with my sisters and parents and we all have only fond memories of our time working there. We passed by Lake alice on our way home after xmas and it looks fantastic, what a huge transformation, but I guess you will only believe what you want to read or hear and as for ghosts, feeling sick and weird vibes bahahaha I've had a good laugh at you all what a joke it's all in your heads .
I think it's funny that someone who has nothing to do with Lake Alice started a website and encourages people to got out there. I think you all need to get lives, grow up and go save the whales or something the amount of time you have all spent could have been spent doing some charity work!!!!

Nathan link

1/30/2010 01:57:11 pm

Old McDonald only brought Lake Alice because he owns the surrounding land, he has no idea what to do with the property, doesn't take a genius to figure that one out! You need to be realistic I don't think many people could afford to buy the property because most people don't have a few spear mill laying around. All he has done is cut tree's down & removed some street lights which is sh*t all if he wanted to make it look fantastic then he'd knock the Maximum unit down which is why 90% of people go there. Perhaps you should go read up on the definition of trespassing before making such remarks as one is not 'trespassing' until you are asked to leave. Should one enter a building then they 'could' be charged with unlawful entering of a property, but then what the farmer is doing by damaging vehicle's is willful damage & touching another person is assault! I have been told by the Marton police recently that they had to remind Old Mcdonald that damaging a car is unlawful and a offense.

We at Lakealicehospital.com DO NOT encourage trespassing HENCE the disclaimer if you had took 2 minutes to read that before leaving your close minded defensive comments!! This website started as a photography site to reflect Lake Alice as a derelict hospital which is where my main interest lays. Which the photos where took while I had permission over a 2 year duration. This website has been shaped to the site it has become from the people I have meet & spoken to since starting this site 2 years ago. Alot went on there whether it be bad or good unlike society I will show both sides of the history, but at the end of the day I respect Lake Alice for what I enjoy it as, defunct abandoned hospital!

How can you not get weird vibes from the place many people have died there, but we don't portray it as a bad place or a paranormal hot spot that's people who have visited this site or the hospitals opinions & they are welcome to express that on here.

Now it's funny how you & members of your family worked there and you say you have all these fond memories yet you didn't share even one, instead a long negative comment! Thank you for your comment Ex nurse but maybe from now on you should keep them to yourself!!!

Ex LA Nurse

1/30/2010 07:33:39 pm

well well it seems you have a rich opinion of the workings of lake alice ..."good and bad ..."yeah right...
Gees what a joke...I worked there for 8 years and I can say.. and clients TOO...i was never mean to any one......Clients today will vouch for that if they havent died of old age.. what you forget is the place was built originally for war veterans.... yes was not designed for anything else....sadly Kimberly hospital couldnt take clients with intellectual disability or epilepsy ...doesnt matter how old they were society didnt want to know... oh yes the society you live in didnt want them or the elderly... so they got shafted to lake alice.... the staff well most did what they could to ease the path that was ordained for these poor souls.... some werent so great... i remeber raising funds for a whole year dedicated to builing an indoor pool for the clients i took weekends off with no pay to join in an raidse funds ...dont tell me about the atroities it was nothing compared to general hospitals at the time..... dont give me your uninformed crap unless youve been there in amongst it you dont know...your sprouting bullshi...t propaganda trying to get excitement for your website...and i can tell you now i am no bull artist...i look after people still and defend their rights...against the medical system... bulldoze lake alice turn it into farmland so it can heal... if you want to blame someone blame the medical profession after all the dictated the rules for the institutiions...that farmer has total guts for turning it back into healthy productive farmland...lake alice should never existed.. it did only because of the war and became a fallout for ...too hard basket...well done mr mc donald.... get rid of societies stigma and closed mindedness....

Ex LA Nurse

1/30/2010 07:52:09 pm

lake alice is a refection of society at the time....probably your parents... and neighbours...who sent their kids and old folk their cos they didnt know what to do with themm.... the shame is carried down trough generations..and is yours to deal with in your families....sadly is transferred into blame of someone else other than those who determined it... You go mr Mc donald....make your farm to feed those of us and our kids of the future....the land has laid fallow and sour for too long...

Nathan link

1/30/2010 09:03:42 pm

You really are a hypocritical one sided person maybe you should have brought the place. Yes yes I am well aware it was to be built for soldiers to treat TB, that was prior to the 50's. But it was seen to be far more of an advantage to be a mental hospital due to the fact it could be self sufficient & was fairly isolated. I've exchanged emails with staff & children of staff who have told me about there time working/living & fund raising that was done, it was your job you were a good nurse your reward there was the satisfaction you got from helping those people. I've also exchanged emails with patients who have told me about there times there, perhaps the ones who were happy about been at LA are yet to see my site...

I never questioned your nursing ability but I'm starting to wonder if you were a staff member or patient. If thats the opinion you have on society's thoughts of these people back then & now then why cant you be honest & say people where abused at Lake Alice and many other hospitals. Oh let me guess when you where there you never heard of anything ever happening and heaven forbid you speak of it.

Personally I hope Lake Alice is demolished as well, it f*cked to many people up, few friends of mine included. But you can't erase the past by knocking down a few derelict buildings when someone lives with it everyday.

So until this medical system you work (or worked) for can right their wrongs and bring justice for the people who where abused at LA, Porirua, Sunnyside and all the others, my site will stay! I don't need to make excitement the site is already well known, you found it =]

You heard them James Rae, demolish Lake Alice you ugly old prick!

You & society need to accept CHILDREN were sexually abused, shocked and drugged at Lake Alice whether you were there or not the place has a dark past. Tell Mr Key to punish those who acted in appropriately and then maybe we can live in your ideal world.

Thank you for your words of free speech which we welcome. We also we have a forum for discussions of this sort!!!

Ex LA Nurse

1/31/2010 04:07:15 am

how would you know children were sexually abused shocked etc....were you there or just spouting rumours...oh yes there was abuse ...but nothing horrific as you say...as for the children.there were only six and whos parents put them there if there was sexual it was by clients..what rot you are talking about...actually i didnt find your site..someone else did..and still you pick on Mr mc Donald...if you felt so strongly...you should have bought the place yourself......

Nathan link

1/31/2010 09:46:46 am

How dear you, have you been under a rock for the last 10+ years you sick twisted witch. My father was one of the children that received ECT and I have meet many of the other men & woman he was in there with, as well as his hospital reports saying the children where punished by use of unmodified ECT or injections of paraldehyde. Piss off half the nurses were the pedo's the one's who liked the little boys. I welcome you to meet my father we live in Palmerston North. If you have the guts prove me wrong & come tell him to his face he was never abused at Lake Alice hospital!

Old Mcdonald can take his farm, hospital, backpackers what ever and stick it up his white lily ass along with you, Who even though someone told you about my site You still had to come on it and had to open up your big mouth again & again. Go back to Marton and take H Lawrence and the Cochran's with you, if you find Leeks on the way or Soetrik perhaps they could give you a good dose of unmodified ECT! You don't even no what went on there but you defend the evil, go pray to your god!

BACK OFF NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR CLOSED MINDED SELFLESSNESS RUBBISH!!!

paul zentveld link

2/2/2010 04:41:33 pm

hi NATHAN this must be one of the nurses .[clowns ,who have lied to police and crownlaw to save their own buts from prosicution it sounds like Dempsey Corkran.MR FANTAsy himself yip..dont worry Nathan.he will go to his grave with many shocking secrets too.ALL in total Denial these EX nurses.theyve found there rock to hide under.The silence game.WHAT a LOSER and all the other staff.You will all meet god oneday soon.TRY Liying to him .and I hope it hurts.It will. haha PAUL ZENTVELD ALL STAFF .NO GUTS ANYWAY>

PAUL ZENTVELD

2/2/2010 04:54:27 pm

HI NATHAN,you know if the public only new the names of these badarse ex nurses the public would go on a witchhunt and mob LYNCHINGS,thats why they stay quiet in there shameful silence bud.they put their families at risk too.these ex nurses should manup to what they saw and doneand you too.? SANDRA holmes of WAnganui the bigtime hairyfairy fortune teller.you might of made your peace with yourself ,but not with GOD yet LADY monster.YOU know.

brent

2/5/2010 08:22:25 am

It is quite pathetic that a bunch of stuck up snobs think they can stop people from visiting what was once a home to many. I went for a drive once down Lake Alice Road towards the hospital and there are these signs saying no entry. This guy came out from some building and basically signalled using his fingers..to tell me to bugger off. I mean who does he think he really is? He's brought a piece of land and does not have the means to develop it. It's like Kimberly Hospital in Levin. It's just going to waste. If I do get the chance to go back to Lake Alice, I'm going to not care about some big man who thinks he has control over what once was Government property. Mind you thinking about it, our taxes probably pay for his fricken water and power supply. Where's the main water toby!

Brent

2/5/2010 08:34:20 am

Here's something else....so you supposide owners of what was once a home to many: my question is what are you going to really do with this piece of land? You seem so worried about people coming on there and looking at buildings which are basically going to fall down or be demolished. What are you hiding in there? If I owned the land, I would welcome people to come and look at what is part of New Zealand's history. You are basically exactly doing that; you are basically stopping people from stepping back in history. If I had have had a family member be a patient there, I would not give a stuff about your little warning signs and security cameras to go have a look at where they once lived. I hope I win Lotto, and a big prize of it, because the first thing I would do is buy you out at a bargin price, and have you trespassed from the place....Mr Big Owner!

happy

2/5/2010 01:16:43 pm

THE MEANING OF TRESPASSING (CHAMBERS CONCISE DICTIONARY.
to enter (someone elses property) without the rigth or permission to do so.
Mr McDonald brought the land and bildings.He and only he has the right to do what ever he likes with it.

Nathan link

2/5/2010 03:23:00 pm

The meaning of a word does not necessarily define the law of the word as you have chosen to describe it above. Wikipedia states Trespassing as, '(properly to go beyond,"act of going from place to place, is a legal concept, which refers to intrusion into another person's property. Trespass to land is a type of trespass, which can cause criminal[1] or a tort liability.

The New Zealand Trespass Act 1980, No 65, Public Act section 3(as at 03 September 2007) states: Every person commits an offence against this Act who trespasses on any place and, after being WARNED to leave that place by an occupier of that place, neglects or refuses to do so.

(2) It shall be a defence to a charge under subsection (1) of this section if the defendant proves that it was necessary for him to remain in or on the place concerned for his own protection or the protection of some other person, or because of some emergency involving his property or the property of some other person.
(Compare: 1968 No 52 s 3)

Paul: thanks for your comments your probably right!

Brent: man thank you so much for your comments I agree with you 100% it's just a little hard to express what I think on here half the time as everyone else thinks the opposite. While I don't encourage 'trespassing' it's coming to a stage where I don't give a f*ck!

Happy: Your right Old McDonald did buy the property and can do what he wants, I've had my fun! Lord I hope he knocks it down just wish he was ALOT more sensitive to those who suffered there, so for that he can choke!

Emma Doolan

2/14/2010 11:47:53 am

Me and five other boys went to Lake Alice about five months ago. First of all, i'd advise anybody whose thinking about going there not to as yes, it is scary but also because there are sensors on the trees now and we all got taken down to the Marton police station after our tour and charged with a trespass notice and now I have to go to court over such a stupid little matter.

I found Lake Alice to be a very frightening experience even armed with five big tough boys who may I add were also scared to death. We never actually went into the buildings but we looked around outside. Having entered the back way we had to walk down a path for about ten minutes before we reached a building which I was later told was a prison or horse stables? When we reched each building we found the wind to be strongly building up as if warning us not to go further. We reached another building with me almost in tears (yes, I'm a very easily scared person) and we heard chains rattling and the wind grew stronger yet again. We decided that that was enough scare for one night and made our way back to the car to be greeted by four lovely police men. End of the night for us.

casper

2/17/2010 09:20:16 am

Fantastic site, it seems to me just because society at that time, 15-30 yrs ago said its ok to do... or turned a blind eye, that , that makes it ok. B ut most of us know that it wasnt. sure practices,beleifs,laws,policies change, and thank goodness for that. Doesnt matter how many were abused at LA,its still abuse. How many died without telling their story. So ex patients, who loved it there? Like any profession theres good and bad in all, but to turn a blind eye, is bad.

paul zentveld

2/17/2010 01:10:48 pm

nice one thankyou from myself and my team ,and all the other victims .very encouraging to no that there are actually people out there still that care and are willing to step forward with there say best regards paul [email protected]

[email protected] link

2/21/2010 01:52:56 pm

hi nathan.today got a phone call from police commissoners office,wanting to now about the unmarked graves.well well.you will see it on the news very soon radio nz .GRAEME acton rang me too.The chairman of the moari select committee wants to go down to start digging too .yes TAU,this farmer old MC donald soon is in for a big shock haha.too THIS SHOULD CREATE SOME EXCITING DELLOPMENTS BE FOR THE DOCUMENTRY COMES OUT ABOUT IT AND THE UNMARKED GRAVES TOO AT PORRIRUA HOS TOO .WATCH THIS SPACE .BEST REGARDS P.Z

Chloetrinka

2/24/2010 04:23:09 pm

Wow there is so much deep deep tension surrounding this Hostpital and its past. All these lives spun together in one place. i am from wanganui born in the eighties and lived there for fourteen years but never knew this deep set history and the pain. i feel these places are created by such complex and painful circumstances. the good and the bad indeed. the good does get lost amongst the bad. it spreads like a disease. but the good? it can shine in sometimes where people let it. but to me where there is smoke there is fire and lake alice would have been a very dark place at times. it really is like light and dark, such dark people that where perhaps staff and patients. the vibes even come trough to you via peoples comments. its not just humans that create these horrible realities its what you might refer to as evil. but to all those who suffered at its hand who may read this, i can tell people who participate in this website wether for or against it the feelings are strong so id like to offer my toughts for those who have suffered here and gone...hold your heads up high and look for the light in life and i believe you can heal. to those who were bad or to anyone who reads this, there are things in this world darker than the human mind can comprehend dont go near them they are real. but they are tempting! any one who has suffered at the hand of a dark person will know that you cant see it, but its real. so follow the good. lake alice for farmland is a good idea. heavy stuff but strong feelings.

Susan Clark

2/28/2010 09:48:31 pm

HI NATHAN
After reading the news in NZ today about compensation for the LA victims,(yes there were victims as my cousin was one)I decided to visit your website.I was fascinated by the photos and wonder has anyone one else reported seeing orbs in some of the photos as well as a young girl sitting cross legged against a wall in one of the rooms.Yes this dear soul has passed on and she was a patient there.Back to my cousin she was one of the patients that recieved the first lot of compensation and unfortunatly passed away in her early 40's a couple of weeks before she was to recieve her compensation.I visited her when she was in Porirua Hospital and at this stage I would rather not comment on what I saw and know.I realize some of the staff at LA were compassionate and enjoyed their work but you can't tell me they didn't know what was going on!I am paying a visit to NZ soon and may try my luck with visiting LA and the poor souls that lost their lives there.
From a KIWI IN OZ

Nathan link

2/28/2010 10:39:16 pm

Hi Susan,
The media love the attention heaven forbid one of there articles actually do any good & the govt actually do pull there finger out! But the media really dont give a toss about what went on its all about the govt's reaction and viewership. The staff at Lake Alice got better into the 80's. I do agree with you they must have had to know what was going on comment. Yeees I do believe Porirua had quite the reputation.

I use to keep photo's with orb's off the website to try and not promote Lake Alice being haunted or anything of the sort, but I would say I have a few more stories to tell then any photos in my collection. I have few photos I took early last year where a friend & I are sitting in the Maximum & there is a huge orb above us. You speak of a girl, something I clearly cannot see, which photo is she in? perhaps which gallery & how many photos down.

Glad you visited the site, I honestly believe besides the gate, the website is the closest you will get to Lake Alice... I hope your family still got your cousins compensation, if they didnt which I'm guessing not then thats almost another story on its own.

New to mental health

3/27/2010 05:41:00 pm

Hi there, just wanted to say a big thankyou for taking the time to share this site with everyone. I'm in my second year of mental health nursing in hamilton and am enjoying learning New Zealand's history. It is important that we never forget history.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:20:02 pm

Hiya.By now you will be in your 3rd year of mental health nursing and god help you. The mental health is not good in this country and probably never has been. OMG and you are joining it! Good luck with that. I am bitter, as I am a victim and I did get paid out but that has never ever ever helped me. It has been 40 years since i went thru all that and i am not over it. I just want you to know it is not easy and I am still struggling. Remember that when you are looking after your patients - cause the doctor never did!

Flo

4/2/2010 04:05:12 pm

I hate to think what happened to my Mum there after she was mis diagnosed with a mental illness (in the 1980's ), which turned out to be a medical condition. She was locked up and given ECT . I remember going through locked doors to visit her when I was a small child( she was locked up after she tried to escape to get home to her children ). She now resides in an old folks home in Palmerston Nth , and her condition is such she is unable to speak. We will never know whether she was treated fairly there or not which is very very sad.Just thought that all you supposed ghost hunters should think about these people rather than just trying to get cheap thrills.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:25:53 pm

Hi Flo - omg! Your mums name is not Beverly is it? I have been looking for her for years. I was in there in the 70's and I went thru some tough timers there. 40 years later and I am still not over it

Kenny

4/12/2010 10:06:23 am

I was considering studying Lake Alice and Porirua Psychiatric Hospitals as part of a Museum and Heritage studies course at Victoria University of Wellington. I would be keen to get feedback as to whether this is a good proposition. The course starts again next year so have plenty of time to look at Lake Alice and Porirua as possible historical sites! Any feed back welcome. Regards Kenny

Nathan link

4/16/2010 12:19:05 am

Kenny, I think it's a fantastic idea. Perhaps something that needs to be explored so our history is not forgotten regardless of what might have happened. You will ofcourse find plenty of history with the Porirua hospital as they have there museum, staff used to come up from Porirua to work at Lake Alice so they were kind of sister hospitals in the early years. We at the website are happy to assist you in anyway

Kenny

4/16/2010 11:42:15 am

Thank you Nathan and will see how things go! Really appreciate your feedback and agree that the history of LA needs to be kept! Will be applying for this course at the end of this year and if I get in and subject to approval by the lecturer, will be keen to study LA and Porirua. My mother was a psychiatric nurse at Porirua Hospital during the late 1960s!

Nathan link

4/17/2010 06:17:13 pm

Your mother being a nurse at Porirua will give you that much help you will need, very lucky. Very hard to find people who will speak about there time working in these institutions, I find that shameful. It's a unique subject to choose studying the history of NZ's psychiatric institutions, Surely wont be a dull one. I can't wait to see where it might take you even though its not till next year =]

Kenny

4/27/2010 09:03:26 am

Hi Nathan

Thanks for your feedback. Would have loved to have talked to my mother (who is my birthmother - I am adopted) about life as a nurse at Porirua but this is not possible unfortunately. Nevertheless, I am still keen to look at studying both Porirua and LA with a focus of heritage and history hopefully!

Amanda

5/4/2010 01:28:37 pm

hi names amanda

is thea noway i can get in thea and take some photos for a photography assignment??

R.thomas

5/7/2010 03:19:58 pm

I have also been to lake alice numerous times and nothing exceptionaly weird has happened until the last time i went..... i cant remember much of it but my friends said i flipped out like got all aggressive then when it was time to leave i refused to go- like i was possessed or something. then once we had left just after we jumped the gate to get back to the car, i passed out and stopped breathing. my friends had to call an ambulance to get me to the wangaui hospital...freaky shit man. im a bit scared to go back now but any way we going back on tuesday night 11th may if any one is interested. give me a txt on 0277567685

Debs

12/28/2011 06:28:48 pm

I hate that! You talk like it is a side circus. guts me

Helenna

5/25/2010 08:14:04 pm

drove past and checked it out, didnt have time to investigate but i did take a photo of the tower (unsure what it was) and found 2 orbs in the windows, their has to be an amazing amount of spirits there, good and bad. im going to go have a good look around in a couple of weeks with a few mates.. were thinking of taking a bible and a cross (abit of peace of mind). i was in hospital a month ago and a ghost came and sat by me with her head down, when she walked in the curtain flickered. im now so interested in spirits and ghosts, hence why i really want to explore LA, il let you know how i get on :)

Amy

5/30/2010 02:12:20 pm

Why are we not allowed to go in there and look at it?

Debs

12/28/2011 06:29:24 pm

Simple. BECAUSE IT IS NOT A SIDE SHOW!

alex link

5/31/2010 04:57:55 pm

Amy,
Nobody said you are not allowed in to look, it is entirely up to you(personal risk)

R.Thomas

6/4/2010 07:12:28 pm

Amy, you arent allowed in there because its 'private property' and the owner is an anal old c*@t, he thinks the buildings are dangerous but i beg to differ. i have been there numerous times and never had any problems. my advice is, be careful you dont get caught getting in or out and once your in use your common sense and youll be sweet. you better get in fast if your going to visit as they are pulling it down HAVE FUN!

6/11/2010 08:47:03 am

Cant believe anyone can be so dumb as to visit la when sign clearly says tresspassers will be prosecuted. Dont know about you but I wouldnt want people wanderind willy nilly over my private property. Thank goodness its all being demolished,

Belinda

6/27/2010 12:10:41 pm

Was travelling back to Wellington from Wanganui on Intercity and bus drove past road to Lake Alice. Saw the water tower in the distance which really stands out. Would love to visit Lake Alice sometime.

Lyn

6/29/2010 06:27:59 pm

I really cant believe anybody would be wanting to visit Lake Alice. It was a terrible place for those that were suffering mental illness. In actual fact its a shame somebody didnt burn the place down years ago.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:30:54 pm

Good one Lyn! I agree with you

Squid

7/14/2010 08:33:09 pm

I let of some firecrackers there. hahaha.fuk u lake arsehole

Debs

12/28/2011 06:32:50 pm

And same to you! You have no fkn idea do you. Fk you - you need to read about what people went thru and find some empathy

sharon bragg

7/17/2010 08:35:01 pm

Hi everyone, I am writing cause both my mother and father both worked at lake alice..
John Bragg and Anna Bragg.. they both worked in the kitchen.. I can remember when I was a chi8ld that my father for a few years played santa..My father was a big man, so the costume fitted well...I know that from reports that bad things happened but you have to understand that good things happened too...My father was a great and good man...Through the years we all have been educated more so I know if we had the resourses that we understand now, alot of stuff would not have happened....I worked as a community support worker for the Intellectually disabled AND i KNOW THIS JOB AINT EASY ...and we learn as times goes by..If anyone knew my father or mother, my father also as a chef worked for Ohakea Airbase, You may contact me at [email protected] also would be proud to help out in anyway I can...They did there best, the people that had a heart, so much beyond there control..

Regards Sharon Martin
AKA Bragg

Debs

12/28/2011 06:35:37 pm

Hi Sharon
I remember them! So when they were holding me down while Selwyn Leaks gave me ECT for running away you were possibly at school unawares. OMG. Think about that. Cause thats what they did. Sorry but you need to know

Natalie

7/24/2010 09:14:02 am

Hey,

we had a look at the outskirts of the site lastnight. As soon as we got there we felt the very known eerie presence. On our way down Lake Alice rd our GPS began to go all fuzzy, weather or not it was the work of spirits is not to be known. Also, someone we were with shone the torch onto the site and saw three girls, bouncing a ball in white dressing gowns. After that we left, unable to pluck the courage to have a look around. Really interesting history, is a shame its being torn down. The public should be allowed there. I personally wanted to go because of all the rumours ive heard. Turns out there true.

Jane

10/31/2010 08:55:15 am

Coming back from Wanganui yesterday and the bus drove past LA hospital! I always look out for the water tower and am hoping soon to go and have a look at the hospital from the gate or fence or what ever is there. Have driven past many a time in the car or bus and am keen to have a closer look! Good a kind of eerie feeling about the place even from the main highway.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:37:33 pm

Hi Jane - what? You are keen to have a look? At all the young kids being tortured by a psychiatrist and a handful of nurses. Sorry, but I don't share your enthusiasm.

shane

11/25/2010 08:23:17 pm

GOOD WORK NATHAN WILL DONE. AS FOR YOU EX LA NURSE WHAT HAPPEN TO YOU. HAVE YOU GOT NOTHING TO SAY NOW. A? GOT NO GUTS TO PROVE NATHAN WRONG. A ? REALLY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT EX LA NURSE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. IN LA HOSPITAL BUT YOU DO NOW. (DON'T YOU EX LA NURSE) IF YOU DIDINT NOW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN LA HOSPITAL. AND YOU HAD NO PART IN IT. YOU WOULD HAVE THE GUTS TO PROVE HIM WRONG...? YOUR A BAD SICK TWISTED EX LA NURSE. AND YOU WILL NEVER NOW WHAT IS LIKE TO BE ABUSED.INTILL IT HAS HAPPENT TO YOU.? AND ALL ABUSE IS HORRIFIC DOES NOT MATER WHOS IT IS DOING THE ABUSEING. YOU OR THE CLIENT. LIKE YOU SAY IT IS.(ITS ALL BAD) AND ITS EVIL AND IF YOU. EX LA NURSE THINKS THAT IT IS OK TO DO THAT. NURSE OR YOUR CLIENT AS YOU SAY. THEN YOU DO NEED TO PARY TO GOD YOUR EVIL WITCH...

Debs

12/28/2011 06:39:48 pm

Shane what are you on about? Nathan is doing great setting up this website and I have met him. So you are what? An ex nurse? Whatever. I don't remember any shanes there

Rebecca

2/3/2011 04:42:46 pm

Is there anyway to find a register of past patients or nurses? My partners grandmother is a ex nurse and had family members who were in institutes*. Shes taken a shine to it recently after hearing something on the radio and we have only just found out that she wants to go there - but what for....i see its coming up for sale or something? can somebody please help us

Jean

3/10/2011 02:53:38 am

Hi I am writing from UK because IN THE COURSE OF RESEARCHING MY FAMILY HISTORY I have just discovered that a long lost aunt of mine resided at Lake Alice (Villa) 13 from 1979 until her death in 1989 aged 76. I would love to find someone who may have known her. Her name was Morag Wilcox. Who can help me to find out more about this mystery lady?

Belinda

3/30/2011 05:03:22 pm

I am wondering if anybody from Wellington is planning to drive up to Lake Alice some time in the future whom I could get a lift with? I would like to take some photos outside the gate/fence and will not go in to the actual grounds to avoid tresspass/arrest etc. Will cover petrol and costs as I don't have a car at the moment. Just an idea that I have been thinking about for a while. Maybe someone may for interest like me want to go up? Thank you. Have seen the hospital several times from the intercity bus but there is no stop near by for a drop off and pick up later on that I am aware of.

Helen

3/30/2011 05:06:10 pm

Re Rebecca. I tried to get a staff list for Porirua Hospital because my birthmother was a nurse there from 1965-1968 but was told that due to the current investigations into allegations of abuse in mental hospitals this was not allowed. I know my birthmother's name and details but was curious to see her name on staff list!

Helen

4/4/2011 03:48:46 pm

Re: Rebecca. I fogot to add in my last email that it is unlikely that you will be able to see a list of former patients due to confidentuality and privacy issues but good luck! Also you may be interested that Porirua Hospital just outside Wellington has a museum which is open on Tuesday afternoons and also by arrangement. This is most interesting and well worth the visit. Lots of things to see ie a padded cell and there are volunteers with lots of information available on hand. Easy to get to from Wellington by train and you get to walk around the grounds to get to the museum located at the back of the hospital.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:47:55 pm

OMG! Sorry Helen but your comments disturb me. A museum to visit? Most interesting? Do you have any idea how that sounds? So all the inmates are stuck there behind bars and you find that interesting? Thing about what you are saying. Thing about the poor kids that are in there

Debs

4/4/2011 09:31:23 pm

I think it would be great to set up some sort of register for ex patients and staff. Probably not feasible though - can't see ex staff putting their name on here, and a lot of ex-patients have moved on and let it all go. Wish I could. There's still a part of me in there, and I need to go back there. So what if we ring the farmer guy and genuinely request a semi supervised visit ? Would that work? Hmmmm assuming the building I want to go to is still standing. I think it might help, and I would at least like to give it a try.

Dawn

4/7/2011 10:59:46 am

Does anyone remember a woman named Yvonne (she is my sister) and she was at Lake Alice for four years (don't know the dates but it was sometime in the 1970's? I think) and she also had ECT. She cannot remember anything being a patient there. But the good news is she is a survivor and she is now happily stronger and leading an excellent life without after effects. I am sorry for the ones that have, did or are not survive.

Dawn

4/7/2011 12:24:32 pm

I am getting goosebumps justing going through the website you have (GREAT WEBSITE - NO. 1 TO ME. HOPE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND INFO) and looking at the photos I don't even have to go there and see it. My sister Yvonne was there for four years and she said it was spooky enough just being a patient. She told me there was ghosts there when she was there. I have enough ghosts to attend with at the moment with my deceased mother visiting me at various times, so looking at the Lake Alice website was enough thank you! It gives me chilly willys and I don't think I need to visit Lake Alice in person.

Dawn

4/18/2011 08:58:40 am

Its now 2011 - has the LA buildings/villas been torn down yet or are they slowly being taken down?

Nathan link

4/18/2011 12:19:29 pm

There is always periodic updates on the blog regarding the buildings and there state and this is always talked about on the blog, perhaps you need to read this. Last update was March 2011 with photos, I'd say I run the best website on abandoned hospitals in NZ!

censored

4/21/2011 12:11:25 pm

my father suffered in that place, thats something that stays with you for life. the people who hurt him are lucky i dont know where they are...because if i did know, or ever found out, they would suffer for what they did to him.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:52:41 pm

hey censored. I feel your pain. You have totally immersed yourself in your dad's pain and you are feeling his pain. I hope you come back and visit this site....you are a very sensitive person. You have obviously heard about what your dad went thru there. Was that the early 70's? Maybe I knew him.

censored

4/21/2011 12:24:18 pm

and those of you who think this place is awesome and a cool place to go you should be ashamed, your a bunch of sick idiots, this place is not a bloody playground, real people still suffer today for what was done to them there, things you couldn't ever imagine. shame on you.

Belinda

4/24/2011 12:30:24 pm

For those who may be interested there is a very good DVD called 'Asylum Pieces' by the late Kathy Dudding that looks at the history of Porirua Hospital in Wellington from the beginning to the present. This is very interesting DVD but sadly Kathy passed away recently. Available at Wellington Central Library.

Rachael

5/4/2011 08:08:10 pm

Wow, this seems really scary! Were there any murders in the Lake Alice Hospital? I've researched everywhere, and can't seem to find any, but if there were I'm sure there would be articles..

Great website by the way.

alex guyan

5/7/2011 04:42:12 pm

rachael....
there haven't been any murder's at lake alice that we are Awear of.
if the was i'm sure they would have been on here long ago :)

Dawn

6/13/2011 08:46:30 am

Just seen the new photos of Lake Alice being torn down. It is about time Lake Alice was destroyed! But I have an interesting question to ask : I know there were/are ghosts out there but when they finally get rid of the final piece of concrete (which is whenever) will the ghosts stay or will they finally be at peace? What do other people think?

Finlay

6/23/2011 02:24:31 am

censored...
you need to calm down about people thinking this place is cool. the reason they find it so interesting is because it's now apart of NZ history.
what your saying is pretty much like telling people that they are sick for being interested with any of the world wars or genocides for example. unimaginable things have been done to people all over the world. it doesn't mean lake alice should be torn down and forgotten. lake alice is a very cool and interesting because it's a place where people have been hurt & tortured etc... and to be honest i think that is a very interesting part of our history

Marton Boy

7/4/2011 11:38:46 pm

Hey I was born in Wanganui in 1985 and lived out at Lake Alice till December 1995 due to both my parents working there. They had been working there since the 70s. Seeing these pictures brings back heaps of good memories of when all us kids use to run all over the place. We use to live right next door to Dr Leaks. The old man tells me heaps about the place. Both my parents were there to the end. The place to me was not a scary place at all. Me and my brothers use to walk every where around there at all times of the night. Haha we use to even climb on top of the morgue because it was next door to the club rooms. Can you email me with a contact number because the old man wants to go for a look through. We even still got the maximum securities (or the block was what we knew it as) main keys

jude

12/11/2013 04:40:33 pm

my dad was an injured soldier, lived there most his life , brain injury and had breakdowns due to the war , if anyone remembers gordon moran known as jack would love photos or information , i know he was happy living there

redfluff

7/8/2011 07:06:45 pm

This is a great place for actual psychiatric and rehab facilities etc. ( not talking about all the abuse that went on cos that's sick or the actual mental institution itself) ) But I like the idea of little villages not far from town. Where it's like a stepping stone to getting well, you go out farm and swim and garden. I don't find these places sick, I don't condone their abuse and i don't believe in absolute seclusion but, If someone rebuilt it and made a horrible part of NZ history into a good thing...then that'd be really nice.

Dawn

7/18/2011 12:59:02 pm

Hi Nathan. I've thought of a theme for Mental Awareness Week in October : REMEMBERING ALL SURVIVORS AND NON-SURVIVORS OF LAKE ALICE (or something to that nature). Maybe there should be some memorial like a Tree of Remembrance planted not on the actual property - we dont want Macdonald to get upset. Plant it somewhere outside the boundary but not too far. No names mentioned but a simple tree dedicated to the ones who were there as patients - both young and old. I know it sounds corny but its just an idea.

Tori

7/20/2011 01:48:18 pm

Me and two other guys went to LA Tue night. We went into some of the buildings. I think your doing a great job with doing this website. I used my phone to record sounds and we played back and there were noises that we didn't hear while recording. We were there for 2-3 hours. There may have been some good things that happened but that does not compare to all the bad things that happened. EX LA NURSE it seems like you defending the evil side of things. People are inclined to see NZ history and talk about it. Its only right that people know what really happened in LA.

Belinda

7/21/2011 02:28:01 pm

I agree with Finlay. Lake Alice is park of New Zealand recent history. I am very interested in the history of Lake Alice and Porirua Hospital as well. I had a friend like myself who was interested in old buildings like Lake Alice and took photographs. I have taken photographs of Porirua Hospital and find the place most interesting with so much history.

Dawn

9/1/2011 09:00:12 am

Just thought I would inform you that my sister (ex-LA patient) has asked for her LA file which is some 20 years back or so, for her to have a copy. She had written to the Wanganui (Whanganui) DHB. For those ones who want to see a copy of the file or have a copy themselves, they need photo ID, birth certificate and something else for ID like Community Services Card. You also have to sign a form that only she will be seeing the notes and not going to the doctor. Well, basically its all red tape to release them. But just to let you know for all those ex-LA patients, there is a way you can retrieve a copy of your file. I think WDHB are being very careful who gets what though. I bet too there are 'blacked out' spaces in the copies - missing pages as well???? Will update you if she gets the complete photocopied file.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:57:04 pm

Hey Dawn - appreciate your comments. Guess what - I tried to get my files 25 years ago and they have destroyed them!

Dawn

9/2/2011 08:47:11 am

Update to my last comment : sister got a letter from the DHB about her LA file, saying "they cannot at the moment find her file but they are looking" or something to those words because it was all technical hoo ha. Will keep you updated.

Debs

12/28/2011 06:58:08 pm

When was your sister in there? What was here name? My files went west too! Its crap. They have a paper shredder there

Donna

6/17/2013 11:52:59 pm

I was in ward 21 (Physc ward at Palmerston North Hospital) earlier this year and they wanted to know about family history etc. I was told that after 7 years your file is destroyed. This may be the reason why they cannot find her file.

jess (:

9/4/2011 07:55:29 pm

some of my friends told me about this now im so excited to go these things interest me so much , does anyone know the current state or what the security is like now ?

Dawn

10/5/2011 11:27:27 am

Just an update about my sister getting her notes when she was at Lake Alice. No Sign of them yet and still the same letter coming back informing her once again 'they cannot at the moment find her file but they are still looking'. Yeah, right!!!!!! (cough cough)

Helen

10/8/2011 06:36:25 am

I have only just discovered your website and have been disturbed about the comments of EX LA NURSE. She writes that she has fond memoris of working there and then she writes that some people who worked their were not so good and mis doings are the fault of the medicial profession and justifys anything that may have happened there as nothing compared to other such places at the time. EX LA NURSE abuse of innocent children of the worst possible kind occured there!! We who read about the abuse that happened there wonder how something like this could have happened. Well the answer is in the writtings of EX LA NURSE. This is a nurse willing to deny any wrong doings of the place and justify herself as a good person by helping to raise funds for a swimming pool. Do you think the victims of LA abuse give a stuff about your pool? There was a doctor who was behind the abuse of these children and his name has been released, but what about all the nurings staff who either par took in the abuse or who did nothing, cleaning staff, kitchen staff etc. All these people need to be named, it is not ok to witness the abuse of children and do nothing about it. It is not ok to have worked in a place where abuse occured and to make out there was nothing wrong with the place. Of course this place is going to have a bad vibe, alot of bad things happened there, seriously damaged people lived there, tear down the buildings and the land will forever hold that energy. And lets not forget there would have been alot of really good people who worked there too and gave their all for others. EX LA NURSE your comments disgust me.

Debs

12/28/2011 07:01:34 pm

Good on you Helen! You know who else was involved? The police. Yep they drove me there! My school principal. Yep he suggested it to my parents and my family doctor! Too many people had their fingers in the pie. And 40 years later and I am still suffering

Dawn

10/9/2011 11:43:02 am

If Ex-LA Nurse has fond memories of working at LA, how about giving my sister's two-years-she-lost-memories-being-a-patient back? She lost them thru ECT and beep-beep she beep-beep-beep cannot remember! Dont know if that is a good or bad thing though?

rathernotsaymyname

10/31/2011 02:26:50 pm

i am 17 and i have been in and out of the psychiatric ward in new plymouth (te puna waiora) for the last 4 years (since i was 13), i have many many personal stories about what has happened to me and what i have witnessed at the psych ward and can quite believe what has happened at LA. My grandmother was a psyc nurse at ward 17 which was the psych ward before Tepuna waiora; she doesnt like talking about it though and have only ever managed to get her to talk about it once when i aske her if she had ever witnessed ECT. she said she had and said that it was sickening. while at the psych ward on one of my many admissions (i cant remember which one as i can barely remember the last two years due to the type and amount of meds they where giving me) i managed to talk to a middle aged patient whom had also been in and out since they were a teenager, i managed to get him to tell me a little about when he was in LA; he had mixed emotions about lake alice, he spoke of being beaten up, beating the nurses up, ECT and how volatile everything was, but he also felt the need of some of the positives of lake alice, how the nurses would sometimes take them to the pub and so on. i have also spoken to a nurse who worked there and she told me of only positive things and that she enjoyed working there. like the patient that spoke of lake alice i have both negative and positive stories about my experiences over the last 4 years. if anyone would like to talk some more then please comment back and i waill do my best to reply :)

Belinda

11/16/2011 03:03:54 pm

RE: Dawn. I know that you sister wants her LA file but I knoww that in regards to Porirua Hospital records, a relative who works in mental health said that some recorded had been damaged and were not able to be retrieved. Good luck to your sister - hope that she gets them.

Dawn

11/27/2011 01:34:27 am

Still waiting............and waiting...............for the file. Sister has not heard from them now and it is what? Nearly Xmas? Belinda maybe right. Maybe the records were 'destoryed'? But weird things have happened like them 'just finding the file, and hey, its in the shredder sorry? Got mixed up with all the other rubbish?'

Chris

12/22/2011 07:24:18 am

I was an ex-patient at Lake Alice who the hell are the farmers saying who can not visit Lake Alice grounds and they can refuse entry to the historic place.
I was abused beaten badly at Lake Alice and the farmers of the owned grounds are a bad example abusing access rights.
I would burn the place down or refurbish the property instead letting the farmers dirty cattle stock raid the buildings and property I feel someone needs to do something about its use.

Nathan link

12/29/2011 02:15:47 pm

Debs, could you email me. I emailed you via your work email but it said you where on leave :)

Nathan link

12/30/2011 01:29:44 pm

Hey Debs,
All comments on here have to be approved by me before the public get to see them (hence i wont display what you just sent me) ill phone you after new years failing that drop you another comment on here around 2-3rd Jan if you havent heard from me check back, and ill leave my number

Marton Girl

2/20/2012 05:14:03 pm

I'm wondering if anyone can help me... I am trying to track down a lady by the name of 'Michelle Wise'. She worked at Lake Alice around 1989. If anyone has any information it would be much appreciated.

Michelle

3/15/2016 02:28:03 pm

Hi Nathan, this message is in relation to me. How do I go about who posted the message and contact information etc. Thank you.

jude

2/24/2012 04:26:49 pm

long lost family member hoping someone remembers jack moran a patient there, was world war 11 serviceman ,had head injuries after taking a bullet he was there for at least 50 years or more

Dawn

3/3/2012 08:41:33 am

Guess what? Six months and no records or files!

SophieJ

3/22/2012 08:16:18 am

My partners parents both worked at Lake Alice, the stories they have to tell and shocking and extrmely interesting. They told me a story of a man who used to sit by the radio all day and 'god' would talk to him through the radio and tell him to do things. Also of the disabled children that they would care for. I didnt realsie how big it was untill i saw it for myself. The buildings are most definitely haunted by entities of the past. When i visited for the second time we were all sitting in a van at the entrance way and all of our phones slid out of our pockets and were prepelled to the back of the van. we left. frightening experience. I would be hesitant to go back inside again.

Dawn

4/18/2012 09:51:42 am

Sisters file is dead! They cant locate it, find it or even know where it is? Figure out what they did with it, and add a big pile of shredding?
So changing the subject, if Mcdonald owns the land and is pulling down the buildings, what part of the cemetery on? Does he own it or is it on another part of the property? (I'm just curious and not intending to visit any cemetery thank you very much).

Ex patient

4/20/2012 07:17:05 pm

I was a patient in the block. Harold Wright was the head nurse and Tom Quinlan his deputy. Harold was a hard man and paid to stay on his good side. Ive so many memories of my time in there, good and bad, was there when the riot went off in the dining room, Ben, a large maori started it by refusing medication, then Bill K got up, and a pile more and attacked the nurses in there. those who didnt participate filed out to the dayroom, the rioters then demolished the dining and broke into the kitchen. Sad to see your photos of the MSU all trashed. The North wing was done up when I was there, proper beds, carpet, even a chemical tolet instead of a bucket, having a radio too. Only patients half way up the West corridor onwards could have a radio. Go past quite often, but havnt been in to look, but maybe I will for one last look..

Ex patient

4/25/2012 08:44:40 pm

Hello again, I thought I could give you some insight into the day to day running of the block. On a side note, I have spoken to WDHB and requested my files, Renee said a few weeks so will see what happens.
My fist encounter with the NSU was when I was 15, straight from the outside. Greeted by Harold and a few others, was taken into the bath room, the one in your photos of the bath in the middle, made to strip off and wash with all these nurses watching. I was frightened and intimidated. Then given short back and sides and locked in a cell in the south corridor. Spent four days in the cell, let out only once each day for a shower. Then I was integrated to the Day room. Most were quite friendly but there were a few who saw a young 15 yr old as a sexuall target. You had to grow up and harden up very quickly to servive.
Get up time was 7.30, the North corridor got up earlier at 6.45am. You had to fold up your bedding, leave your night gown in the cell and march down the corridors in the nick carrying your piss pot to the ablutions. 3 minute shower, had to shave, only 4 razors, all blunt, never cleaned and get dressed. Your clothes you would place in a plastic box outside your cell when you got locked in for the night would be in the ablution block next morning. Most humiliating walking those corridors in the nick!
From there to the dinning room for breakfast approx 8.20am, then to dayroom at 8.45am. OT went at 9.15am for those who behaved, a few on cleaning gangs would clean the ablutions, the corridors, all the door knobs and locks were brass and had to be polished each day. That lasted an hour, then to the dayroom for the rest of the day. Play cards or read, thats it. The tolet was only opened on the half hour, no privacy in there and always homosexual activity. The hospital gave tobacco rations but only staff had lighters. Lunch was 12.15pm and then back to dayroom to do same but also TV to watch. If its fine at 12.30pm we all went out to the main yard. Tennis was played, most lay on the concrete to sleep or walked round and round the yard. OT went again at 1.30 till 4.45pm. Tea at 5pm then back to dayroom. Bed time was a choice of 3 times, 6pm, 8pm or 10.30pm. If you've been naughty it had to be 6. Only a book and plactic glass of water in the cells from South through to mid West corridor, those above had the bonus of a radio. South only had a matress on floor, the rest was a steel platform bolted acrross the window, the North got the luxury with carpet, a real bed and cabinet. I got there a few times in my later stay at LA, but seemed to get into trouble and start back in the south all over again. that was hard to take.
Thats all for now, will write again soon on more stuff in the block.
Thanks Nation for providing this great webb site.

Dawn

4/29/2012 09:25:12 am

I have just been watching a few scenes from the dvd of one who flew over the cuckoo nest. I cried all of the way through the movie - understanding now what patients which included my sister, had to go thru at LA. It may had only been a movie, and someone out there is going to say that - it is not real life. But when I watched the scene McMurphy was going thru ECT and when he had a lobotomy (sorry, I dont know how to spell medical words) and then ended up not being a nobody but a vegetable, yes, I cried again........
I can understand now that even though the nest movie was based on the book based on real life, in reality Lake Alice was something like that. I was too young to remember and my parents never spoke the 'm' word (mental - their term, not mine) in front of me. Thought saying that 'm' word was not a good word to use in the family.
They are/were in a big surprise (I wont talk bad about my deceased mother who died in 2007 but she did have a thing about my sister being the condition she was).
Apparently, I have been diagnosised with anxiety with depression and you know what - I dont care if the rest of the family minus my sister know! I am getting treatment, medication and I still continue to live a normal (whatever that is) life.

Ex patient

5/8/2012 10:27:35 am

Make no bones about it, the NSU was a living hell! So much time to think..50 or so patients living in each others pockets, from totally insane to those who shouldnt have really been there. Always a fight or two. Paceing the dayroom floor, some did for hours on end, quite often the space would get very congested baning into each other.
The parole board would come twice a year, and patients recommended for review would go before them. They were doctors from other institutions. You would be so elated to be going up, as I did on occasions and after one time a nurse told me I had passed. I was so estatic, but it turned to disspair when I found out in fact I hadnt. Had to wait another 6 months. Even when I did eventually pass, the bastards kept me there for a few more months. I was lucky enough to be in OT so helped to keep occupied and out of that dayroom. We used to make a pot of tea for the staff there, and took pleasure in pissing in thier tea, sitting down the back watching them drink it.
In the days of Harold Wright a select few were sometimes taken out of the building to walk around the grass within the fence, guarded by several nurses. One patient Andy Rogers, did a runner, got over the fence cutting himself to bits on the barbed wire and ran towards the lake. He didnt get far, not fit and over weight. So there was more than one escape from there !! That same guy stabbed another patient in OT with a chissel, didnt do serious damage, but was a good warning not to be a nark. Other amusements were setting off the sprinklers in the toilets, water everywhere, hypoventilating was another favorite for a cheap quick high, anything to break the bordom.. All for now..

Leighton

5/29/2012 10:38:42 am

Why is Lake Alice not a historic site. Ok sure it's only like 70-80ish years old but soon it'll be pretty old. It would be great having something to remember about mental health and the way we treated them to not do so in the future.

Dawn

6/3/2012 10:39:39 am

A certain tv show which I will not mention for reasons of my own but it is an American doctor show and on You Tube, mentioned in the US you can now get ECT treatment in lunchtime for depression. It is somehow recommended by the American Medical people over in the states in small doses?
All I have to say is: WHAT??????

secret

6/12/2012 02:41:01 pm

i am studying the social services national certificate at this time we are doing new zealand social and political and this has come under the maginalized and oppressed this site has bin a great way to get an insight on some of the things that we are reading and being taught about i feel for the patients and their families being able to see all of this and read peoples comments has me really interested in this paper this hospital was only one of many that seemed to have been built for a purpose and abused for another but in all it is a piece of new zealands history and all of the employees should feel shame the one great thing that come from this was the employee whos father was a dr there stood up and forced changes this should be out in the open it is a way for future growth in a hundred years or so whos to say there will not be another page like this that speaks of how we today allow mis-treatment of patients!!!!!

ex patient

6/20/2012 08:41:56 pm

Wouldnt go so far as to say all of the staff were bad, there were some good decent ones there, but yes, those that wernt so flash have never had to account and probably never will. Its just the way the world works, and there will always be someone or groups getting fucked over by others, its in the news everyday. I am sad that LA is being demolished as it is a bit part of NZ history that will now be lost forever, but those that have lived thru it wont forget.!!

daughter

7/6/2012 12:09:32 am

My father was sent to the lake when he was fourteen and didn't get out until he was 21. He was a victim of physical and mental abuse, and was also "treated" with paraldahyde(sorry if it's spelt wrong) and god knows what else, waking days later naked on a concrete floor. He was threatened to be put in the lake with the eels like the other one's who didn't listen. He is to this day severly institutionalized and has been in and out of wards his entire life. I want to see this and other places he was in, but I don't think I could stomach it. I visited one once, Cherry Farm, and got so wound up I couldn't breathe and had to leave. Those of you that are doing it for shits and giggles, shame on you!! This place and places like it have destroyed my family!!

Dawn

7/13/2012 09:47:33 am

Even I wouldn't go to LA and visit the place anymore even to see McDonald pull down the last building (which I presume he is somewhere half way doing it now because it has been sometime). It is too ghostly to return, and by the reaction of some of the events coming out of LA, even after all these years, I wouldn't even get my best friend to go there and look. One, it is too close to a cemetery; and two, as I said - too much eerie stuff. (Yes, I admit I do believe in the paranormal or whatever it is named now).
And seeing McDonald selling that building after how many months (?) of putting it on sale which is now sold - I hope those people know what were doing? Maybe its the history or the general interest they bought the place, but I myself would not even consider being near even the leftover concrete pile of LA.
By the way, what is McDonald doing with all what he collects from the buildings?

jamie

7/19/2012 11:36:52 pm

Wow I have just spent the last half hour reading the comments above. what I can not understand,is why this Dr Leeks has not had his day in court.. He is obviously quite a sick individual along with no doubt his fellow employees. Strange how he fled to Melbourne not long after leaving and has had complaints of a sexual nature in his fresh territory. The fact that the labour gvt offered an apology and a weak payout to half of the victims but no one has been investigated for criminal responsibility in a courtroom is quite shameful. It's also funny I remember driving past the location many years,ago unaware of of anything but getting a,strange vibe with the area..same with the area I grew up in over the hill from ngawhatu hospital in Nelson.

Dawn

8/3/2012 05:21:44 am

I know this might sound far-fetched but I am serious. The burglary you had, and them taking the photos of Lake Alice? Could it had been deliberate? I know, I sound like a Conspiracy Theorist but I when I read the blog, my mind started picturing the scene. Sorry, but when photos go missing from a controversial subject which still haunts the country?
If you don't want to put this comment on that's all right. It was just a thought I had.

Nathan

8/4/2012 10:31:54 am

And it's something I considered to, but if they wanted my photos which I doubt, they would have got them years ago. Probably more the files and research I had done, was so much stuff yet to be put online =P and I should have, just between everyday life I ran out of time and then Urbex hobby which keeps me real busy these days, I wrote about it here more in detail http://www.urbex.co.nz/blog.html :)

Anonymous

8/4/2012 01:24:47 pm

I want to stay anon. Have a look at the website oldfriends.co.nz and look up Lake Alice Hospital, and see how many staff thought it was a good place to work????

Mary

8/17/2012 08:09:50 am

woisme

I am very interested in your site and would love be kept up to date as to the progress of this historical site and buildings. My grandmother was a patient there and thank God she was transferred from there and moved a resthome. The family manged to influence the staff to have her moved and plus knew a staff member that helped make that possible. All my grandmother remembers was screaming the entire time and now I know why she ended with a diagnoses of dementia. She was only depressed when initially was admitted and came out with complete loss of memory. Also I had a friend that was a nurse there since the early 70's and no-one knows what happened to her. I'm sure she would many stories to tell as each time I called back there, I often called on her then and she always remarked about how she enjoyed it and loathed it. I understand now what she meant by that. I don't if she is still alive but when I travel back to Whanganui I will track down the family as I went to school with her sister. Up until now I did not know why Lake Alice was closed down. Thanks Nathan for this most informative website. I hope the building stays, purely for historical reason and for the staff to be reminded for the horror they caused. I will keep an eye on your website. It's great, Love It!

Miles Dugmore

1/27/2013 12:10:34 pm

I notice your reference to a friend that was a nurse... My father worked there as a nurse/attendant. I was taken by my mother to the UK, so hardly ever knew him. I visited NZ and my father in 1983 and he showed me around the grounds - of course it was closed then. I wonder where the staff records are kept? I have a photo (1971) of my father and one other person standing at the TV screens from presumably the secure unit? - when the place was still operational.. unfortunately my father died in 1992 and I never got a chance to talk to him about what went on. It would be interesting to hear what some of the staff has to say about their experiences all those years ago.

Dawn

9/4/2012 07:27:40 am

Any idea how the people are doing who bought that piece of land McDonald had up for sale and put on Property Brokers? Are they still there? Or have they realised it is not a good place to be with all the spiritual things going on (yes, I believe in the paranormal).
Whatever they did with it - good luck to them.

Nathan link

9/4/2012 08:55:28 am

Not a clue and the people who where so close to buying (bet they where the ones) don't respond to my emails, reckon they didn't wanna get between making a deal with Old Mcdonald and my website. I don't live local anymore and stuff keeps me pretty busy these days, but I do listen out for whats going on and drop past when I'm in town.. Appreciate your comments Dawn :)

Belinda

9/6/2012 01:03:06 pm

You may be interested in a film called 'Mental Notes' that features former psychiatric patients (NZ production) and was screened here in Wellington a few months ago. It does feature Lake Alice and Porirua and Tokanui Hospitals as ex-patients re-visit the hospitals that they spent time in. Very well done film and very powerful and emotive too.

Rara

9/6/2012 02:13:25 pm

anyone know of when lake alice is being torn down?
Ive been curious about spirits throughout my life and encountered many of them, I have never told anyone because I would sound crazy some of the things Iv'e seen would scare the bravest. I'd like to go there. I think that anywhere where such pain and suffering is experienced, bad vibes hang around. Driving past LA I got a prickling sensation as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and felt a heavy, heavy feeling coming from the buildings in waves. every spirit I have ever encountered has sent waves at me, good or bad. Aha but don't listen to the crazy girl.
It is probably a hot bed for activity. My friend went there and held a seance, I begged him to tell me if anything happened and he refused to talk about it...

Nathan link

9/6/2012 10:48:34 pm

Hi Belinda, I saw one of the Auckland screenings of Mental Notes and there was a link up on the website and fb at some stage, thank you :) pleased you enjoyed it, pity the owners denied Jim access

Dawn

10/15/2012 10:36:32 am

To anyone who are wanting their file from the Wanganui (Whanganui - I don't know which) District Health board in the time they were in Lake Alice. DON'T BOTHER! It has been now a year and a few months since my sister asked for her patient file. No file; no answer to any queries to when she can expect it. In other words, It is just a waste of time. I guess they have either been shredded, burned, destroyed and for all we know, recycled. It is just a waste of time for anyone wanting to see what their actual file said.

Miles Dugmore

1/27/2013 12:04:16 pm

I recently got my mothers file from what was then the Auckland Mental Hospital. The rules were that it either had to be 70 or more years ago, or you had to show a death certificate. My mother died many years ago. I guess if you were a patient yourself the requirements would be a little different.

EX patient

10/15/2012 01:44:11 pm

Mmmm, I got my file, from Wanganui DHB not very long ago and only took 3 weeks to arrive after I applied for it. Some unpleasant reading, think in hindsight, let sleeping dogs lie..

Harry

10/18/2012 12:12:53 pm

Hey Nathan, you still have any connections to the place? have a place out at Turakina (live up in Auckland now but come down in the holidays) Real interested in this place and am coming down with my cousin in a few weeks, would love to get in to have a look around!
Cheers

Nathan link

10/18/2012 12:58:02 pm

Nope no connections at all :)

Belinda

12/12/2012 09:38:23 am

I have recently returned from Sydney and went to visit Callan Park which is a large ex-mental hospital in Lilyfield (a short distance from the Sydney CBD). This place also had a history of patient abuses and shock treatment etc. It is a very large area and the grounds are just beautiful with stunning water views. This place closed down some years ago but is rather scary especially as we visited in the evening just before nightfall. Some of the buildings are used by the University of Sydney.

Alpha Rios link

1/7/2013 11:32:08 am

amazing site !
Im over from the U.K and spent a few hours expolring this this morning !!! Pretty much all gone and no left objects from the past at all ...
Im pretty sure the maximum security part is just rubble now - with a digger parked next to it !!! could u confirm the area the maximum security area was on a map ?

and keep up the good work ! if you would like to get in touch or use images taken there just get in touch !

peace !!!!

A S Halligan

4/5/2013 10:41:29 am

We went out there lastnight for a look around. Had to climb the barbed wire fence and skip the electric one. The place is terribly run down now. Nothing exceptionally spooky happened except when our friend waiting in the car texted us to get out as they saw another light other than our own which couldve just been our reflection of torches on the windows. However on the santoft road entrance they claimed to have seen a light in the woods and started running. Wish they would open it to the public

James

4/5/2013 07:02:25 pm

Hi All

So we visited LA today from Kapiti...getting in was a piece of piss and we kept a low profile as didn't want to be prematurely kicked off the property...it is a WRECK!!! The buildings have been stripped (many down to the concrete piles in many cases by Old McDonald) its interesting but unfortunately the farmer and indeed time has taken its toll!!! One thing I will tell anyone who wants to go...THE MAX SECURITY UNIT HAS GONE!!! RIPPED DOWN!!! So dont go their for that as you will be very sorely disappointed!!!
We got back to the car which we parked on Lake Alice Road and found a silly note from the farmer saying if we had nicked anything then the police would be in touch...WHATEVER!!! A/ Their is nothing to pinch and B/ I don't pinch shit anyway!!!
All up very interesting, not at all creepy...by day anyway,,,and LASTLY I HOPE THEY DO CATCH UP WITH EACH AND EVERYONE OF THOSE THAT ABUSED AND GIVE EM WHATS COMING TO THEM!!! :)

Jameskies

4/17/2013 07:07:11 am

I've been through lake Alice about a dozen times (mostly at night) and I have experienced some very scary stuff.
The first time I went was in 2005 and me and some mates decided it would be fun to go take a poke around, I can tell you it was a great idea right up until the moment we entered the secure unit.
Once we entered we got lost practically straight away.
After a while we started to hear things and I distinctly remember a distant scream which was bone chilling but that could have been a number of normal things.
Not long later we came across what I think was the kitchen (really hard to tell cause its so dark even with a torch), the blinds on the window started to rustle violently and we knew it was not windy outside especially not windy enough the do make the go that nuts, needless to say we turned into little girls and started to panic and its as if the place thrives off your fear because things got worse.
We started to hear whispering and seeing things move in the hallways, we could hear footsteps coming from cells and a mattress that was on the floor moved from the ground to lean against the wall. Doors slammed, more screaming noises reached our ears and more than once it seemed as though we were being followed.
We eventually left the secure unit and made our way back to the car (parked on the road close to the state highway) and with the total lack of darkness it seemed as though the outside glowed almost warmly.

Jameskies

4/17/2013 07:28:26 am

It's about a 5 min walk from the secure unit to where our car was maybe even a 10 min walk,
But out side was just as frightening as inside in some ways worse.
The screaming we could hear inside was now louder, closer and all around us and it seemed to have more than one source,
The feeling we had of being followed was pretty much confirmed by all of us individually seeing human shaped figures walking around on the paths, in the grassy areas and amongst the trees. And I'm not talking about shadowy figures with a humanish shape or a mist in our shape, they were clearly "human" they were not close enough to see features or substance but not to far away so that the could be mistaken.
I'm not sure exactly how many we saw I think it differed but I personally saw 4 separate ghosty things.

Each time ive returned ( with various people, some the same as my first time some not and nearly everyone went more than once) there the experience differed but I was always abundantly clear something wanted us to know it was there almost as if it remembered certain individuals, for me it was footsteps and sightings.
The last time I went (2012) before I had even crossed the fence line we heard footsteps as clear as if the were our own (we were standing still having a smoke before going in) not even 10 meters away and saw people walking down the road from us going in the direction of the caretakers house.

What ever the case may be with ghosts and what not something is there at lake Alice and I personally think our presence there excites them, and not in a "yay puppies" way

Belinda

5/12/2013 04:56:02 pm

I have been hunting the Internet and video stores to find a copy of the documentary "Mental Notes"... WHERE can I view this or download please, anyone?

Donna

6/17/2013 11:23:42 pm

My father was a patient out there. I know he was there in and out during the early 80's but not sure if he had been in out before then or after that. I have no memories of the place (thank god), but I do know that we did go out at see him when he was in there. I have heard a lot of horrible stories about the place recently from other people who were patients there. So sad.

Tim

7/24/2013 04:18:43 pm

i went to lake alice when i was around 16 in about 2006, there was me my cuz and two girls, we had heard the ghost storys, we made it to the building where about to go in side every one had the chills and bad vibes, as we where about to go in we all blatantly heard a plate smash and clatter, at this point the two girls turned and ran, shortly followed by me and my cuz, i have never returned but would love to, it must of been around 1 am or later... Haunted

Dawn

7/29/2013 07:57:20 am

With all people going out there, you probably did not have time to look to see (I wouldn't either with the Haunting....brrrr!) but are there any buildings left, shells or anything? McDonald was pulling them down the last time I heard about it. Just curious to know if there is still anything left standing?

Dawn

10/17/2013 09:03:34 am

Just saw the updated photos of Lake Alice. McDonald has really worked hard at it! I suppose in a few months time there will be cows where there was once buildings.

But I am curious about something if anyone can answer it - does the cemetery still exist? What has/will happen/ed to it?

Ron

11/16/2013 10:27:04 am

I have not liked driving past lake Alice and Duddings lake areas,SH
3,I get very cold and not for some way does this feeling lift from me .
16/11/13 This happened to me again yesterday ,my first trip there in 7 years and the old feelings simply came right back.That area is quite dark.I'm rather receptive and this does not sit right with me .pleased to see I'm not the only one.

jude

12/11/2013 05:26:31 pm

does anyone remember a patient at la until he died 1987 gordon moran or jack moran , looking for photo s or imformation , wounded soldier , shell shocked, was my birth father , never new of him till recently

Hope

4/12/2014 04:39:05 pm

I was at Lake Alice for the briefest time...2 weeks. But in that time I a was overdosed (and died) on Stellazine & Mellerill. These are psychotic drugs. I have never been diagnosed with a mental illness. Dr Pugmire was my Dr and he promised me I would never got shock treatment, but that never stopped me from being afraid that I might get it. In the time I was there I had my 15th birthday. While I don't remember the other patients, I saw the horror of shock treatment and what it did to people. I remember Fridays @ 3 pm, because of what happened then...

Sir Rodney Gallen came and interviewed me about my time there and asked me if I remembered any of the others. I told him I didn't but he said some of them remembered me. This made me cry. I received a payment and an apology from Helen Clark (Prime Minister) but it was difficult to know what to do with that money as it was like being paid for services rendered.

Dawn

4/13/2014 07:54:14 am

You were lucky you never received ECT. From what I heard from reading this website, reports from media, my sister Y who was in LA as a patient and other collections of information, it was a terrible experience (I was going to use another word for it but its censored). My sister lost two years of her life having ECT. Are you sure during these two weeks you were in there, apart from the psychotic drugs, nothing else happened?
Two weeks maybe only a short time but under the circumstances of what happened at LA to other patients, maybe there was a slight chance. Have you ever asked yourself why other people remember you, but you can';t remember them?
I am glad you came out of this alive, and a survivor. My sister Y came out it as survivor, but there were ones who did not and are still 'fighting' LA even after all these years of the hospital being closed and pulled down.

Hope

4/13/2014 11:20:13 am

Dear Dawn...
I didn't mention it here (because it is still misunderstood) but I was born intersex. It was very misunderstood back then. Basically, they did not know what sex I was, so I was raised as a boy. I think others would remember me because I was so much a girl. The government later repaired my status at the age of 18 in Burwood Hospital Christchurch. I came to LA because my foster father put me into an open grave with a ladies coffin in it. He was a sextant of the cemetery in the city I lived in and they were cruel to me.

Pugmire never doubted my story, but of course, DSW didn't believe me as welfare children all told lies!

Yes, I was interfered with while I was there.

It was very emotional meeting Sir Rodney Gallen. He was a lovely man and I know he took care of children, though he never married. Sir Rodney died in 2102.

Hope

4/13/2014 11:20:25 am

Dawn

7/9/2014 09:50:00 am

Not sure but have more photos been added? The water tower, Villa in the 70's and Recreation Hall seem to be new. Impressed with the one someone has taken of the workshop at night.......brrr!
By the way, can someone please tell me or at least a yes or no if the cemetery still exists after McDonald got to the land?

jack

7/15/2014 01:44:17 pm

Hae there

Heard about this place by a friend and thought I'd take a look could only see the water treatment part but would like to have a look into further. Would really appreciate if anyone would share there story's or even want to come back one weekend.

Thanks jack.

Belinda

7/16/2014 05:07:02 am

I went out a few months ago. The only thing remaining is the water tower and a bit of workshops. Everything has been demolished. You can't even tell where the pool was. Its all gone.

Rosemary

3/9/2015 03:29:52 pm

my twin sister at the age 14yrs was amitted to lake alice hosptial,she spent time in villa 9 around the late 70s visting her was so sad, ariived to see her face and body had been badly beaten, she had been admitted , because of childhood abuse,

Miles

3/10/2015 08:49:18 am

Rosemary, it is such a sad and sick representation that those who are often most in need of help at a young age are the very ones people point their fingers at and say there is something wrong with them. It still goes on today, as it suits those in authority not to acknowledge the failings of the society they preside over, but to blame some poor helpless individual. Only once the sociopaths that control the World we live in are removed from their ill gotten positions of authority will see any real change. I am aware that there are still some people fighting for justice in respect of the young who were tortured at Lake Alice. I think the United Nations on Human Right is fully involved, but the government, as it always has done, tries to ignore the issue on the basis that it will eventually go away. I guess if they wait long enough, then everyone who was a victim will be dead, such are the scum that run our country.

Sara

4/7/2015 09:05:07 am

Hey just wanted to know if anyone has been out there recently? Just wanted to know what's left out there.

Belinda.

4/8/2015 04:57:18 am

There is nothing left out there. The whole place has been demolished

Dawn

4/15/2015 10:38:27 am

Hooray! Thank goodness for tthat!

Debbie Bell

1/1/2016 05:20:35 pm

Hello,my Mum was admitted to Lake Alice in the early 70s she had a history of depression and break downs. I was about 4yrs old when I went with my aunties to visit it was awfaul. I.m now 47yrs old but the memory is so clear.I would like to ask is there any way to get records of patients who were admitted to Lake Alice, both my parents have passed now. I live in Australia. Any replies would be great. Thank you

Elizabeth

1/18/2016 08:29:12 pm

Hello Debbie. To be honest with you, it maybe difficult to access your mum's records but you could try contacting the Hospital Board that covers the Lake Alice Hospital and get advice from them and as your mum has passed, you may need to provide evidence of this (eg Death Certificate). A relation of mine who used to work in Mental Health as a Social worker for the Wellington area (Capital Coast Health) told me that some of the patients records had been destroyed or damaged (Porirua Hospital). Hopefully you can get your mum's records and good luck.

Malcolm Richards

1/19/2016 01:15:59 am

kiwijustice2.blogspot.co.nz their was is no help or rehab for lake alice survivors we are still fighting to get that now

Miles Dugmore

1/19/2016 10:35:36 am

I have an email of someone who may be able to help. I spoke to a friend of mine who was in lake Alice as an adolescent and has been actively involved in every thing "Lake Alice" and ECT. But he does not want me to broadcast his email address so if you want to contact me, at [email protected] I will pass it on

mark wallace

1/16/2016 04:52:52 pm

I was12 years old when I was put there.I'm now 53,and still not a day in my life passes without thinking about la

Elizabeth

1/18/2016 08:23:26 pm

I feel very sad for you Mark. Have you had some type of counselling to possibly help you get over this? It would have been so traumatic for a 12 year old and I feel very sorry for you.

Elizabeth

1/18/2016 08:21:46 pm

If you are ever over in Sydney go and visit the old Callan Park Mental Hospital (closed down) near Lilyfield which is not too far from the Sydney CBD and accessible by bus and light rail. There is so much history there and you can walk around the abandoned and derelict buildings.

Jacquilene

5/8/2016 04:48:00 pm

I was thinking the other day that it is now time to move on from the past regarding Lake Alice and what happened there? I spent a short time in Porirua Hospital (3 weeks) in the late 1980s and it was a horrible experience and I was taken advantage of another patient (he took a large sum of money off me on at least 4 occasions to pay for illegal drugs when he was on day release
from the hospital). I could not tell staff as I was too scared and they quite frankly would not have cared a stuff anyway. I cannot imagine how those people so badly abused in Lake Alice must feel - the pain would be overwhelming and my sympathy and understanding goes out to you. Life is too short and time to move on. Enjoyed this interesting website. For me, Porirua Hospital and my experience is now past and I want to forget this place. Best wishes to you all.

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