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Lunatic asylums and Indigenous Australians during the nineteenth century
Raeburn, Toby Bradshaw, Julie Best, Odette Cleary, Michelle
Raeburn, Toby
Bradshaw, Julie
Best, Odette
Cleary, Michelle
Abstract
Lunatic asylums formed part of the civic infrastructure that was constructed out of British colonists invading and subsequently colonising unceded, Indigenous Australian lands during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This historical narrative examined nineteenth century primary and secondary sources including, patient lists, medical files, and government correspondence, to provide insight into the experiences of Indigenous Australians admitted to Australia’s earliest lunatic asylums. Awareness that lunatic asylums formed part of the structure imposed during colonisation, provides nurses and other health professionals with greater historical literacy regarding the impact of colonial lunatic asylums on Indigenous Australians. Such impacts continue to be experienced through transgenerational trauma and emphasise the importance of culturally safe mental health services.
Keywords
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Issues in Mental Health Nursing
Book
Volume
44
Issue
1
Page Range
18-26
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled
Notes
© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.