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Top Attractions in Kew

Kew Lunatic Asylum

Kew Lunatic Asylum is a decommissioned psychiatric hospital located between Princess Street and Yarra Boulevard in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Operational from 1871 to 1988, Kew was one of the largest asylums ever built in Australia. Later known as Willsmere, the complex of buildings were constructed between 1864 and 1872 to the design of architects G.W. Vivian and Frederick Kawerau of the Victorian Public Works Office to house the growing number of "lunatics", "inebriates", and "idiots" in the Colony of Victoria. The first purpose built asylum in the Colony of Victoria, Kew was also larger and more expensive than its sister asylums at Ararat and Beechworth. The asylum's buildings are typical examples of the Italianate architecture style which was popular in Victorian Melbourne. Designed to be elegant, beautiful, yet substantial, and to be viewed as "a magnificent asylum for the insane" with the aim of portraying Melbourne as a civilised and benevolent city whilst avoiding the jail-like appearance of other asylums. These aims were furthered by the use of low ha-ha walls and extensively landscaped grounds. Long considered of cultural and historic significance to Melbourne, Kew Asylum and its complex of buildings were registered on the Register of the National Estate in March 1978. Despite initial grand plans and ideals, Kew Asylum had a difficult and chequered history, contributing to several inquiries throughout its 117 years of operation, including a Royal Commission. Overcrowding, mismanagement, lack of resources, poor sanitation and disease were common criticisms during the asylum's first five decades; out-dated facilities and institutionalisation were criticisms of Kew's later period. Kew continued to operate throughout the 20th century as a "hospital for the insane", "mental hospital", or "psychiatric hospital", treating acute, long-term and geriatric patients until it closed in December 1988. The main building and surrounding grounds were sold by the State Government in the 1980s and were redeveloped as residential properties.

Kew Asylum

Kew Lunatic Asylum is a decommissioned psychiatric hospital located between Princess Street and Yarra Boulevard in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Operational from 1871 to 1988, Kew was one of the largest asylums ever built in Australia. Later known as Willsmere, the complex of buildings were constructed between 1864 and 1872 to the design of architects G.W. Vivian and Frederick Kawerau of the Victorian Public Works Office to house the growing number of "lunatics", "inebriates", and "idiots" in the Colony of Victoria. The first purpose built asylum in the Colony of Victoria, Kew was also larger and more expensive than its sister asylums at Ararat and Beechworth. The asylum's buildings are typical examples of the French Second Empire style which was popular in Victorian Melbourne. Designed to be elegant, beautiful, yet substantial, and to be viewed as "a magnificent asylum for the insane" with the aim of portraying Melbourne as a civilised and benevolent city whilst avoiding the jail-like appearance of other asylums. These aims were furthered by the use of low Ha-Ha walls and extensively landscaped grounds. Long considered of cultural and historic significance to Melbourne, Kew Asylum and its complex of buildings were registered on the Register of the National Estate in March 1978. Despite initial grand plans and ideals, Kew Asylum had a difficult and chequered history contributing to several inquiries throughout its 117 years of operation, including a Royal Commission. Overcrowding, mismanagement, lack of resources, poor sanitation and disease were common criticisms during the asylum's first five decades; out-dated facilities and institutionalisation were criticisms of Kew's later period. Kew continued to operate throughout the 20th century as a "Hospital for the Insane", "Mental Hospital", or "Psychiatric Hospital", treating acute, long-term and geriatric patients until it closed in December 1988. The main building and surrounding grounds were sold by the State Government in the 1980s and were redeveloped as residential properties.

Springthorpe Memorial

The Springthorpe Memorial is an elaborate Victorian era memorial located within Boroondara General Cemetery in Kew, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The memorial was built by Melbourne doctor John Springthorpe, in honour of his wife, Annie Springthorpe, who died in 1897 at the age of 30 while giving birth to their fourth child. Construction began in 1897, and the memorial was unveiled in 1901. The Springthorpe Memorial is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The centrepiece of the memorial, commissioned by the grieving Dr Springthorpe, is a marble sculpture by Bertram Mackennal. A figure of the deceased lies on a sarcophagus while an angel, standing beside her, places a wreath by her head. A sorrowful, draped female figure sits beside the sarcophagus, clutching a lyre. The sculpted figures are housed in a structure derivative of a Greek temple, designed by Melbourne architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear. It has dark marble columns, granite pediments and entablatures adorned with serpent-head gargoyles at each corner, and a stained glass domed roof. The latter is made up of hundreds of ruby-coloured glass pieces supported by radiating ironwork. On a fine day sunlight, streaming through the roof, imparts a reddish glow on the sculpture below. The memorial is located in a garden setting which the curator of Melbournes Royal Botanic Gardens, William Guilfoyle, was commissioned to design. However, the layout seen today probably has little in common with his original design. The base of the memorial, surrounded by an iron picket balustrade, is paved with red tiles which have various verses inscribed on them in gold lettering. There are also inscriptions on each pediment and entablature of the temple structure, in both English and Greek. Nowhere on the memorial is there any mention of the deceased’s name, the most specific reference being the following inscription: My own true love Pattern daughter perfect mother and ideal wife Born on the 26th day of January 1867 Married on the 26th day of January 1887 Buried on the 26th day of January 1897

Raheen

Raheen is an historic 19th-century Italianate mansion located at 92 Studley Park Road in the Melbourne, Australia, suburb of Kew. It was built in the 1870s, and its name means "little fort" in Gaelic. Raheen was once the residence of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, the former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne. The Catholic Church purchased the property. The first section of Raheen was commenced in 1870 with an extension added in 1884. It was designed by William Salway and built for Edward Latham of the Carlton Brewery. Sir Henry Wrixon, prominent Melbourne barrister and solicitor, later owned and resided at the property. In 1917 Raheen was purchased by the Catholic Church and became the official residence of Archbishop Mannix, as well as four other Catholic archbishops of Melbourne. In 1981 the Church sold the property and it again reverted to a private residence. Raheen was constructed as a two-storey house in the Italianate style with a four-storey tower over the entrance and single-storey extension. It was designed in an asymmetric and arcaded form, and is built of red brick with cement render. The property retains its garden layout, including an Italianate garden, outbuildings, fence and gates, and internal features including the original stairwell, library, ballroom and cast iron tower stairs. Raheen is of historic and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. Raheen is of historic importance because of its association with Melbournes elite businessmen through Latham and Wrixon, and illustrates not only the importance of the brewery business and the legal profession in nineteenth century Melbourne, but also the importance of a residence in indicating success and status in society. The house is of historic importance through its association with the Catholic Church and illustrates the status sought by church hierarchy for Melbournes Catholics and the Church prior to the mid-twentieth century. It is also historically important because of its association with Archbishop Dr Daniel Mannix who played a significant role within the Melbourne Archdiocese, as also in Melbourne politics particularly during the Conscription debates of the First World War. Raheen is architecturally important in exhibiting an unusual integration of features in the combination of red brick and cement rendering. The house is architecturally important in exhibiting good design and aesthetic characteristics of the Italianate style, as well as in internal features and garden design. It was purchased in 1981 by the Australian businessman Richard Pratt and his family and currently is not open to the public. Pratt extensively renovated the house and gardens, including the addition of a new wing designed by Glen Murcutt. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Xavier College

Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Classes started in 1878. The college is part of the international network of Jesuit schools begun in Messina, Sicily in 1548. Originally an all-boys school, the College now offers co-education until Year 4, and an all-boys environment from then on. In 2011 the school had 2,085 students on roll, including 76 boarders. The school is in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia , the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia , the Australian Boarding Schools' Association , and the Associated Public Schools of Victoria . In December 2010 The Age reported that, based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia honour, Xavier College ranked equal tenth among Australian schools. Grant Thomas described the school as 'the best-connected school in Melbourne'. Its notable alumni include, two State Governors, two Deputy Prime Ministers, one State Premier, two Deputy Premiers and numerous Supreme Court Justices.

East Kew railway station

East Kew was a railway station on the Outer Circle railway line, located in the suburb of Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The station opened with the line on 24 March 1891, and closed with the line on 12 April 1893. It was located on the west side of Normanby Road, and was the site of a crossing loop with a platform on each track. A goods siding was also provided at the Riversdale end. The station was reopened on 11 February 1925, for goods traffic only, and was the terminus of the reopened section of the Outer Circle line from Deepdene railway station. Three loop sidings were provided, along with a headshunt, and there was a dead end extension at the Riversdale end. The headshunt, which crossed Normanby Road, was abolished in about 1935 to eliminate the level crossing, and the sidings became dead-end. Goods services were withdrawn on 6 September 1943, and the line back to Riversdale closed.

Kew Cottages

Medical terms in this article are in the context of what was legally correct usage for that period where they appear in the text. Therefore "feeble-minded", "idiot", "imbecile", "lunatic", etc., should not be taken at their modern significance. Kew Cottages aka Kew Idiot Asylum, Kew Idiot Ward, Kew Children's Cottages and finally as Kew Residential Services is a decommissioned special development school and residential service located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Children's Cottages at Kew were first opened in 1887 as the "Idiot Ward" of Kew Asylum. Located on the asylum's grounds, the children's cottages were established to provide separate accommodation for child inmates who had previously been housed with adult patients. Although the Cottages only admitted children as patients, many of those children remained in residence at the Cottages as adults. The function of the institution was to provide accommodation and educational instruction for intellectually disabled children. Some Wards of the State and other various "difficult" children were also admitted. Shortly after opening, the Idiot Ward began functioning separately from the Kew Lunatic Asylum, and became known as the Kew Idiot Asylum from 1887 until c.1929. From 1929 they have been known as the "Children's Cottages, Kew" or alternatively "Kew Cottages Training Centre". The institution was finally closed in July 2008, after the grounds were redeveloped from 2001 to October 2006.
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