Point Heathcote () is a geographic feature located on the south east part of

Melville Water Melville Water is a significant section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is located west and downstream of Perth Water, from which it is separated by the Narrows Bridge. Name Melville Water was named in 1827 by Captain Jam ...

on Swan River. It is located in

Applecross Applecross ( , 'The Sanctuary', historically anglicized as 'Combrich') is a peninsula in Wester Ross, in the Scottish Highlands. It is bounded by Loch Kishorn to the south, Loch Torridon to the north, and Glen Shieldaig to the east. On its wes ...

, a suburb of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Western Australia.

History

The area was named after George Gage Heathcote, son of Admiral Sir Henry Heathcote, a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

on HMS ''Success'', who is said to have been the first European to land there. It was one of the landing and camp sites of Captain James Stirling during his exploration of the Swan River in April 1827.Heritage Council of Western Australia – Interim Registry
(accessed:09-03-2007) Point Heathcote was considered as a site for the capital city by Stirling, before he selected its current position.
(accessed:09-03-2007) Prior to European settlement, the area was known to the

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the South West, Western Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton, Western Aus ...

indigenous people as ''Goolugatup''. It was a permanent camping area, and also used for

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformatio ...

ceremonies.

Hospital

Point Heathcote was the site of the Point Heathcote Mental Reception Home, later known as Heathcote Hospital, for the treatment of patients with mental illness. The buildings were designed under the supervision of William Hardwick, who at the time was Principal Architect of the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. The need for a new facility arose due to over-crowding conditions at Claremont Mental Hospital. Following a report on the inadequacies of facilities at Claremont in 1924, a site was purchased from the Catholic Church at Point Heathcote. The Point Heathcote Mental Reception Home was constructed as a "home for the reception of recoverable patients, and not for senile, epileptic, or mentally deficient patients". It provided accommodation for 38 male and 38 female patients, in two separate wards with a central administration block connected to the wards by covered walkways. A two-storey accommodation building, housing 36 nurses, was also constructed on the western portion of the site. In 1928, a

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

was designed by the then Principal Architect, John Tait. Point Heathcote Mental Reception Home was completed by early 1929 at a final cost of £A55,675, equivalent to in . The

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, Sir Robert McMillan, officially opened the centre on 22 February 1929. In 1940, a new treatment block, "Swan House" was constructed on the site, accommodating a further 26 patients. It was designed by the Government Architect, Albert Ernest (Paddy) Clare and constructed at a cost of 15,000 pounds. By 1994, the function as a hospital had ceased, and various ideas were put forward for the site. In 2000, the hospital and grounds were designated a heritage precinct.''Heathcote Heritage Precinct opened by Premier after $6m redevelopment of hospital site'' Media statement, Premier of Western Australia, P00/39, 19 March 2000 The land, together with the heritage buildings, is also protected by the heritage agreement, which is registered as a memorial on the land title.Western Australian Parliament – Heathcote Hospital Site (reservation) Bill 2001
(accessed:09-03-2007)

References

{{commons category-inline Swan River (Western Australia) Places of Noongar significance Applecross, Western Australia