Carrington Hospital

Carrington Hospital is a former lunatic asylum and psychiatric hospital listed as a Category I building, located in Point Chevalier, Auckland. Serving as the main asylum for Auckland for over a century the asylum was closed down with the land and building sold to Carrington Technical Institute (later Unitec). Most of the former site was sold to the Crown in 2018–2021 to be used for a large residential development. Etymology Originally known as the Whau Lunatic Asylum the asylum has undergone many name changes over its lifetime. Some of the names include: the Auckland Lunatic Asylum, Avondale Lunatic Asylum, Auckland Mental Hospital and Oakley Hospital. History Background The 1846 Lunatics Act allowed for lunatics to be institutionalised at either the city gaol or at Grafton Hospital, which had a purpose built structure for lunatics. The Grafton Hospital building was not fit for purpose and struggled to keep up with the growing population and a decision was made to construct a purpose built lunatic asylum. The Carrington site was selected as it was believed to be beneficial to the health of the inmates: being far enough from urban and industrial areas and having good land for agriculture, with the Oakley Creek providing a good water supply. Construction of the new asylum In September 1863, architectural plans by a Mr Barrett from England were submitted to the Auckland architect James Wrigley who adapted them. Henry White was the builder. John Thomas of Oakley Creek was awarded a brick contract for the building materials, but being unable to complete the contract, it fell on Dr. Pollen to supply the rest of the bricks. Some of the bricks were produced on-site while others were produced at Dr Pollen's Avondale brickyard. Over 500,000 bricks were used to build the asylum. Pollen supplied 500,000 and George Boyd supplied 50,000 red bricks. The building was complete in March 1867. Upon completion it was the largest brick building in New Zealand was considered an object of pride by Aucklanders. The asylum was at times opened to the public for plays, music, and dancing. Public tours were also offered at times. Later history In 1877 Frederick William Adolphus Skae reviewed the asylum as part of a national report on the state of lunatic asylums. The report was largely critical of the Whau Lunatic Asylum, noting that the facility was over-capacity, being designed for 50 inmates but housing 165; that only 3–4 acres of 26 was properly cultivated; that most inmates were unemployed; that recreation was limited due to the overcrowding; and that restraint was overused. After the building was gutted by an 1877 fire, Philip Herapath supervised the reconstruction. From 1869 to 1879, Thomas Aickin served as medical superintendent. In 1879, a new wing to the asylum was under construction and stone for it was mined from nearby Oakley Creek. An estimated two-thousand tons of stone was made available in this exercise through detonation of 16 barrels of gunpowder under a 20-foot deep bed of lava, which created a miniature "earthquake" felt in the surrounding area. The Crown purchased three allotments at a price of £4,200 to establish a farm for the asylum. It was to provide both food and work for the patients. A piggery was built in the 1880s and a milking shed, hay store, and farm manager's home were constructed c.1882. In 1889 a news article reported the asylum had an orchard, dairy, and piggery with 50–60 Berkshire crosses. The dairy shed had a Brutalist extension built on to it during Unitec ownership. This extension won an architectural award. It was later demolished in 2024 for the Carrington housing development. An auxiliary building was constructed in 1884 to house a growing patient population. This building burnt to the ground in 1894 and was replaced with a new building. In the 1920s this new building was known as Oakleigh Hall and was used as a 'parole villa'. The building is now known as Building 048. Other buildings constructed in the 1880s include a boiler room, drying room, and workshop buildings. Later constructions include accommodation for the medical superintendent in 1909, two auxiliary hospital buildings in 1913 and 1915, and the Penman House in 1930. T. R. King, Medical Superintendent, resigned in 1891 because of ill-health, and was succeeded by Gray Hassell, who had been an administrator at the Wellington Hospital and Wellington Asylum. Initially the hospital met its water requirements with cisterns and a well, but in 1897 a reservoir and pumping station were constructed. In 1900 excess supply was being sent to Western Springs, 4 years later a larger pumping station was constructed. In 1910 the Mount Albert Road Board took over the pumping station in exchange for providing water at a fixed rate to the asylum. In December 1900, there were 494 patients—306 males and 188 females. The staff included 31 males and 21 females. The average net cost per patient was, in 1898, £19 13s, and, in 1899, £20 8s. The average number of patients sent out cured in 1898 was 51%, and in 1899, 38%; average deaths, 1898, 7.5; in 1899, 8.8. The officials of the institution at the time were Robert Martin Beattie, medical superintendent; William Webster, assistant medical officer; Edward Newport, head attendant; Sophia Campbell, matron; and J. D. Muir, farm manager. Religious service was held on Sunday by ministers of the denominations of which patients were members. In 1971 the building was considered to be one of the best Victorian buildings in Auckland. In keeping with a national change, the Auckland Hospital Board took control of the hospital from the Health Department the following year. Controversial plans were considered for the hospital's M3 Ward to be turned into a medical security prison in 1986. In 1992, Carrington Hospital was closed by the Auckland Area Health Board and was purchased by a tertiary education provider, Carrington Polytec, who refurbished the building, opening the Unitec Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Design in 1994. Starting in 2018 Unitec transfer land to the Crown as part of a roughly 40 hectares (99 acres) housing development involving the construction of thousands of homes. This development is known as the Carrington Development. The development is being undertaken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in partnership with three different Maori groups as part of a treaty settlement. As of 2024 two wings of the building have been demolished to allow for a new road to be constructed. In February 2025 consent was granted to demolish Penman House. Despite a report from Heritage New Zealand stating the building had heritage value and multiple notable New Zealand authors opposing it due to the buildings association with Robin Hyde, the demolition began in November 2025. In May 2026 Auckland Council issued a bylaw notice to the Carrington Development over the decay and neglect of the Carrington Hospital, which has suffered water damage and repeated vandalism. Description The facade is neoclassical and has polychromatic detailing. Built of brick, it faced the junction of Great North Road and Carrington Road, leading to Mount Albert. In the central portion of the building were the dining halls, kitchen, and store-rooms, and the two adjoining wings were the male and female wards. The male dining hall was also used for theatrical and musical performances. A new brick building was completed in 1896–1897. The chapel of St Luke the Physician, built in 1865, was used as a dormitory since 1875, but was renovated and reopened as a chapel in 1961. The Conolly Room at the hospital was named after English doctor, John Conolly. Grounds A spring on the estate, and a waterfall on Oakley Creek, was ample for domestic and fire prevention purposes. A farm, consisting of nearly 200 acres (81 ha), was attached to the asylum, providing for healthful recreation and fresh vegetables. There were approximately 50 milk cows on the estate, and numerous pigs. Fresh eggs was obtained from the farm's poultry. Part of the land was turned into an experimental sewage farm. The oldest building has several notable trees and shrubs of interest including holm oak, sweetgum, chaste tree, and pigeonberry. now part of the Unitec Arboretum [1]. In 1969, the Auckland University Council decided that the farm was not suitable for university development, but wanted to convert 50 acres (20 ha) for playing fields while Auckland Technical Institute wanted 20 acres (8.1 ha). Notes References