Hello all Listers, I'm wondering if anyone has any information regarding the Mental Hospital at Orange in the 1940's. I have found in the Sydney Morning Herald that a family member was committed to the mental hospital and then the next day found dead hanging from a bar in a padded police cell. Are there any available records to see why Stanley Kitto was admitted to the mental hospital? Why would someone be committed then left in a police cell? Hoping for some help Regards Ruth caughey

Have you contacted Bloomfield Hospital? Comes under GAWS Area (Greater Western Area Health Service), phone (02) 6360 7700. They may be able to tell you where files are archived, if they still exist, and if you can access them. Various possibilities - Stanley may have been committed as a result of a court case and placed in police custody until Bloomfield staff picked him up; or he had been transferred from somewhere else to Orange by police, in which case one imagines that he would have been delivered to police station. There would also have been an inquest. I suggest you get a transcription of his death cert. With the date, where inquest was held, etc., you might then look of the inquest record. See NSW State Records for info on Inquests. Cheers

Re Coronial Inquests records at State Archives . My experience is that you will find the verdict but not the details that would be of interest. Graeme -----Original Message----- From: aus-nsw-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-nsw-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Barbara OConnor Sent: Thursday, 18 February 2010 9:22 AM To: aus-nsw@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW] Orange Mental hospital Have you contacted Bloomfield Hospital? Comes under GAWS Area (Greater Western Area Health Service), phone (02) 6360 7700. They may be able to tell you where files are archived, if they still exist, and if you can access them. Various possibilities - Stanley may have been committed as a result of a court case and placed in police custody until Bloomfield staff picked him up; or he had been transferred from somewhere else to Orange by police, in which case one imagines that he would have been delivered to police station. There would also have been an inquest. I suggest you get a transcription of his death cert. With the date, where inquest was held, etc., you might then look of the inquest record. See NSW State Records for info on Inquests. Cheers ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to AUS-NSW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2692 - Release Date: 02/16/10 19:35:00

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ruth" <ruthashton@dcsi.net.au> To: <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:19 AM Subject: [AUS-NSW] Orange Mental hospital Hi Ruth > I'm wondering if anyone has any information regarding the > Mental Hospital at > Orange in the 1940's. I have found in the Sydney Morning > Herald that a > family member was committed to the mental hospital and > then the next day > found dead hanging from a bar in a padded police cell. > > > > Are there any available records to see why Stanley Kitto > was admitted to the > mental hospital? As a general rule there is a 120 year embargo on NSW Health Dept records. State Records web site will give you details on how you might be able access . You need to get permission from the Health Dept Be easier to check with State Records if an inquest file has survived and get copy of that if it has . Try Marias copy service if you cant get to Kingswood mariaskwi@hotmail.com A transcription of his death cert could also give you info On the off chance I just checked the NSW Probate indexes and he left a will .......d 10 Dec 1945 Broken hill ref # 293891 . So should be a Probate Packet and Deceased Estate file out at Kingswood too He lived at 140 Cornish St Broken hill, a miner bye MargM Beautiful Wyong Shire NSW