Publication

2020 - Arcadia, an imprint of Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd, North Melbourne, Victoria, Victoria

Language

English

Word Count

42,750 words, Guess

Page Count

171 pages

Identifiers

Classifications

  • DDC362.2/1099457
  • LCCHV3008.A82 A739 2020

Description

First built in 1867, the remarkable Gothic structure of the former Ararat Lunatic Asylum, colloquially known as Aradale, has overlooked the regional town of Ararat for over 150 years. Throughout its history it has seen remarkable transformations in the history of Australian psychiatry and western society's treatment of the mentally ill, and it has participated in some of their darkest scandals. Today in popular press, the labyrinthine complex is commonly acclaimed as 'Australia's most haunted building' and is home to a flourishing dark tourism industry boasting tens of thousands of visitors a year. This book explores the history of the former asylum, and examines what is it that makes a place 'haunted' in the popular imagination, and what it is about hauntings that so invariably connects them with problematic histories.

Subjects

Reader Reviews

No reviews yet for this book.

Be the first to share your thoughts!