Aradale Asylum draws 10,000 visitors a year to Ararat - more people than live in the town – but that hasn’t stopped the landlords from shutting the asylum down citing safety concerns.
Ghost tour workers, as well as member for Ripon Martha Haylett, claim inquiries about the health of the site have been “ignored” for years.
Image: Aradale Asylum
What happened: Nathaniel Buchanan, who runs Eerie Tours and has led ghost tours at Aradale Asylum for 16 years, told the Brolga the closure is an "economic disaster for the town”.
Aradale Asylum was operational as a mental hospital until 1993. It was open for 126 years, and collectively, it’s made up of 64 buildings.
Like many historic asylums, it was the site for many now-outlawed, controversial treatments that involved electroshock and restraints.
Image: Aradale Asylum
Although owned by the state government, the asylum has been leased to Melbourne Polytechnic - a TAFE institution - for the past 25 years, with the initial intention to use the site as the location for a viticulture course.
When this was unsuccessful, it became a popular destination for ghost tours - both nationally and internationally.
“We attract about 20 million Youtube hits every year with international ghost hunters coming to Aradale,” Buchanan said. “That’s 20 million views putting Aradale and Ararat on the TV in front of people.”
In a statement to the Brolga, a spokesperson for Melbourne Polytechnic said the decision to close came after a recent safety inspection found a number of buildings were not safe for public access.
“The decision to close the site was made in the interests of public safety and we recognise how difficult this is for the community groups, tourism operators and local businesses that rely on access to Aradale”, said the spokesperson, adding work had begun “at pace” to enable safer entry.
Image: Aradale Asylum
The background: Buchanan said it’s been an ongoing battle to have the building maintained.
“Every repair claim has been ignored,” he said.
Martha Haylett, the member for Ripon, told the Brolga Melbourne Polytechnic has “ignored” her inquiries for many years and had “failed to recognise the enormous contribution Eerie Tours makes to our local economy, tourism industry and community”.
“Local motels, restaurants, cafes and retailers are already feeling the impact of this decision, with businesses losing bookings and income almost immediately,” she said.
Image: Aradale Asylum
Why does it matter? Buchanan said that each weekend, hundreds of people come through the building.
“10,000 a year come for the asylum. That’s more than the population of the town itself,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest regional tourist attractions in Victoria”.
Image: Aradale Asylum
Buchanan added hotel providers have already reached out to him following the announcement, stating they’ve "just lost 70 percent of their weekend traffic”.
Prior to the sudden announcement, Buchanan had thought the issues would be resolved soon.
“We’ve been thinking we’re making progress; thought we were in the clear. We got a letter from the TAFE administrator saying they were working on it,” he told the Brolga.
Image: Aradale Asylum
What next? Buchanan has contacted Deputy Premier Gabrielle WIlliams to reverse the decision, who is also the Minister for Skills and Training. This portfolio is directly responsible for TAFEs, like Melbourne Polytechnic, across the state.
“We’re speaking with Haylett, members of the opposition. The council is working on it, they’re furious. Local MPs from both sides are furious. Who’s going to come here now?”
Image: Aradale Asylum