VPRS 18423 Leave of Absence Registers

These records contain leave of absence registers documenting patients who were on leave from the Beechworth Mental Hospital. Leave gave patients an opportunity to be released for a specified period into another person's custody, to test whether the patient should be discharged. Whilst a number of terms have been used to describe leave, essentially it falls into two (2) categories: 7 day trial leave also known as leave of absence or short term trial leave. As the name suggests it was leave granted for a specified period of time. The other form was trial leave or probation. This was leave granted for a substantial amount of time and was often extended. Patients were often discharged whilst on trial leave.The registers contain entries under the following headings: whether male or female, type of admission ("V" = Voluntary; "I" = Involuntary etc), name of patient (surname first), number in register, period of leave allowed, date of return or discharge, and the name, relationship and address of guardian. In some instances the patient died whilst on leave and so was not returned or discharged.The numbering system recommences in Unit 2. This unit does not include the type of admission. However, it does include the date of the patient's admissionThe registers in this series combine to form a continuous sequence from 1965 to 1988. The registers were maintained to record leave of absence for patients. Each entry was made chronologically. There is an index at the front of Unit 1 in the form of groupings of name by letter of the alphabet. References are to the relevant folios in that register. There may be several references in a register for a particular patient. All entries are double page entries.Sometimes patients were discharged during Leave of Absence.In accordance with s.60 of the Lunacy Act 1867 (No. 309), the superintendent of any asylum or licensed house, with the consent in writing of the superintendent thereof if not himself such superintendent, and also in both cases with the consent in writing of the inspector, could send any patient to any specified place for any definite time for the benefit of his health, and could also permit any patient to be absent from any such asylum or house upon trial for such period as may be thought fit. Further, the Inspector himself could permit any patient to be absent from any asylum or licensed house upon trial for such period as he saw fit.Pursuant to Section 87 of the Mental Health Act 1959 (No. 6605 ), the inspector could of his own authority permit any patient to be absent from any institution upon trial leave or upon parole for such period as he thought fit. Likewise, the chief medical officer could of his own authority permit any patient to be absent from any institution upon trial leave or upon parole for such period as he thought fit.Reference: AS/1995/196-07, 08