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.
Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd
ISBN: 9781925984910
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
Kate Leach –
Very well written piece of research into the dark history of Aradale Asylum ! It is not so much about ghosts but rather how the dark history of places like Aradale impacts on historical sites creating feelings of hauntedness.
Taleala Wilce-Bone –
An accomplished, atmospheric and thought provoking read! This book gives a fascinating insight into the psychological and historcal impact one building can have.
Marius Mada –
A really interesting book!
Craig Collas –
wonderfully insightful book enabling the reader to understand both the contemporary narrative of justice and how the Victorian era dealt with some of these same issues
Anya Ciobanca –
A fascinating and very well written book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It gives a unique insight into life in the asylum, explained from a Jungian perspective. I would highly recommend both to professionals and lay people.
Sandeep Chandra Chowdhary –
An excellent analysis of how an institution originally designed to help people became a place of abuse, neglect and evil. Very well researched and written. Deep insights into how professional people and the system they are part of can both descend into injustice and tyranny and how difficult it is for the outside world to get to know about such developments.
Mary Simuyandi –
Very well researched and written. A very powerful piece of local and national history.
Cassandra Crombie –
Absolutely fantastic. Loved how it referred to the shadow. Great mix of psychological and historical
Kimberley Crombie –
This book grabbed me at the first page as it shows u the trauma and what took place here and sadness of those that were there it also showing you how it became to me known as haunted and the trauma was explained just truly a must read
Jasmine Littlejohn –
An excellent read. More than just a ghost story. The book examines how a heritage site becomes haunted and the processes by which it becomes a major dark tourism attraction. Trauma, popular culture, exploitation and grief are all key themes behind this great book.