A sanitorium was built to manage people suffering from tuberculosis in Western Australia in the early 1900′s. Treatment of TB was focused on fresh air and sunshine. The site at Wooroloo was chosen because of the beauty of the countryside and elevation of the site. Patients with leprosy were also isolated at Wooroloo.
Wooroloo is located 60km north east of Perth and 26km north east of Mundaring. The State Library of Western Australia (SLWA) has several images of staff and buildings at Wooroloo Sanitorium, many taken by photographer L.E. Shapcott. The sanitorium opened 8 October 1914.
You can listen to a oral history recorded by a patient with TB, or read Kissing can be Dangerous by Criena Fitzgerald if you go to the State Library in Northbridge.
According to Heritage Council of WA, its use was changed to a medium security prison in June 1970.
Lee-Anne Atkinson has created a site “The Gardens – Family History” with some images of headstones at the cemetery at Wooroloo.
Image 000611D shows a crowd at the opening ceremony in 1914.
Image 000608D shows some of the buildings used by patients.
Dear sir,
John william Webster died on the 16 Dec 11936 from bronchiactisis and toxemia
However, family folklore has it that he also had a wound from a saw mill accident. Can you give me any details??
Bronwen (nee Webster)
I am the grand-daughter of Hilda Wilkinson(Webster)and great-great neice of Ethel Winterbotham. I have a newspaper cutting reporting the death of a Bill Webster who died as a result of a tree felling accident. Please get in touch.
I have just found out that my father had a half brother suffering from TB of the spine who died aged 16 at the Wooroloo Sanatarium. Our whole family knew nothing of this lad, not even his name.
I would like to have a family member go and photograph the sanatorium cemetery and hopefully William Thomas Meakins grave. Is there a way I can get permission to have this done?
nan Bailey
i have family that are buried at Wooraloo cemetery and to the best of my knowledge any one can go and visit. The graves have number markers, so hopefully you should have some luck with what you are looking for.
The cemetery is open to view freely, however, graves are hard to locate if they are older ones. There is a sign at the front that gives you the location of the different denominations.
My Great Great Grandfather is there and I found his grave after about an hour of looking. His grave marker is buried below the dirt line.
Hello your relative William Thomas meakins is buried in the Roman Catholic west section graves 1-416. Grave no 111. I have a location map and a copy of this information is you wish me to email to you. Page 18 of 22. kind regards Michelle
Hello Michelle, Thank you for your offer, I appreciate that. Yes please I would love a site map and the information as it will complete my data on William Thomas Meakins. Can you email it to aus.bailey@gmail.com
Many thanks,
Nan Bailey
I am the grandson of William Oxnam who, I think, was buried in the grounds of the Woooroloo Sanatorium. Is there any way of tracing his records at the sanatorium.
The State Records Office (www.sro.wa.gov.au) has some admission and discharge registers and patient record books for Wooroloo Sanitorium.
It seems William Oxnam was buried at Wooroloo Cemetery, but his medical records are closed until 100 years after death. This cemetery contains burials from 1915 – 1925.
His Death Certificate may provide further information. WA BDM : #183/1923, William Oxnam, Registered at Northam.
Hello. I found a William oxfam in a list of people buried at wooroloo. William oxfam non-conformist section 1-341 grave 113. I have a layout of the cemetery if you wish to send your email address to me. Kind regards michelle
I am searching for two family members who family history says died of TB at Wooroloo Sanitarium probably in the early 1940′s. Would they have been buried at Wooroloo Cemetary and does it still exist? Are there any on line records I can tap into as I live in Darwin NT. Their names are:
Ethel Millicent Mann [nee Cooper] b in WA about 1910 -1920
May Cooper [nee Osborne] b either in WA or NSW
with thanks Margaret Cooper
Margaret Cooper:
Ethel Millicent Mann, late of North Perth, died 1 March 1940, aged 33. She was cremated, and is memorialised at Karrakatta Cemetery.
May Cooper, late of Busselton, died 23/10/1940, aged 54, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. Their Death Certificates from the Registrar of BDMs would give further information.
My uncle’s grandfather Giuseppe Bautista novaglia died in wooroloo in 1927/1928 from TB but there is no records in the cemetery lists or patient records of the santitorium held by SRO Perth.
Any suggestions on where I could look next?
I have several photos of staff and patients taken at the Sanitorium, as my parents were nurses there during the 1950′s. There was also alot of full blood Aboriginal patients there too.
Hi Regina.. My parents and my in laws are all originally from wooroloo. I have 9 sisters and they all worked at the hospital either as nurses or in the catering from 1946 until it closed in 1970. I have a great page on facebook that has many photos of the hospital and the residents ..I would love you to share some of your photos .It was a beautiful place with so many happy memories…Kind regards Patricia Gaden
Hello Patricia
Can you please give your facebook page address please as my sister would like to look at photos. I am not on facebook.
kind regards
Thank you for sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/219446941476934/ HI KAYE THIS IS THE GROUP THAT I HAVE ON FACEBOOK..TELL YOUR SISTER JUST TO TYPE IN ”EARLY DAYS AT WOOROLOO HOSPITAL & THE TOWNSHIP” THEN SHE WILL HAVE TO JOIN THE GROUP.. I DO HAVE SOME GREAT PHOTOS AMONGST THE PAGE.CHEERS PATRICIA GADEN
Thank you Patricia
Thanks Regina. Do you know where I can continue to track down my uncles grandfather guiseppe (joe) novaglia who died at wooroloo in 1927/1928 of tb as shown on papers from the naa on a naturalisation document for his wife Adelaide novaglia. I have come to a end and just wanted to know if there is somewhere else to look? Many thanks Michelle
I am researching libraries in early 20th century Australia and ahve found that the Wooroloo Sanatorium had a library for the patients. The “Honorary Secretary” filled out a survey giving library details but I can not make out his name clearly. His handwriting is terrible. He was the secretary of the Progress and Patimes Club which ran the library for residents. His correspondence dates from 1934. Would anyone know his name?
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I stayed there in 2012 as a prisoner.The place is haunted.Make no mistake
I have a granduncle, John Boyle, who is buried in the Wooroloo Sanatorium Cemetery.He was a Scottish engineer in the British Army and posted to Calcutta where I presume he got Tuberculosis. Went to Wooroloo in Nov 1916 and died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in May 1917.He is buried in the Non conformist (presumably he was Scottish Presbyterian) section of the Cemetery in Grave No. 13.
Is anyone living nearby and able to send me a photo of his gravesite?
Thanks
Hello Michael,
I checked with the Shire of Mundaring and they state that there is no burial for John Boyle but a Robert Boyle b 1884 buried 24 May 1917 aged 33yrs NC 13 (non conformist) – there is no headstone just a mound of dirt with the number on it so not a good photo oportunity. Could his name be John Robert or Robert John?
I checked on Trove and there is an article on the death of Robert Boyle in the West Australian 24 May 1917 Personal – it mentions him being an engineer to an Indian company. Came to WA for his health but died here. Think this might be the person you are looking for.
Kind Regards Sue
Thanks Sue. This is ‘my’ Robert Boyle. I incorrectly gave his forename as John – it should be Robert -. Thanks very much.
Mike
Hi, I am looking for information on my great grandfather, ie which grave he’s buried in.
I know he is buried at Wooroloo Cemetery, he died at Wooroloo Sanitorium 27th June 1953 and was buried in the Church of England Cemetery Wooroloo 29th June 1953. His name was Fredrick/Frederick William May.
Any information you could provide us with would be very much appreciated.
Thank you
Hello Donna, I suggest if you are able, to come in to the State Library of WA in Perth and talk to the staff and browse through the collections. Contact details for the Library can be found at http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/about_us/contact_us
I am looking for Emile Jane Turnor. B 23/2/1873 d 13/3/1921 of tb. Emile was a patient at the Wooroloo Tuberculosis. I would like to find out where she is buried. Please I really hope that you can help me. Emile is my uncle’s grand mother. Thank you Ann Clarke
Hi Donna
There is a F. W. May buried in the Church of England “D” section at Wooroloo Cemetery.
Grave number 114. I hope this is some help to you.
Brooke
Thank you Brooke
Hi – I am very impressed with the information given and wonder if you can assist me with locating the grave of my husbands grandfather – and whether there would be anything to see if I visited. He died of TB in Wooroloo in May 1919 Frederick William Taney. Thanks very much for any info. Anne Maree
F W Taney is buried in Church of England East Section Grave no 133 – if you contact the Mundaring Shire they might be able to tell you if there is a headstone??
Hi Anne Maree
I have found an F.W Taney in the Church of England section at Wooroloo cemetery, grave number 133. My Great Grandmother is buried in the same section and the graves are mound graves with a cast iron number marker. His grave site is in the fourth row around about the middle. I hope this helps you.
All the best
Brooke
Hi Sue – Thanks you very much – your reply is much appreciated!
Thanks very much Brooke – it helps a lot and much appreciated – Regards Anne Maree
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