A Place for Convicts: The Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, Western Australia and John Conolly's "Ideal Asylum"

This article considers the mid to late nineteenth-century world of the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, Western Australia. By examining the built environment of the asylum and the uses of spaces within its walls, it is possible to understand not just the experiences of the inmates, but to highlight attitudes towards the insane. The asylum was built under authority of the British Government, and later transferred to the Western Australian Government’s care. Reflecting on this volume’s theme of colonial institutions, this article will highlight the effects of center and periphery relationships on life within the asylum.