Ararat, Vic

Day 6 Wednesday 24/12/2025 Ararat, breezy 10 – 20

To pique our curiosity, we return to Aradale Lunatic Asylum (Aradale Mental Hospital) once more. Aradale operated as a psychiatric hospital from 1865 until 1998. This time we hoof it through the shrubbery. The property is massive, the first building we come across is more recent with a mid-century look to it. There are office structures, buildings and sheds all from different decades, and buildings with rusting wire mesh walkways.

The main building is set on the crown of a hill overlooking orchards and vineyards towards Green Hill Lake. Thankfully the grass has be mown though the plants give the place the feel of a haunted house of horrors. We follow a bluestone capped brick wall down the hill, make our way through shrubbery and follow an old stairway until 3 storeys loom above us, 2 gated archways, and more rusted wire mesh walkways connect the 2 crenelated towers. A decrepit driveway encircles an empty pond. This is the stuff of nightmares, and I try not to dwell on the lives of those who were driven up this driveway and dropped off at the front gate never to be seen again.

Our guide at J Ward conducts ghost tours at Aradale but they are limited to 2 tours a week, each hosted by a different guide. The reason for this is the lead-based paint that has been used throughout the building. The guides must also have regular blood tests to check for lead poisoning.  The deadly paint is also the reason why the property hasn’t been restored.

Keeping in the spirit of this holiday we continue up the road to get a comparison glimpse of the modern Ararat prison, Hopkins Correctional Centre for sex offenders. It certainly looks better, but we’ve had enough of this ghoulish touring.

We return to camp for Christmas Eve nibbles, lobster puffs, chicken and feta sausage rolls, washed down with Lemon and ginger spritz and a heavenly bottle of De Bortoli Noble One.

Accom: $38.00

Sources: Wikipedia, Aradale Mental Hospital and Aradale.com.au