Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Encyclopedia
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, originally known as Queens Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital, operated from 1904 to its closure in 1996. Perched high on the banks of the Yarra River
at Yarra Bend in the inner Melbourne
suburb of Fairfield
, it developed an international reputation for the research and treatment of infectious diseases. When it closed, it was the last specific infectious disease
s hospital
in Australia
.
Initially the hospital was devoted to the treatment of patients with fevers. Diseases treated included typhoid, diphtheria
, cholera
, smallpox
, poliomyelitis
and scarlet fever
, and in its final years, HIV/AIDS
became very prominent.
and Alfred and three specialist hospitals, Lying-In
, Children's
and Eye and Ear. These five hospitals were unable to cope with the annual bouts of infectious diseases which recurred frequently. The Colonial Government began discussing the idea of constructing a hospital to treat patients with infectious diseases. Two sites were considered, one at Yarra Bend and another further along Heidelberg Road. Yarra Bend was the preferred location however the local residents protested and the proposal was dropped.
Plans for an infectious diseases hospital were again considered in 1874 however no significant moves were made until 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee. Queen Victoria had made it know that any funds raised to celebrate her Jubilee should be used to help the sick. By November 1897, £16 000 was raised by municipal levies. The government granted 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of land at Yarra Bend, due north of the Yarra Bend Asylum
. Tenders were listed in 1900 for the hospital's first buildings and construction was completed in 1901. Unfortunately all of the funds had been consumed by building the hospital and further money had to be sourced to furnish the buildings and employ staff.
, Fitzroy
, Richmond
, St. Kilda
, Brunswick
and Coburg
councils. Each council contributed to the upkeep of the hospital and in return they had a seat on the Hospital Board and their ratepayers were treated free of charge. Other councils were required to pay for any of their residents who required the use of the hospital. Six patients were admitted to the hospital during its first week, one of whom died. This was a public scandal as the child who died was from Northcote
and there had been a delay in admitting him whilst the Town Clerk of Northcote debated who was to pay for the boy's hospital fees.
Because of public disquiet about the running of the hospital, an inquiry was held in 1912. This led to a 1914 Act of Parliament, which established a board of management. In 1915 the board was further expanded with Northcote
and Preston joining the board. All councils now contributed to the upkeep of the hospital as well as receiving funding from the State Government.
's ports were placed under quarantine
in an attempt to avoid the introduction into Australia of the Spanish Influenza epidemic
which was claiming thousands of lives around the world. While the quarantine had some effect in limiting the introduction of the disease to Australia, the first cases were eventually diagnosed and patients were hospitalised, causing a sharp rise in intake figures. Fairfield Hospital's intake of patients had remained stable until 1918-1920; during these years the intake jumped to 6000 patients a year, which would remain the average until the late 1980s.
of poliomyelitis
. All acute cases were sent to Queen's Memorial Hospital and Medical Superintendent Dr F.V.G. Scholes, set aside 230 beds for polio patients. 1275 polio patients were admitted between July 1937 and July 1938. Most were less than 14 years old, 140 had respiratory paralysis and 106 required respirator treatment in an iron lung
. Seventy seven of these patients died and many were permanently disabled.
Prior to the 1937 epidemic, the hospital had only one iron lung, a 'Drinker' respirator. It had been imported from London
treat the occasional case of diphtheritic paralysis, a partial paralysis
that may follow diphtheria, affecting the soft palate
and throat muscles. With the onset of the 1937 epidemic, more respirators were urgently required. Six new wooden respirators were developed and installed by Aubrey Burstall, the Professor of Engineering at the University of Melbourne
, with 23 more to follow shortly after. During the height of the epidemic, up to 47 patients were using the hospital's 30 respirators on a 'time share' basis.
Further polio epidemics in 1947-48 and 1951-52 saw more patients sent to Fairfield for treatment and rehabilitation. The discovery of Salk vaccine and Sabin vaccine in the 1950s saw polio virtually eradicated from Australia.
In 1959 Vivian Bullwinkel
is appointed Matron of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. After her retirement in 1977, she is honoured with The Vivian Bullwinkel School of Nursing being opened at Fairfield Hospital in September 1978.
laboratory was established at Fairfield Hospital in 1950 to undertake clinical, diagnostic and research services for the many patients with viral
infections. Under the guidance of Dr Alan Ferris (1950–1970) and Professor Ian Gust
(1970–1990), Fairfield gained a world wide reputation for education, research and treatment. The laboratory was the first to isolate hepatitis A
virus
and one of the first strains of respiratory syncytial virus (the A2 strain, now a reference A group virus).
With the emergence of the HIV
virus in Australia in the early 1980s, Fairfield Hospital and its virology laboratory became one of the primary centre's for patient care, diagnostic services, public health
reference and research into AIDS
in Australia. During this period it was suggested that the virology
research functions should be transferred to a more independently managed research centre within Fairfield Hospital.
In 1983, Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet
became the founding patron of the new research centre. Macfarlane Burnet, a Nobel Laureate had been appointed Honorary Consultant Epidemiologist at Fairfield Hospital in 1946, a position he held until his death in 1985. Following his death, Professor Gust and the Burnet family agreed that the virology research centre should be named the Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research (later changed to the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health), in honour of Sir Frank.
The Burnet Institute continued to operate on the grounds of Fairfield Hospital up until the hospital's closure.
. By mid 1983 AIDS was declared a notifiable disease
in Victoria and Dr Ron Lucas, seconded to the CDC
from Fairfield Hospital recommends that Fairfield staff warn the homosexual community of the impending illness. In November 1983, Fairfield's Professor Ian Gust begins a collaboration with Dr Luc Montagnier
of the Pasteur Institute
in Paris to develop tests to detect HIV infection. As a result of their success, the Fairfield Hospital Laboratory begings regular testing of Australian blood products in 1984, several months before the rest of the world.
The first patient with AIDS was admitted to Fairfield Hospital in April 1984. In October 1984 the first AIDS outpatients clinic at Fairfield Hospital opened on Friday afternoons. Twenty five percent of initial patients are found to be HIV+. During the late 1980s, admission rates to soar to 10,000 a year, as HIV infection rates continue to increase. In 1990 researchers from Fairfield Hospital publish findings from two of their studies about HIV resistance to the drug AZT
during treatment. Their studies show that some people with HIV who take AZT develop resistance
to the drug and then lose that resistance when treatment is stopped. They suggest that three or more drugs are needed to be used together to treat HIV effectively (also known as combination therapy
).
Fairfield Hospital continued to offer care and treatment for patients with HIV and AIDS into the 1990s. In 1991, large public protests were organised against the possible closure of the hospital. However, by 1996 the majority of the hospital's HIV services had been relocated to The Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospital
s and Fairfield Hospital ceased operations.
was initially proposed however it was eventually decided that a site on hospital grounds was more appropriate. Construction began 1987 with materials and professional services provided by volunteers, donators, the Victorian AIDS Council, Northcote City Council
and Fairfield Hospital. The garden featured several Victorian style
garden seats which were donated by families who had lost members through AIDS, a gazebo
, rockeries and plantings of local indigenous plants and was on April 9, 1988.
The garden fell into disrepair following the closure of Fairfield Hospital. As part of the agreement to purchase the bulk of the former hospital's site, NMIT accepted responsibility for the care and maintenance of the garden. However when construction workers found vials of infectious diseases such as E. coli
in the adjacent Yarra House, a strike was called and work on Yarra House (and the memorial garden) ceased.
Initial intentions were that the garden not be a memorial but instead an area of respite and reflection.
. Other infectious disease patients were to be cared for by the Royal Melbourne Hospital
. In the 1990s, the Victorian Liberal Government of Jeff Kennett
pursued the rationalisation of hospital services. Despite strong protests, the specialised functions of the hospital were transferred to other hospitals and on 30 June 1996 Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital closed down.
Since closure in 1996 most of the hospital site has been redeveloped. The northern portion of the site including the majority of the hospital buildings were sold to NMIT
. Redevelopment of the site was halted in September 2001 when workers found vials of E. coli and other bacteria in the ceiling of one of the buildings. This resulted in industrial action, which was later addressed. Many of the remaining buildings have been adapted for use by NMIT. Also using part of the site is the Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Service, operated by the Department of Human Services
. The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital occupies the southern portion of the site, adjacent to the area formerly occupied by Fairlea Women's Prison
.
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
at Yarra Bend in the inner Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Fairfield
Fairfield, Victoria
Fairfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra...
, it developed an international reputation for the research and treatment of infectious diseases. When it closed, it was the last specific infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
s hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Initially the hospital was devoted to the treatment of patients with fevers. Diseases treated included typhoid, diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
, cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
and scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
, and in its final years, HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
became very prominent.
Site and planning
In the 1860s, the colony of Victoria was rife with diseases such as diphtheria, typhoid, small pox and scarlet fever. At the time, Melbourne had two general hospitals, MelbourneRoyal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
and Alfred and three specialist hospitals, Lying-In
Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
The Royal Women's Hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, is Australia's largest specialist women's hospital, offering a full range of services in maternity, gynaecology, neonatal care and women's health. It also offers complementary services such as social work, physiotherapy and...
, Children's
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
The Royal Children's Hospital is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.As the major paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital and offers a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and adolescents...
and Eye and Ear. These five hospitals were unable to cope with the annual bouts of infectious diseases which recurred frequently. The Colonial Government began discussing the idea of constructing a hospital to treat patients with infectious diseases. Two sites were considered, one at Yarra Bend and another further along Heidelberg Road. Yarra Bend was the preferred location however the local residents protested and the proposal was dropped.
Plans for an infectious diseases hospital were again considered in 1874 however no significant moves were made until 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
Diamond Jubilee. Queen Victoria had made it know that any funds raised to celebrate her Jubilee should be used to help the sick. By November 1897, £16 000 was raised by municipal levies. The government granted 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of land at Yarra Bend, due north of the Yarra Bend Asylum
Yarra Bend Asylum
Yarra Bend Asylum was the first permanent institution established in Victoria that was devoted to the treatment of the mentally ill. It opened in 1848 as a ward of the Asylum at Tarban Creek in New South Wales. It was not officially called Yarra Bend Asylum until July 1851 when the Port Phillip...
. Tenders were listed in 1900 for the hospital's first buildings and construction was completed in 1901. Unfortunately all of the funds had been consumed by building the hospital and further money had to be sourced to furnish the buildings and employ staff.
Early years
In 1904 the hospital opened its doors. Funds for operating the hospital were drawn from MelbourneCity of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
, Fitzroy
City of Fitzroy
The City of Fitzroy was a Local Government Area located about northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , making it the smallest municipality by land area in Victoria, and existed from 1858 until 1994....
, Richmond
City of Richmond
The City of Richmond was a Local Government Area located about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
, St. Kilda
City of St Kilda
The City of St Kilda was a Local Government Area located on Port Phillip about south of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
, Brunswick
City of Brunswick
The City of Brunswick is the name of a former Local Government Area in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprised the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East and West Brunswick...
and Coburg
City of Coburg
The City of Coburg was a Local Government Area located about north of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1859 until 1994.-History:...
councils. Each council contributed to the upkeep of the hospital and in return they had a seat on the Hospital Board and their ratepayers were treated free of charge. Other councils were required to pay for any of their residents who required the use of the hospital. Six patients were admitted to the hospital during its first week, one of whom died. This was a public scandal as the child who died was from Northcote
City of Northcote
The City of Northcote was a Local Government Area located about northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1883 until 1994.-History:...
and there had been a delay in admitting him whilst the Town Clerk of Northcote debated who was to pay for the boy's hospital fees.
Because of public disquiet about the running of the hospital, an inquiry was held in 1912. This led to a 1914 Act of Parliament, which established a board of management. In 1915 the board was further expanded with Northcote
City of Northcote
The City of Northcote was a Local Government Area located about northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1883 until 1994.-History:...
and Preston joining the board. All councils now contributed to the upkeep of the hospital as well as receiving funding from the State Government.
Spanish Influenza
In 1918 Melbourne and SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's ports were placed under quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
in an attempt to avoid the introduction into Australia of the Spanish Influenza epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
which was claiming thousands of lives around the world. While the quarantine had some effect in limiting the introduction of the disease to Australia, the first cases were eventually diagnosed and patients were hospitalised, causing a sharp rise in intake figures. Fairfield Hospital's intake of patients had remained stable until 1918-1920; during these years the intake jumped to 6000 patients a year, which would remain the average until the late 1980s.
Polio epidemic
In the late 1930s, Australia was struck by an epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
of poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. All acute cases were sent to Queen's Memorial Hospital and Medical Superintendent Dr F.V.G. Scholes, set aside 230 beds for polio patients. 1275 polio patients were admitted between July 1937 and July 1938. Most were less than 14 years old, 140 had respiratory paralysis and 106 required respirator treatment in an iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
. Seventy seven of these patients died and many were permanently disabled.
Prior to the 1937 epidemic, the hospital had only one iron lung, a 'Drinker' respirator. It had been imported from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
treat the occasional case of diphtheritic paralysis, a partial paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
that may follow diphtheria, affecting the soft palate
Soft palate
The soft palate is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone....
and throat muscles. With the onset of the 1937 epidemic, more respirators were urgently required. Six new wooden respirators were developed and installed by Aubrey Burstall, the Professor of Engineering at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, with 23 more to follow shortly after. During the height of the epidemic, up to 47 patients were using the hospital's 30 respirators on a 'time share' basis.
Further polio epidemics in 1947-48 and 1951-52 saw more patients sent to Fairfield for treatment and rehabilitation. The discovery of Salk vaccine and Sabin vaccine in the 1950s saw polio virtually eradicated from Australia.
Fairfield Hospital
After the Second World War, the mass production of penicillin and other antibiotics enabled a decline in several infectious diseases. As a result, in 1948 new legislation enabled the hospital to treat general medical and surgical patients, and the Queen's Memorial Hospital was renamed Fairfield Hospital.In 1959 Vivian Bullwinkel
Vivian Bullwinkel
Vivian Bullwinkel, Mrs. Statham, AO, MBE, ARRC, ED was an Australian Army nurse during the Second World War. She was the sole survivor of the Banka Island Massacre, when the Japanese killed 21 of her fellow nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island on 16 February 1942.-Personal life:She was born as...
is appointed Matron of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. After her retirement in 1977, she is honoured with The Vivian Bullwinkel School of Nursing being opened at Fairfield Hospital in September 1978.
Burnet Institute
A virologyVirology
Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
laboratory was established at Fairfield Hospital in 1950 to undertake clinical, diagnostic and research services for the many patients with viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
infections. Under the guidance of Dr Alan Ferris (1950–1970) and Professor Ian Gust
Ian Gust
Professor Ian D. Gust is an Australian medical virologist. He was the research and development director for CSL Limited. Since his retirement in 2008, he has been a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the University of Melbourne...
(1970–1990), Fairfield gained a world wide reputation for education, research and treatment. The laboratory was the first to isolate hepatitis A
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus , an RNA virus, usually spread the fecal-oral route; transmitted person-to-person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infectious person...
virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
and one of the first strains of respiratory syncytial virus (the A2 strain, now a reference A group virus).
With the emergence of the HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
virus in Australia in the early 1980s, Fairfield Hospital and its virology laboratory became one of the primary centre's for patient care, diagnostic services, public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
reference and research into AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in Australia. During this period it was suggested that the virology
Virology
Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
research functions should be transferred to a more independently managed research centre within Fairfield Hospital.
In 1983, Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet
Frank Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, , usually known as Macfarlane or Mac Burnet, was an Australian virologist best known for his contributions to immunology....
became the founding patron of the new research centre. Macfarlane Burnet, a Nobel Laureate had been appointed Honorary Consultant Epidemiologist at Fairfield Hospital in 1946, a position he held until his death in 1985. Following his death, Professor Gust and the Burnet family agreed that the virology research centre should be named the Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research (later changed to the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health), in honour of Sir Frank.
The Burnet Institute continued to operate on the grounds of Fairfield Hospital up until the hospital's closure.
HIV/AIDS
In November 1982, the first case of AIDS was diagnosed at St Vincent's Hospital, SydneySt Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
St Vincent's Public Hospital, Sydney is located in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. Though part of the New South Wales state public health system it remains under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity.-History:...
. By mid 1983 AIDS was declared a notifiable disease
Notifiable disease
A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks. Many governments have enacted regulations for reporting of both human...
in Victoria and Dr Ron Lucas, seconded to the CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
from Fairfield Hospital recommends that Fairfield staff warn the homosexual community of the impending illness. In November 1983, Fairfield's Professor Ian Gust begins a collaboration with Dr Luc Montagnier
Luc Montagnier
Luc Antoine Montagnier is a French virologist and joint recipient with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus...
of the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
in Paris to develop tests to detect HIV infection. As a result of their success, the Fairfield Hospital Laboratory begings regular testing of Australian blood products in 1984, several months before the rest of the world.
The first patient with AIDS was admitted to Fairfield Hospital in April 1984. In October 1984 the first AIDS outpatients clinic at Fairfield Hospital opened on Friday afternoons. Twenty five percent of initial patients are found to be HIV+. During the late 1980s, admission rates to soar to 10,000 a year, as HIV infection rates continue to increase. In 1990 researchers from Fairfield Hospital publish findings from two of their studies about HIV resistance to the drug AZT
Zidovudine
Zidovudine or azidothymidine is a nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor , a type of antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. It is an analog of thymidine....
during treatment. Their studies show that some people with HIV who take AZT develop resistance
Drug resistance
Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a drug such as an antimicrobial or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition. When the drug is not intended to kill or inhibit a pathogen, then the term is equivalent to dosage failure or drug tolerance. More commonly, the term is used...
to the drug and then lose that resistance when treatment is stopped. They suggest that three or more drugs are needed to be used together to treat HIV effectively (also known as combination therapy
Combination therapy
Combination therapy or polytherapy is the use of more than one medication or other therapy. In contrast, monotherapy is any therapy which is taken by itself....
).
Fairfield Hospital continued to offer care and treatment for patients with HIV and AIDS into the 1990s. In 1991, large public protests were organised against the possible closure of the hospital. However, by 1996 the majority of the hospital's HIV services had been relocated to The Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospital
Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
s and Fairfield Hospital ceased operations.
AIDS Memorial Garden
In the mid 1980s, the Victorian AIDS Council and the management of Fairfield Hospital proposed the establishment of a garden and walk for the use of Fairfield Hospital patients and their families, particularly those with HIV. An area of river frontage owned by Collingwood CouncilCity of Collingwood
The City of Collingwood was a Local Government Area located about east-northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
was initially proposed however it was eventually decided that a site on hospital grounds was more appropriate. Construction began 1987 with materials and professional services provided by volunteers, donators, the Victorian AIDS Council, Northcote City Council
City of Northcote
The City of Northcote was a Local Government Area located about northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1883 until 1994.-History:...
and Fairfield Hospital. The garden featured several Victorian style
Victorian decorative arts
Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior...
garden seats which were donated by families who had lost members through AIDS, a gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
, rockeries and plantings of local indigenous plants and was on April 9, 1988.
The garden fell into disrepair following the closure of Fairfield Hospital. As part of the agreement to purchase the bulk of the former hospital's site, NMIT accepted responsibility for the care and maintenance of the garden. However when construction workers found vials of infectious diseases such as E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
in the adjacent Yarra House, a strike was called and work on Yarra House (and the memorial garden) ceased.
Initial intentions were that the garden not be a memorial but instead an area of respite and reflection.
Closure and redevelopment
In September 1991 the Report of the Review of Infectious Diseases in Victoria recommended the relocation of HIV/AIDS services to The Alfred HospitalThe Alfred Hospital
The Alfred, also known as Alfred Hospital or The Alfred Hospital, is a major hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria, and the oldest Melbourne hospital still operating on its original site...
. Other infectious disease patients were to be cared for by the Royal Melbourne Hospital
Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
. In the 1990s, the Victorian Liberal Government of Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
pursued the rationalisation of hospital services. Despite strong protests, the specialised functions of the hospital were transferred to other hospitals and on 30 June 1996 Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital closed down.
Since closure in 1996 most of the hospital site has been redeveloped. The northern portion of the site including the majority of the hospital buildings were sold to NMIT
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...
. Redevelopment of the site was halted in September 2001 when workers found vials of E. coli and other bacteria in the ceiling of one of the buildings. This resulted in industrial action, which was later addressed. Many of the remaining buildings have been adapted for use by NMIT. Also using part of the site is the Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Service, operated by the Department of Human Services
Department of Human Services
A Department of Human Services or Ministry of Human Services is a national or subnational umbrella agency which is responsible for providing public assistance programs to the population they serve...
. The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital occupies the southern portion of the site, adjacent to the area formerly occupied by Fairlea Women's Prison
HM Prison Fairlea
HM Prison Fairlea was an Australian female prison located on Yarra Bend Road in the suburb of Fairfield, Victoria, Australia. The first all-female prison in Victoria, it was built on the site of the Yarra Bend Asylum, with remnants of the walls and gates being used in the layout of the prison. In...
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See also
- Yarra Bend AsylumYarra Bend AsylumYarra Bend Asylum was the first permanent institution established in Victoria that was devoted to the treatment of the mentally ill. It opened in 1848 as a ward of the Asylum at Tarban Creek in New South Wales. It was not officially called Yarra Bend Asylum until July 1851 when the Port Phillip...
- Burnet InstituteBurnet Instituteis an Australian not-for-profit, independent non-government organisation that aims to achieve better health for poor and vulnerable communities in Australia and overseas through research, education and public health....
- Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFENorthern Melbourne Institute of TAFENorthern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...
- HM Prison FairleaHM Prison FairleaHM Prison Fairlea was an Australian female prison located on Yarra Bend Road in the suburb of Fairfield, Victoria, Australia. The first all-female prison in Victoria, it was built on the site of the Yarra Bend Asylum, with remnants of the walls and gates being used in the layout of the prison. In...