The gold rush brought thousands of British migrants to Australia in the 1850s. Known as “The Maddest Place on Earth,” the colonial government quickly ordered the construction of several mental health facilities outside of Melbourne. The Aradale Mental Hospital housed hundreds of thousands of people deemed “insane.” Most of these people lived out the rest of their lives at the hospital…and continue to haunt the compound today.  

Parcasters - For more stories of delusion, check out the tragic upbringing of Hercules on our Mythology podcast at parcast.com/mythology

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