Fire Destroys Historic Abandoned Hospital Building in Southern Tasmania

A 90-year-old former mental health facility in southern Tasmania has been destroyed by a fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday morning. Emergency services responded to the blaze at the abandoned original Millbrook Rise building located on Hobart Road in New Norfolk after receiving numerous Triple Zero (000) calls starting around 1:30 am.

Emergency Response and Extinguishment

Firefighters from local and surrounding brigades attended the scene to battle the flames, which had fully engulfed the structure. Specialist firefighting equipment was dispatched from Hobart to assist with the response. Crews managed to bring the fire under control and extinguish it several hours after arriving.

History of the Millbrook Rise Site

The site holds significant historical background in the region. According to the local history organization Willow Court Heritage Site Inc, the Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital officially opened in February 1934. It initially served individuals returning from war and their families before expanding services to the general public.

The property later became part of the Royal Derwent Hospital network until that facility permanently closed in 2001. While the original building destroyed in the fire had been vacant and abandoned for several years, Tasmania's Health Department continues to operate the Millbrook Rise Centre for Rehabilitation in adjacent buildings nearby.