| Z Ward Behind the Walls Tour Step inside one of South Australia’s most intriguing historic sites.For almost 90 years Glenside’s Z Ward was home to South Australia’s “criminally insane”, patients who sat on the overlapping edges of criminality and mental illness. Z Wards construction was completed in 1885 however, it was not opened until 1888. Patients who were accommodated in Z Ward were Governor’s pleasure patients: those acquitted of their crime on the grounds of their insanity. The majority were people charged and convicted of a minor offence, but exhibiting sufficient signs of psychiatric instability that it was thought more beneficial for them to be placed in an asylum rather than in a gaol to serve their sentence. It’s also home to a rare, complete example of a ‘Ha Ha Wall’, a deceptive piece of design that provided security to the building while softening the prison-like image that high walls would have conveyed. Whether you have a passion for history, heritage or simply want to discover a side of Adelaide’s past that is rarely seen, this is an experience not to be missed.Tickets only available online – book early to secure your place. Sunday, 6 April 2025 2:00 pm – Sunday, 6 December 2026 3:30 pm Buy tickets |
