Tara Psychiatric Hospital

Tara The H Moross Psychiatric Hospital
Gauteng Department of Health
Geography
LocationHurlingham, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Coordinates26°06′29″S 28°02′18″E / 26.108084°S 28.038204°E / -26.108084; 28.038204
Organisation
Care systemPublic
TypePsychiatric
Affiliated universityUniversity of the Witwatersrand
History
Founded1945

Tara Psychiatric Hospital is a public psychiatric hospital in Hurlingham, Sandton, Gauteng. It is situated to the north of the Johannesburg city centre.

History

In its original form, Tara was a large estate north of the Johannesburg CBD.[1] During the Second World War, it was occupied by the Red Cross and was a plastic surgery unit.[1] That role ended in 1945 and as the Department of Defence needed to move 150 military psychiatric patients when the Potchefstroom Military Hospital was closed that year, so a decision was made to transfer them to Tara.[1] It was run by the military from November 1945 until September 1946.[1]

In September 1946, with the Transvaal Provincial authorities required a psychiatric hospital for civilians, this site was hand over to them to be managed by the Johannesburg General Hospital.[1] In the 1950s, medical, surgical, and neurosurgical sections were opened.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Minde, M. (March 1975). "History of Mental Health Services in South Africa - Part VI. The Transvaal". South African Medical Journal. 49 (10): 367–374. doi:10.10520/AJA20785135_23661.