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George SHOMACK died 12 Aug 1895 at the Ararat Asylum, Victoria. A Magisterial Inquiry was held into his death and no age or family information was given. He was said to have been mentally affected since January 1866 without change, and that his bodily health gradually failed. In the asylum records his age is recorded only twice: 38 on 25 Jun 1878, and 39 on 1 Dec 1879. This would give an age at death of 55 yrs in 1895, born abt 1840.
The online asylum records show:
First admitted to Ballarat Asylum on 25 Jun 1878 [VPRS 7446, VPRS 7428, VPRS 8236, VPRS 8237]
Transferred from Ballarat to Sunbury on 1 Dec 1879 [VPRS 7446, VPRS 8236, VPRS 8235, VPRS 8237]
Transferred from Sunbury to Kew on 26 Feb 1891 [VPRS 7428, VPRS 7425, VPRS 7690, VPRS 7680, VPRS 8235, VPRS 8237]
Transferred from Kew to Ararat 3 May 1892 [VPRS 7427, VPRS 7425, VPRS 7690, VPRS 7680]
Died 12 Aug 1895 [VPRS 7427]
George SHOMACH died 1895 aged 65 yrs Ararat LA, parents unknown [Vic Index 7769] (Born abt 1830)
George SHOMACK - Asylum Records prov.vic.gov.au/research/mental-health
VPRS 7446 P1 Alphabetical Lists of Patients in Asylums (VA 2863)
Unit 7 (Ballarat) 1877-1884 (25 images)
image 21 Alphabetical List of Patients at Ballarat Asylum
SHOMACK Geo Native of: - , Last known Residence: Kew Asylum, Date of Admission: 25 June 1878 to Ballarat Asylum, Names and Addresses of Relatives: - , Date of Removal, Discharge, or Death: 1 Dec 1879 To Sunbury.
VPRS 7427 P1 Nominal Register of Patients (VA 2841) Ararat
Unit 1: 28 Oct 1867-5 Jul 1906 (126 images)
image 95
3 May 1892 SHOMACK George 12 Aug 1895 Died.
VPRS 7428 P1 Nominal Register of Patients (VA 2844) Ballarat (VA 2843) Sunbury
Unit 1: 5 Sep 1877-23 Apr 1907 (86 images)
image 63
Date of Admission: 25 Jun 1878, SHOMACK George, Date of Discharge: 26 Feb 1891, How Discharged: Transfer to Kew (from Sunbury).
VPRS 8236 P1 Register of Patients (VA 2844) Ballarat (VA 2843) Sunbury
Unit 1: 29 Aug 1877-26 Feb 1891 (398 images)
images 61 and 62 (page 19)
SHOMACK George aged 38 on Date of Admission 25 June 1878. RC Ireland. (Born abt 1840, age in 1895 would be 55. This does not tally with age at death of 65 yrs in 1895, but presumably the same George. Nor does it fit with the shipping record of George aged 34 yrs in 1857, b abt 1823, this George would be 55 yrs in 1878.)
image 129 (page 52)
Date of last Previous Admission (if any): 1878, No. in order of Admission: Male 49, Date of Admission: 1 Dec 1879, Christian and Surname (at length): George SHOMACK, Sex: Male, Age: 39, Condition of Life, and previous Occupation: - , Previous place of Abode: Transferred from Ballarat Asylum, By whose Authority sent: Chief Secretary, Dates of Medical Certicates and by whom signed: - . (The age of 39 in 1879 agrees with age of 38 in 1878.)
VPRS 7425 P1 Nominal Register of Patients (VA 2840) Kew
Unit 1: 18 Dec 1871-17 Jan 1906 (260 images)
image 211
Date of Admission: 26 Feb 1891, SHOMACK George, Date of Discharge: 3 May 1992, How Discharged: Transferred to Ararat.
VPRS 7690 P1 Nominal Register of Patients (VA 2840) Kew
VPRS 7680 P1 Register of Patients (VA 2840) Kew
The above exhausts the online records for Ballarat, Sunbury, Kew and Ararat. VPRS 7405/P1 Case Books of Male Patients (for Ballarat VA 2844) and (for Sunbury VA 2843) seen at the PROV, North Melbourne 15 Nov 2004. Although there are numbers for two different collection agencies, VPRS 7405 is just Sunbury. The first volume, Unit 1, has a date range from 3 Apr 1868 to 7 Oct 1878 and it does include information about male patients transferred from Ballarat when it closed to the new facility which opened at Sunbury in 1879. (It would appear that there is no Ballarat Case Book held by the PROV in North Melbourne.) Unit 2 has a date range from 17 Dec 1879 to 19 Mar 1888. (Did not see this book.) VPRS 7405/P1 Unit 1 (Sunbury - Male Case Book No.1)
Unit 3: Jun 1887-13 Jul 1898 (255 images)
image 212
Admitted (to Kew) (day cut off, but 26th in another record) Feb 1891, No.3803 SHOMACK George, Discharged, Died, &c.: To Ararat 3 May 1892.
Unit 5: 13 Dec 1888-27 Sep 1891 (444 images)
image 35 Index SHOMACK George page 121
285 (page 121)
Date of last Previous Admission (if any): - , No. in order of Admission: Male 3803, Date of Admission: 26 Feby 1891, Christian and Surname (at length): SHOMACK George, Sex: Male, Age: - , Condition as to Married: - , Condition of Life and previous Occupation: - , Previous place of Abode: Sunbury Asylum, Transferred ...
IMG 286 (page 121)
... from Sunbury Asylum, Date of Discharge, Removal or Death: 3 May 1892, Discharged or Removed: Transferred to Ararat. (Other fields are blank: Form of Mental Disorder, Epileptics, Congenital Idiots, Duration of Attack, Years, Months, Weeks, Number of previous Attacks, Age on first Attack, Supposed Causes of Insanity, Bodily Condition and Name of Disease (if any), Observations.)
Page 77 - George SHOMACK admitted 25 Jun 1878, Previous Residence: Kew Asylum, Habits of Life: Clean, Duration of existing attack: Since 1866, Whether subject to epilepsy: No, Whether suicidal: No, If dangerous or destructive: No, Form of insanity: Dementia.
The photo below shows that all other fields are blank:- By whom brought; Age and Sex; Married, single, or widowed; If any family; Occupation; Native place; Religion; If disordered before, and how long; Supposed cause; If hereditary; State of bodily health; Name and address of nearest relative or friend; Marks of violence or other peculiarities. (so frustrating!)
Page 214 - George SHOMACK def 77. Left page has identical information to page 77, transcribed by a different hand. Right page has Admitted 1 Dec 1879 to Sunbury and brief repetitive notes about dementia and bodily health for 19 Jan 1889, 4 Sep 1889, 13 Feb 1890, 7 Jun 1890, 28 Nov 1890 and 26 Feb 1891. Transferred to Kew 26 Feb 1891. All these entries are initialled by the same doctor.
(VPRS 7446 and VPRS 8236 says that George SHOMACK was transferred from Ballarat to Sunbury on 1 Dec 1879. VPRS 7405/P1 Unit 1 which is the first Case Book for Sunbury did have patients who were transferred from Ballarat to Kew and then to Sunbury but Ballarat was not mentioned for George SHOMACK. He was first admitted to the Ballarat Asylum on 25 Jun 1878. So what we need is the Case Book for Male Patients for Ballarat 1877-79 for the full admission details.)
VPRS 7398 Male Case Book Kew Part 1, Vol 12, page 145 (seen 9 Apr 1990 at PROV, Laverton)
George SHOMACK admitted to Kew 27 Feb 1891. No new information in a doctor's entry for 11 Dec 1891. To Ararat April 1892.
Kew Asylum Case Books 1871-1912 [Microfiche in Ballarat Library]
George SHOMACK, Native Place: - , Occupation: - , Age: - , Admitted 3 Jun 1873, VPRS 7398/P1 Unit 1 p197
George SHOMACK, Native Place: - , Occupation: - , Age: - , Admitted 27 Feb 1891, VPRS 7398/P1 Unit 12 p145
VPRS 8235/P1
Nominal register (Sunbury Book)
Date range: 1877-1903
Ballarat (Asylum 1877-1879)
One volume only - alphabetical - chronological by date of admission
It is housed at E42/2/4 North Melbourne PROV
Index: George SHOMACK p76.
Page 76: No. in Order of Discharge: 254, Date of Death, Discharge or Removal: 26 Feb 1891, Date of last Admission: 1 Dec 1879 (to Sunbury from Ballarat), No. in Register of Patients: Male 49, SHOMACK George, Transferred to Kew.
VPRS 8237 Discharge registers. (held at PROV Nth Melbourne)
12 volumes. Volume 1 Males No. 1 to No. 648
Date range 17 Sep 1877 to 22 Nov 1904
Other details as above, in that each listing gives Ballarat (Asylum 1877-1879)
George SHOMACK admitted to Ballarat Asylum 25 Jun 1878, transferred to Sunbury Asylum 1 Dec 1879, transferred to Kew Asylum 26 Feb 1891.
