Historic Millbrook Rise Mental Health Building Destroyed in Deliberately Lit Fire

A historic former mental health hospital building in southern Tasmania has been destroyed by a major overnight fire, with investigators now saying the blaze was deliberately lit.

The fire tore through the abandoned Millbrook Rise building at New Norfolk in the early hours of Monday, October 5. The site had been vacant for several years and was once an important part of Tasmania’s mental health history.

Fire investigators have since determined that the blaze was deliberately started, turning the incident into a police investigation.

Fire Breaks Out in the Early Hours

Emergency services were called to the Millbrook Rise site on Hobart Road at about 1:25am after multiple members of the public reported seeing the building on fire.

Fire crews from New Norfolk and surrounding brigades attended the scene, while specialist firefighting equipment was also sent from Hobart.

By the time firefighters arrived, the building was already heavily involved in flames. Crews worked for several hours to bring the fire under control.

The structure was ultimately destroyed, leaving the historic building gutted and without a roof.

No firefighters were reported to have been injured during the response.

Investigators Determine the Fire Was Deliberate

Initially, authorities said they were investigating the cause of the fire. On Tuesday, Tasmania Police confirmed that investigators had determined the blaze was deliberately lit.

Tasmania Fire Service investigator James Foster described the building as a total loss and said the fire had spread throughout the complex.

Police are now asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity around the site before or around the time of the fire to come forward.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not publicly identified a person responsible for starting the fire.

Authorities are asking people with information to contact Bridgewater Criminal Investigation Branch and quote reference number OR818618. Anonymous information can also be provided through Crime Stoppers Tasmania.

A Building With Nearly a Century of History

The loss of the building has also attracted attention because of its historical importance.

Millbrook Rise opened in February 1934 as the Millbrook Rise Psychopathic Hospital. It was established partly to provide care for people who had returned from war and were experiencing psychological difficulties and trauma.

The facility later became part of the Royal Derwent Hospital system, which continued operating until its closure in 2001.

Historical records describe Millbrook Rise as an important development in psychiatric care at the time it was built. The site was designed to provide a different environment for people who required mental health support but did not need the more intensive treatment associated with larger psychiatric institutions.

The building therefore represented an important part of the history of mental health care in Tasmania.

The Site Has Remained Connected to Mental Health Care

Although the original building had been abandoned for years, the Millbrook Rise name has not disappeared from Tasmania’s health system.

The Tasmanian Department of Health continues to operate the Millbrook Rise Centre for Rehabilitation in other buildings nearby.

The current centre provides residential rehabilitation services, with accommodation and support designed to help people develop greater independence and reconnect with the community.

That means the fire destroyed a historic building while the broader Millbrook Rise site continues to have a role in mental health care.

Community Left to Reflect on the Loss

The destruction has been particularly significant for people in New Norfolk who have long regarded the site as part of the area’s history.

The Derwent Valley mayor thanked firefighters and other emergency workers for responding quickly and preventing the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties.

Local historical groups have also documented the building’s connection to veterans, mental health treatment and the development of psychiatric care in Tasmania.

With the original structure now gone, attention is likely to turn to the investigation into who deliberately started the fire and why.

For now, police are urging anyone who may have seen suspicious behaviour around Millbrook Rise in the early hours of October 5 to provide information.

The historic building may no longer be standing, but its nearly 100-year connection to Tasmania’s mental health history remains an important part of the story surrounding the site.

Source: ABC News, October 5, 2026; Tasmania Police, October 6, 2026; Tasmania Fire Service, October 6, 2026; New Norfolk News, October 6, 2026.