time of its removal to Seacliff, the great increase in the number of patients to over 300 being unquestionably, in large part at least, due to the free immigration system, or, rather, to unscrupulous immigration agents, who, for the sake of the £1 per head, recklessly sent crowds of human beings out from the Home country, without any regard to their fitness mentally, physically, or morally.
The work accomplished by the patients while in the Asylum in the city was considerable. Under the direction of competent warders they levelled the very broken ground, for the most part erected from time to time the additional buildings required, and formed the large cricket and football park, now partly used by the High School boys and partly by the public. The formation of that flat necessitated the removal of a hill fourteen feet high and the filling up of deep gullies. They also formed a 2-acre garden and a large bowling-green, the first ever made in Otago. By them the road leading past the old cemetery to the top of the hill, which was in a very dangerous condition, was put in order and strongly and securely fenced, this work being suggested by the destruction of a horse and vehicle, which rolled from the road into the great gully below. That fence still remains. In addition to these and other works of a public nature, the patients formed the road leading from the Town Belt to Melrose, in connection with which there were some heavy excavations, and in recognition of this service the residents of that township generously imported from Melbourne and presented to the Asylum a billiard-table costing £120. That table is now in use at Seacliff.
In common with other Provincial institutions, the Lunatic Asylum passed into the hands of the General Government in 1876, when the Provinces were abolished; and just about that time Dr. Hulme died, after twenty years' service. Dr. Hulme was then succeeded by Dr. Alexander, and subsequently Dr. Macgregor, now Inspector-General of asylums and hospitals, was appointed to that office. After holding the position of Matron for three years, Mrs Hume died while in the service, and she was succeeded by Miss Ferguson, who retired in 1882 to assume the matronship of Ashburn Private Asylum, established by Mr Hume (in conjunction with Dr. Alexander), when he was
