Journal article
Dr Howard Whitaker and LSD-Assisted Therapy at Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital, Beechworth,Victoria, Australia
Journal of Australian studies, Vol.First online
13/04/2026
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
Between 1967 and 1975, psychiatrist Dr Howard Whitaker directed a program for the legal use of LSD and psilocybin in Victoria, Australia. His controversial practices were marred by misconduct, unscientific methods and evidence of malpractice. This study explores Whitaker’s LSD-assisted therapy in the 1970s through interviews with former staff of Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria. These staff members share their experiences working with Whitaker and implementing groundbreaking techniques. The interview data, collected in a broader social history project about Mayday Hills, sheds light on Whitaker’s unconventional and unethical approaches and reminds us that the 1970s was a time of reform in Victorian mental institutions. The current research in psychedelic drug therapies shows remarkable similarities to Whitaker’s early positive findings from over 50 years ago.
Details
- Title
- Dr Howard Whitaker and LSD-Assisted Therapy at Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital, Beechworth,Victoria, Australia
- Creators
- Alison Watts - Southern Cross UniversityEileen Clark - Charles Sturt UniversityJennifer Munday - Charles Sturt University
- Publication Details
- Journal of Australian studies, Vol.First online
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Grant note
- Charles Sturt University Human Research Ethics Committee: H2014042
This article is drawn from a wider study of the Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Ethics approval was granted by the Charles Sturt University Human Research Ethics Committee, protocol number H2014042.
- Identifiers
- 991013371861002368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article