In late 2020, the Ararat Rural City Council received a $9000 grant from the state government's Let's Stay Connected program for the creation of a self-guided virtual tour of J Ward.

Technology company Macutex worked with Friends of J Ward to develop the tour, which has recently been made available online.

Macutex chief executive Nathan Edwards said rebuilding the site in virtual form was a complex task.

READ MORE:

"Our aim was to provide an experience that was more inclusive and provide an opportunity for people to connect through the digital world," he said.

"To do so, we used a variety of technology to capture J Ward using 360 imagery combined with laser scanning which we then stitched together for the model, creating more of an immersive experience."

J Ward, originally the Ararat County Gaol, was an Australian prison that was converted into a psychiatric facility to house the criminally insane between 1887-1991.

OTHER NEWS:

Friends of J Ward president Peter Waterman said he was glad to be able to continue sharing former asylum's secrets despite COVID-19 restrictions.

"In this time of restricted travel for many Australians and indeed people around the world, the Friends of J Ward are very pleased to have this additional resource to show off Ararat's premier tourist attraction," he said.

"The virtual tour of J Ward will give prospective visitors a taste of what they will see when they visit this unique facility."

Explore J Ward virtually by visiting www.jward.org.au/virtual-tour.

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.