Historians, enthusiasts and even families will soon be able to explore Ararat's historic former J Ward Goal and Lunatic Asylum from their own home following a grant from the Victorian government to create a virtual, self-guided tour of the site.
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The $9000 grant was given to Ararat Rural City Council as part of the Let's Stay Connected program, which supports innovative community-led initiatives.
The project will utilise the expertise of the Friends of J Ward Society in planning the tour.
Friends of J Ward volunteer Geoff White said the aim is for the tour to capture people's interest and persuade them to visit the goal in person once restrictions permit.
"It's kind of like a taster," Mr White said.
"It will go for about 10 minutes and take you to maybe 20 spots around J Ward."
Council chief executive Dr Tim Harrison said the project would be "designed to revive the region's dark tourism market."
Mr White added the tour will subsequently focus on some of the more macabre parts of J Ward's history.
"Dark tourism is about visiting places like old goals, torture chambers, concentration camps, and all that," he said.
"They'll concentrate on things like the hangings, some of the conditions, some of the patients, and what they did, so it will paint that kind of picture."
Dr Harrison said the funds will help them secure the technology to make the virtual tour an engaging experience.
"This grant will ensure the ongoing viability of this major tourism site for our region and allow organisers to purchase new technology, such as 360 imagery and 3D digital modelling, that is required to see the digital exhibition come to life," he said.
While COVID has been difficult for Friends of J Ward Society, Mr White said the group has shown astounding longevity.
"Friends of J Ward started up in 1993," he said.
"It was a group of people who started doing tours here and thought it would last for maybe three to six months, and it's still going now."
Mr White himself has been a volunteer with the group for 16 years and said it is a rewarding experience.
"The best compliment you can get is when sometimes at the end of a tour someone says to you that they have schizophrenia and really enjoyed the tour. Then you know you're doing it alright."
The project will begin in late December.
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