Heritage Living Winter 2011 - National Trust of Australia

Heritage Livingnational TRust of South AustraliaHistory of the Royal Adelaide HospitalLyn O’GradyThe Royal Adelaide Hospital is expected to movefrom its present site in coming years and thefate of existing buildings is uncertain at this stage.Although the Margaret Graham building in FromeRd is State Heritage listed, and the Women’sHealth Centre on the North Terrace corner isLocal Heritage listed, no other buildings haveany protection. Bice and McEwin buildings wereon the former Australian Heritage Commission’sNational Estate Register, but that only affectedCommonwealth government actions (and wasabolished under the Howard government anyway).The NTSA’s Adelaide and Inner Suburbs Branchis establishing a task force to look at moves toprotect site buildings this year. Meanwhile, it maybe of interest to read some of the history of SouthAustralia’s main hospital.The second SA Governor George Gawler firstproposed to use £300 which was at his disposal forcharitable purposes as the nucleus of a fund to builda hospital. He invited the public to contribute to thisfund but although Adelaide’s population had risen to8,500, only a further £300 was raised. Gawler wentahead but had to draw bills on England’s Treasury tomeet the cost of this and other public works, whicheventually proved his undoing.Work began in 1839 on a site in the parklands tothe north of Botanic Road and near Hackney Road.The Governor laid the foundation stone of the firstbuilding, to be called the ‘Adelaide Hospital’ on15 July 1840. The residents of Adelaide showedas little interest in this function as they had insubscribing to the cost of the building but thesmall attendance was charitably attributed to thedistance from the city and the inclement weather.When completed, the building providedaccommodation for 30 patients in three wards, tworooms for staff and a central room which servedas required as front hall, dining room, boardroomor operating theatre. An omission in the plans wasthat there was no kitchen and the Board agreedto provide ‘a small place for wood and culinarymaterials’, but declined to appoint a male cook(who was to also act as handyman) on grounds ofexpense.Above: Margaret Graham Nurses Home Royal Adelaide Hospital Photo: Marcus Beresfordpage 12