AGY-6920 | Balmain Cottage Hospital (1885-1908) Balmain [and] District Hospital (1908-1968) Balmain Hospital (1968- )

Full description

By the mid-1880s, with an increasing population and a growing manufacturing industry in Balmain, there began a push for the establishment of a hospital in the suburb. (1) On 10 June 1884, a public meeting resolved to establish a cottage hospital and appointed a committee to advance the proposal and raise subscriptions. (2)

At its first meeting, on 16 June 1884, the committee decided to name the hospital the Balmain Cottage Hospital. (3)

On 18 July 1884, a deputation of members of the committee met with the Colonial Secretary to request Government assistance in the establishment of the hospital, including the procuring of a site. (4) At the committee's meeting on 28 July, in a report on the deputation, it was mentioned that due to delays in securing a suitable site, a temporary hospital might be established in the interim. (5) However, it was not until 30 April 1885 that a cottage next to the Balmain Town Hall, provided by the Government for use as the temporary hospital, was vacated by the Post Office. (6)

A contractor engaged to alter the cottage for use as a hospital handed the building over on 19 June (7) and later that month it was reported that Elizabeth Gisborne had been appointed as the first matron. (8) The first patient was received into the hospital on 26 June 1885. (9) In its annual report for 1885 it was recorded that 39 patients had been received by the end of the year. (10)

The hospital was formally opened by the Premier, Alexander Stuart, on 1 August 1885 (11) and, on 5 August, a meeting of subscribers was held at which, "in conformity with the Hospitals Act", a permanent committee and officers were elected. (12)

At the first annual meeting of subscribers, held on 20 January 1886, it was reported that, due to the present building's inadequate accommodation, Alderley House in Booth Street was to be acquired. (13) Due to delays, it was not until August 1886 that the hospital was able to take possession of the property. (14)

On 10 February 1899, Balmain Cottage Hospital was proclaimed to be subject to the provisions of the Public Hospitals Act 1898. (15)

The hospital underwent a number of additions and renovations over the years. Significant early works included the addition of two wards as wings to the Alderley building. In March 1897, a northern wing, the Evans Ward, was opened by the Governor, Lord Hampden, providing an additional nine beds (16) and, in September 1901, the Victoria Ward was opened by the Premier, John See. This southern wing, was two-storey and included a seven-bed women's ward, six-cot children's ward and a surgery for the outpatients department. (17)

In 1907, Alderley was practically re-built, increasing the accommodation to 42 beds. The additions were officially opened on 14 January 1908 by the Premier C. G. Wade. (18) At this time, the hospital became known as the Balmain and District Hospital. (19) This followed a resolution of the Board at its meeting on 16 December 1907. It was felt that such a change was required as the hospital's jurisdiction now extended beyond Balmain itself. (20)

In 1924, a cottage was renovated to establish a new 24-bed children’s ward - the Bett's Ward - which was opened in September that year. (21)

The Public Hospitals Act 1929, which commenced on 1 November 1929, listed the hospital on its Second Schedule with the corporate name ‘Balmain District Hospital’. (22) Second Schedule Hospitals were public, incorporated, and governed by their own boards of directors. (23)

In its first Annual Report following its establishment by the Public Hospitals Act 1929, the Hospitals Commission of NSW, in developing a scheme of classification to "fit the conditions prevailing in the State", classified Balmain as a Grade B metropolitan Acute hospital in the "General" category. (24) Grade B General hospitals were defined as those which conformed to the general specifications of Grade "A" institutions - that is, a daily average of over 150 occupied beds with a range of medical and surgical services - but which did not provide any or all of a school for clinical instruction, a research laboratory or obstetrics or paediatrics. (25) For the year ending 30 June 1930, the Commission reported that Balmain had 107 beds, had treated 2673 in-patients and had 91,894 out-patient attendances. (26)

In November 1943, a four storey addition to the hospital was officially opened. The extension was named Thornton House and it accommodated the John Beasley Ward on its top floor. (27) This was one of the wards in a new orthopaedic clinic. (28)

As early as March 1928, Balmain had been formally recognised by the Nurses Registration Board as a training school for general nurses (29). A maternity unit was opened in early 1951, the first baby being born on 9 January, (30) and, by early 1953, the hospital was approved for training in midwifery. (31) By May 1968, the hospital had also been recognised as a training school for Nursing Aides. (32)

In October 1968, the Balmain and District Hospital was officially renamed The Balmain Hospital. (33)

In July 1972, the Hospital was accepted by Sydney University as an Affiliated Hospital. (34) The system of Affiliated Hospitals was established by the University in 1971 in an attempt to "alleviate the shortage of suitable clinical material available in its teaching hospitals”. (35)

The hospital's maternity unit appears to have closed in the early 1980s, with the last baby born in 1981. (36) It had ceased being a training hospital in midwifery in November 1977. (37)

In July 1993, the hospital established a unique 24-hour primary care unit, or casualty service, in a joint effort with local GPs (38), and, in April 1995, completed major refurbishments to support the establishment of geriatric and rehabilitation facilities. (39)

In 2015, Balmain Hospital celebrated its 130th anniversary. At that time it had 278 staff, 92 beds, 1082 admissions and over 13,000 general practice casualty presentations annually. (40) Services included General Practice Casualty, aged care and rehabilitation wards, transitional care and an outpatients department. (41) It was part of Sydney University's Central Clinical School, being the headquarters for the Medical Program's Discipline of General Practice where students gained experience in geriatrics and rehabilitation. (42) It also provided pre-vocational medical education in a network with Royal Prince Alfred and a number of other hospitals (43) and, as a sub-acute hospital, was a site for nursing clinical placements. (44)

Endnotes
1. “Cottage Hospital for Balmain” in Evening News, 11 June 1884, p.8 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107266513 (accessed 28 April 2017).
2. Loc. cit.
3. Sydney Morning Herald, 20 June 1884, p.7 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13560551 (accessed 28 April 2017).
4. Australian Town and Country Journal, 26 Jul 1884, p.19 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71015218 (accessed 28 April 2017).
5. Balmain Observer and Western Suburbs Advertiser, 2 August 1884, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132245187 (accessed 12 May 2017).
6. Balmain Observer and Western Suburbs Advertiser, 9 May 1885, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132245704 (accessed 28 April 2017).
7. Balmain Observer and Western Suburbs Advertiser, 20 June 1885, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132244907 (accessed 10 May 2017).
8. Balmain Observer and Western Suburbs Advertiser, 27 June 1885, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132245153 (accessed 10 May 2017).
9. Evening News, 21 January 1886, p.6 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111194533 (accessed 10 May 2017).
10. Evening News, 21 January 1886, p.6 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111194533 (accessed 10 May 2017).
11. Sydney Morning Herald, 3 August 1885, p.5 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28363400 (accessed 10 May 2017).
12. Evening News, 21 January 1886, p.6 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111194533 (accessed 10 May 2017).
13. Loc. cit.
14. Second annual report of the hospital committee, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 15 February 1887, p.9 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13626926 (accessed 12 May 2017).
15. NSW Government Gazette No.128, 10 February 1899, p.1197.
16. Sunday Times, 7 March 1897, p.5 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126251500 (accessed 12 May 2017).
17. Sydney Morning Herald, 16 September 1901, p.3 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14410078 (accessed 12 May 2017).
18. Evening News, 15 January 1908, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114105916 (accessed 12 May 2017).
19. Loc. cit.
20. Balmain Observer and Western Suburbs Advertiser, 21 December 1907, p.5 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132249497 (accessed 12 May 2017).
21. Sydney Morning Herald, 22 September 1924, p.9 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16174123 (accessed 12 May 2017).
22. Public Hospitals Act 1929 (Act No.8, 1929), s.3, Second Schedule; NSW Government Gazette No.182, 4 October 1929, p.4085.
23. NSW Government Directory, 1999, p.189.
24. Annual Report of the Hospitals Commission for the year ended 30 June 1930, p.8 in Parliamentary Papers 1930-31-32 vol.1, p.629.
25. Op. cit., pp.6-7.
26. Annual Reports of the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales for the years ended 30th June 1932 and 30th June 1933, p.23 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1934-35 vol.1, p.545.
27. The Sun, 7 November 1943, p.3 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231604429 (accessed 17 May 2017).
28. The Sun, 31 December 1943, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231614752 (accessed 17 May 2017).
29. NSW Government Gazette No.40, 23 March 1928, p.1369.
30. The Cumberland Argus, 17 January 1951, p.5 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132144989 (accessed 17 May 2017).
31. NSW Government Gazette No.17, 16 January 1953, p.155
32. NSW Government Gazette No.70, 31 May 1968, p.2210.
33. NSW Government Gazette No.126, 25 October 1968, p.4252.
34. Report of the University of Sydney for the year ended 31st December 1972, p.9 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1974-75 vol.2, p.1541.
35. Report of the University of Sydney for 1971, p.10 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1973 vol.2, p.1163.
36. Balmain Hospital 130th Anniversary Booklet, Sydney Local Health District 2015, p.9 https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/media/pdf/Balmain130booklet.pdf (accessed 12 May 2017).
37. NSW Government Gazette No.143, 18 November 1977, p.5094.
38. Central Sydney Area Health Service Annual Report 1993-94, pp.15, 16.
39. Central Sydney Area Health Service Annual Report 1994-95, p.56.
40. Balmain Hospital 130th Anniversary Booklet, Sydney Local Health District 2015, p.2 https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/media/pdf/Balmain130booklet.pdf (accessed 12 May 2017).
41. Balmain Hospital - About Us http://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/Balmain/aboutus.html (accessed 28 April 2017).
42. Sydney Local Health District Education and Training Strategic Plan 2013-2018, p.17 https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/SLHD_ETStatPlan.pdf (accessed 12 May 2017).
43. Ibid., p.18.
44. Ibid., p.21.