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| View of main entrance, 1986 (PF 1345/1) |
The Blue Mountains District Anzac
Memorial Hospital is a rare war memorial in the Blue Mountains designed as a
functional building. The style is typical of the interwar style used for war
memorials throughout the country.
One of the earliest mentions of a
hospital for the Blue Mountains was in 1895, at the laying of the memorial
stone at the Katoomba Court House. Sir Frederick Darley, Lieutenant Governor
and owner of ‘Lilianfels’ at Echo Point, who performed the ceremony, commented
that "the next building he would like to see erected in Katoomba would be
a cottage hospital, and it would give him even greater pleasure to lay the
memorial stone of one". (The Mountaineer, 10 May 1895)
A
report following the public meeting on 6th May 1919, outlined the need for a
hospital in the area. It was reported that the large proportion of wage-earners
on less than £4 per week who, unless they required surgery, were normally
treated at home. The inefficient nursing provided there by wives or mothers,
prolonged their illness ‘beyond the necessary period’, with needless expense to
the community. More urgent were the surgical cases that were forced to travel
to a metropolitan hospital and too often 'arrived just too late'. The report
concluded, 'expert medical attention in sickness is much more economical for
the community’. This it was thought was only available in
a hospital. Dr John Allan
was appointed chairman of a committee charged with investigating the necessity
and viability of establishing a district hospital. The committee reported
favourably for a district hospital, and planning went ahead.
The land for the hospital was a gift from the Lands Department of six
and a half acres. An additional 4 acres 3 roods and 17 perches was transferred
on 21st June 1927 from a donation from the Thomas Fox estate. Local architect Percy
Tabrett estimated between £5,000-£6,000 for the 24 bed hospital. The
hospital committee was to raise one quarter of the funds and the government
agreed to provide 500 pounds per year for upkeep. The Dept. of Public Works,
Government Architects Branch prepared drawings for the cottage hospital in
1925. The Memorial Hall (entrance vestibule) in the Inter War Stripped
Classical style, is an early example of the work of Cobden Parkes. Parkes (1892-1978), was the youngest of five children of Sir Henry Parkes and his
second wife Eleanor, née Dixon; was government architect 1935-1958 and a key
practitioner in the Inter-War Academic Classical style.
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| Procession at Lawson in aid of the new Anzac Memorial Hospital 1920 Maurice Wood - orderly, Fanny Niven - nurse, Lionel Rose - patient (PF 5011) |
The foundation stone for the Blue
Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital was laid on 6 October 1925 by the
NSW Governor Sir Dudley de Chair. The building was completed at the beginning
of 1927. To emphasise the memorial nature of the Hospital the vestibule was
lined with memorial tablets recording the names of 139 local soldiers who were
killed in WWI.
The
Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) unveiled the memorial
tablets in the "Memorial Hall" and signed the visitor’s book on 31
March, 1927. Due to a lack of confirmation that this event would actually
occur, the guest list was restricted to Board Members. As there was strong
royalist support in the area this act caused much dissension in the local
community and ongoing problems with fundraising. The Blue Mountains District
Anzac Memorial Hospital was the last hospital to be registered under the
Hospitals Partial Incorporations Act (1847) in May 1928. The first patient was admitted on 23
June 1927, however the hospital was gazetted as a Public Hospital until 5
August that year, and it was not until 3 October 1928 that the Blue Mountain
District Anzac Memorial Hospital was officially opened. This belated ceremony
was performed by the Lieut.-Governor of NSW, Sir William P. Cullen.
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| Memorial tablet unveiled by HRH the Duchess of York (PF 1345/5) |
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| Official Opening 3 October 1928 by Sir William P. Cullen (PF 573) |
The
addition of a private ward in 1934 changed the hospital to a
"community" category, in order to meet the needs of all
socio-economic groups. Continual development on the site and adaptation of the
existing buildings has allowed the hospital to grow and adapt to the ever-changing
local demands and medical requirements.
By
1936 the average number of patients had doubled to 809 with a daily average of
44. There were 29 beds and additional patients accommodated on open verandahs.
The
first intake of nurses completed their training in the Training School in 1941.
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| Bill Davis and his ambulance near the main entrance, 1930s (PF 3100) |
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| HRH Duke of Gloucester and Mayor W Freelander at rear, Duchess and Matron Taylor in front, at the opening of extensions 19 March 1946. The one-armed man on the right is Major Michael Babbington Hawkins, A.D.C. to the Governor-General, the Duke of Gloucester. (PF 2997-14) |
In 1944 a new nurse’s home was built and
extended in 1959. In 1946, a new Boiler House, Laundry, X-ray, Admin. Block, Pathology and Mortuary were officially opened by HRH Duke of Gloucester. The site increased in size when Council donated the
adjoining block on the north in 1953 and in 1963 the 'rest park' on the Western
Road.
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| Official opening of new extensions by HRH Duke of Gloucester with PM Ben Chifley, 19 March, 1946 (PF 2997-7) |
In the 1970s the Rehabilitation Unit was
opened (1974) and East wing with 48 new beds and space for administration was opened
(1976).
Stage 2 boiler house was completed (1980), Children’s Ward was moved to Spellacy Ward, and the Area Health Board was established (1984).
In the 1990s Maternity Ward was
refurbished (1990), High Dependency Unit was officially opened by the Hon. Nick
Greiner (1991), Palliative Care Unit opened (1992), new children’s Ward
officially opened (1994), and other substantial new buildings, including in
1998 a new operating theatre, emergency outpatients and pathology.
 |
| Sister P Weaver, nee Dwyer and trainee nurses 1960s The nurses are identified as L Scanlon, S Clark, and S Smith. On the right is the autoclave next to the bed pans (PF 69/24) |
In May 2019 the Indigenous Healing
Garden was opened in the hospital grounds. Built with sandstone and surrounded
by native plants, the garden includes a fire pit to be used for smoking
ceremonies, reflecting the elements of fire and water, earth and air. Its
design was influenced by the community, including advice from Aunty Sue Tate
and Aunty Sharryn Halls.
The year 2020 will mark the 95th
anniversary of the laying of Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital
foundation stone. The hospital has a proud history of servicing the local
community’s health and well being needs and is the State’s only remaining Anzac
Memorial hospital.
 |
Mayor Ern Leslie with
Matron Timms and Councillor Thelma Murphy, 1976
|
Landscape History
Prior
to colonial settlement, the landscape consisted of stands of white Eucalyptus
with an abundance of lower storey native flora. Until 1925 the land was
designated as a council quarry reserve and a small sandstone quarry operated
near the comer of Woodlands Road and the Great Western Highway. The council tip was located along the Great Western Highway boundary. The
contents of the tip were supposedly "excavated" prior to the erection
of the hospital. However, the gardeners continue to find remnants under the
soil such as stone bottles.
By
1927 the land had been filled and levelled by Viv Collis, a local contractor,
using horse drawn scoops. Reportedly the only vegetation on the site were
several mature Eucalypti along the Great Western Highway boundary, some of
which are extant.
In
1928 landscaping was the main priority, the grounds being described as 'a scene
of desolation that must be extremely depressing to patients and entirely out of
harmony with the hospital buildings'. It was recommended hospital practice at
the time to landscape the grounds between the buildings to create soothing
views to assist patients' recovery. The Hospital Committee prepared a plan and
was fortunate in receiving donations of plants. These included 540 roses
donated by Messrs Hazelwood Bros of Epping; a large number of shrubs and trees
from the Botanical Gardens and various plants and bulbs donated by local
residents. A permanent gardener and temporary assistant were employed at a cost
£227 for the year.
The
main entrance was located in Woodlands Road and a sweeping carriageway passed
in front of the Memorial Hall and exited the site on the Great Western Highway.
At this time, the extant avenue of mature plane trees, near the Memorial Hall,
were planted along this original carriageway. In 1930 the
entrance gates were relocated to the Great Western Highway. The section of the
carriageway in front of the Memorial Hospital entrance was named "The
Thomas James Cole Memorial Drive" in 1950. Brick piers for the exit gates
were erected in 1951.
In
1966 the gardens were redesigned and rejuvenated under the supervision of Hon.
Adviser Dr A. L. North, a Macquarie Street ophthalmologist, who had a weekender
at Sublime Point and later retired to the mountains. As a Hospital Board
Member, with a great passion for gardening, he was also responsible for
initiating the Leura Garden Competition. At the request of the Katoomba R.S.L., Dr
North designed the Memorial Garden for World War 2 servicemen, located near the
Education Centre. Ex-servicemen provided the volunteer labour. The gardens
were highly commended in the 1968 Sydney Morning Herald Garden Competition.
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| Aerial view showing driveways and plantings early 1950s (PF 80) |
Roy
Timmings was the head gardener at the hospital c.1948- c.1972. He came from a
family of gardeners, his father being the head gardener at the Carrington Hotel
for many years. Billy Campbell (b.1927 -) was raised near the hospital and can
remember the site from the early 1930's. He became head gardener in 1969 and
managed the gardens, with the help of one assistant, for 31 years.
After
the erection of the Main Ward (1981) most of the garden on southern section of
the site was destroyed. Billy redesigned this area and constructed all the dry
stone walls on the site. A variety of conifers were planted for the contrasting
colours and for low maintenance. However, Billy encouraged rapid growth by hard
pruning. He reports the conifers would double in size each year if trimmed
correctly.
The
dry stone walls were erected with stone from a quarry at Wentworth Falls,
carefully selected and delivered by Stan Johnson. Although self-taught, the craftsmanship
in the stonework is of extremely high quality. Unfortunately many of the walls
have since been removed, particularly to the north of the Main Ward (B5) and
under the new Emergency Ward.
Several
members of the local community, including Dr North, Mr Spellacy and Mr Bill
Jensen, were also members of the Leura Garden Festival Committee. This forged a
close link between the hospital and The Leura Gardens Festival, which
persists to the present day. The Festival Committee has
constantly supported the hospital by donating large sums for hospital
equipment, the relocation of the Children's ward, the Palliative Care ward and
the High Dependency ward.
Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital has long been held in high regard by many members of the local community, who do not hesitate to spring to its defence whenever changes to funding, governance or staffing appear to threaten its proud tradition of service.
*****
John Merriman,
Local Studies Librarian
All images are from the Local Studies collection
Acknowledgements
Conservation management plan for The Blue Mountains District Memorial Hospital - Conybeare Morrison & Partners 1999. NSW Dept. of Public Works.
References and Links:
Heritage listing -
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=1170006
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=1170006
Hospital website - https://www.nbmlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/blue-mountains-hospital/about
Newspaper Articles
"KANOWNA," LEURA." (1921, April 14). The Catholic Press (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1942), p. 40. Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106266487
KATOOMBA HOSPITAL. (1939, April 3). The
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved December 5,
2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17571022
Opening of the Healing Garden - https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6130414/sowing-the-seeds-for-healing-at-blue-mountains-hospital/
Opening of the Healing Garden - https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6130414/sowing-the-seeds-for-healing-at-blue-mountains-hospital/
