Concord Repatriation General Hospital Has a Well-Earned Reputation for Excellence in Providing Healthcare

Your Hospital by the River Mission Statement Your Hospital Our Mission is achieved by + Practising clinical excellence + Attending to individual patient needs + Leading in teaching + Providing quality in our service + Contributing to heath research + Promoting healthy lifestyles + Responding to the special + Valuing our health care team needs of Veterans + Meeting the changing needs of the community After 70 years of outstanding service Concord Repatriation General Hospital has a well-earned reputation for excellence in providing healthcare. Building on its proud heritage of caring for the Veteran community, the hospital now services the local communities of Concord, Strathfield, Burwood and beyond. The hospital has received consecutive years of accreditation from the Australian Council on Health Care Standards, and consecutive Accreditation Awards from the Postgraduate Medical Council of NSW for the exemplary training of postgraduate doctors. As a 750 - bed teaching hospital of the University of Sydney, Concord offers a comprehensive range of specialty and sub-specialty services, many of which are recognised nationally and internationally as centres of excellence. Some of these include: burns, colorectal surgery, laparoscopic surgery, molecular biology and genetic laboratory, aged and extended care and gastroenterology. This publication offers an insight into the history of Concord Repatriation General Hospital and its exceptional service to the surrounding districts. Welcome to ‘Your hospital by the river’. Walker’s ambition to build a hospital 1930 – 1939 A Piece of History in the grounds of Yaralla and he Eadith Walker was made a engendered this same enthusiasm in 1790 – 1800 merchants in Hobart and later in Commander, and then a Dame of the his daughter. In 1792, Governor Phillip established Sydney. British Empire for her war assistance the Government Farm of Longbottom, When Thomas reached the age of After Thomas Walker’s death in 1886, and widespread charity. When she along Parramatta Road, consisting of 18, he was sent to Sydney and for 15 his will set aside 100,000 pounds and died on 8 October 1937, her fortune 936 acres skirting Hen and Chicken years worked with his uncle building a the northern part of the Yaralla Estate, had been reduced to 265,000 pounds, Bay. prosperous business. When his uncle at Rocky Point for the Thomas Walker most of it left to the Returned Soldier’s Convalescent Hospital for Women. League. In May 1798, James Williamson was retired Thomas and a cousin took This hospital was later completed with granted 40 acres, which was named charge. On her death, half of Thomas Walker’s funds supplied by Eadith Walker who Rocky Point. This property was estate was passed to the next of kin personally advanced 50,000 pounds, passed on to a Mr Levy, who tried to 1850 – 1900 and the remaining part was placed in with the opening occurring in 1893. erect a house on it, but as there was Thomas married Miss Jane Hart a charitable trust fund, management no fresh water in the neighbourhood, of which was subject to the Walker and purchased the Yaralla estate 1900 – 1929 he mixed mortar with salt water. on the Parramatta River at Concord Trust Act of 1938. The Trustees of Near completion the house fell to the and gradually acquired surrounding Eadith Walker continued to improve the Thomas Walker Estate proposed ground due to the wet and slippery properties, including Levy’s Folly, the Yaralla. The estate became the that the NSW Government should mortar. Mr Levy proceeded to rebuild Nichols’ orange plantation and Rocky centre of many charity events, which purchase both the Yaralla and Dame the house, which again fell down. The Point. Yaralla grew to consist of 306 continued until the outbreak of World Eadith Walker Estates for the purpose area of land became known as Levy’s acres (124 hectares) with frontages War I. It was while staying at Yaralla of establishing a memorial hospital to Folly. to Concord Road and Major’s, Yaralla in July 1914 that the Governor- be called the “Dame Eadith Walker General, Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson, Convalescent Hospital for Men”. The land immediately north of and Horseshoe or Brays Bays. received the first official warning Longbottom was granted to Isaac In 1939 management of the property After the birth of his daughter Eadith in from the British Government of the Nichols, the first Postmaster General came under the control of the Royal 1861, Thomas supervised workmen to approach of general war. of New South Wales. Isaac Nichols’ build a mansion, a magnificent white Prince Alfred Hospital Board of father, Major Nichols resided on the house designed by Edmund Blacket, Towards the end of 1915, when the Directors. Shortly after the outbreak property for a number of years and the surrounded by trees, shrubs and wounded began arriving home, Eadith of World War II, the Army Department Bay near the residence is still known flower gardens. Completed in 1870, Walker became a benefactor to the was looking for a site to erect a base today as Major’s Bay. it still stands surrounded by beautiful tubercular soldiers who had been hospital for the 2nd Military District. gardens and outbuildings designed by housed at North Head Quarantine The Board suggested that the 40 1800 – 1849 the late Sir John Sulman. Station. - acre block of land separating the grounds of the two Walker Hospitals Thomas Walker was born in Leith, Thomas became well known for his In 1917, she established a camp for Scotland in 1804, the son of a AIF tubercular soldiers in the ground would be ideal for this purpose philanthropy. He supported a number because of its central position. This wealthy businessman. His uncle, of needy families and the Yaralla of Yaralla. For years, she maintained William Walker, came to the colony the camp’s staff without any financial block was referred to as “The Folly” or Cottages can still be seen from “Levy’s Folly”. The Department of the and established a firm of general Concord Road. It was always Thomas support from the Government. Army agreed and the Commonwealth 1948. A new Intensive Care Unit was Hospital Ship, Centaur, established of Australia purchased the land from opened in June 1976 located on in memory of the Centaur and those 1954 saw the State visit to the hospital the State Government. the second floor of the multi storey who lost their lives. The window was by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and building. The hospital’s Emergency installed on 13 May 1990. H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh. and Accident Centre, which opened on 1940 – 1969 On 1 July 1993, the Hospital The University of Sydney has been 1 July 1976, was developed in liaison The hospital was established in transferred to the NSW State Health affiliated with the hospital since the with the State Health Department. Its November 1940 as the 113th System and changed its name post war special intake of 1948. A opening extended health care beyond Australian General Hospital. In to Concord Repatriation General Clinical School at Concord was the veterans to members of the local February 1941 the Commanding Hospital. Significant redevelopment opened in 1963. This partnership is community. Officer, Lieutenant Colonel William was undertaken to provide a state- the foundation of the hospital‘s status Wood and a nucleus of staff arrived to In consultation with the NSW Health of-the-art Emergency Department, as a centre of excellence in medical take quarters at the hospital. Commission, a four bed Burns Unit Coronary Care Unit and Burns Unit, education. 1500 workmen were brought on site to was opened at the hospital on 23 May under the Central Sydney Area Health The Volunteer Service was construct the temporary pavilion type 1977, supported by the sophisticated Service. established in 1968 with only a facilities of the modern Intensive Care wards, operating theatres, an x-ray On 30 November 1994 the Duchess handful of volunteers. Today, there Unit. department, pharmacy, kitchen, boiler of York officially opened the Motor are more than 100 volunteers who house, and living quarters to create Neurone Disease Association. In this generously donate their time and a complete operational hospital. 1980 – 1989 year also, the 113th AGH Memorial expertise to provide care and comfort In all, 34 wards were constructed Concord’s Metabolic Unit was opened Chapel was opened, to serve as a for the patients of Concord Hospital. in the pavilion section for patient on 19 February 1980, to test sufferers haven for peace and reflection for The Volunteers provide a number of accommodation. of many metabolic disorders such as staff, patients and relatives. services for both patients and hospital osteoporosis, Paget’s Disease and By the end of February 1941, the staff and fundraising ventures such as In 1995, Nurses’ Home No. 1 was also kidney disorder associated with number of workers had increased to the weekly markets and raffles. They converted into the Concord Hospital bone disease. more than 2000, building the multi- continue to raise much-needed funds Medical Centre. The Centre houses storey block and the two Nurses’ to purchase new equipment for the the specialist medical consulting Homes. The multi-storey building was hospital. 1990 – 1999 suites, retail outlets and also the completed in 1942 and the architects, On 7 March 1990 Prime Minister hospital’s Endocrinology, Dermatology Stephenson and Turner, were 1970 – 1979 Bob Hawke opened the Surgical and and Podiatry Departments. awarded the Sulman Memorial Prize Diagnostic Facility. This included 10 The completion of the Clinical On Remembrance Day the same for merit in Architecture in 1946. The modern operating rooms, a Central Sciences Building in 1973 greatly year, the ANZAC Health and Medical builders were F.T.Eastment & Son.

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