1803. Portable Military Hospital, Sydney Cove.
http://thedirton.therocks.com/2012/03/first-hospital.html
January 1788 Sydney Cove. The positions of tents (and hospital tents).
The medical men of the First Fleet 1789:
John White Principal Surgeon arrived on the Charlotte.
Dennis Considen First Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Scarborough
Thomas Arndell Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Friendship
William Balmain Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Alexander
George Worgan Naval Surgeon arrived on the Sirius
Thomas Jamison Surgeon's Mate arrived on the Sirius
James Callam Ship's Surgeon arrived on the Supply
Arthur Bowes-Smyth Ship's Surgeon arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
John Altree Convict's Surgeon arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
Lowes Surgeon's Mate arrived on the Sirius
John Irving Convict arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
With the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in late January 1788, hospital tents were among the first to be erected to cope with Cove scurvy and dysentery. This was followed by a hospital building and laboratory made of wood and a shingled roof that was completed by August 1788. The hospital building was divided into a dispensary and wards for the troops and another for the convicts.
A portable military hospital arrived with the Second Fleet. It was flat packed for easy transportation by ship, and was constructed of prefabricated wooded framed panels, 84 feet long by 20 feet 6 inches wide by 12 feet high, with its roof covered by copper. This hospital was erected in one week (figure 1 and 2).
John White Principal Surgeon arrived on the Charlotte.
Dennis Considen First Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Scarborough
Thomas Arndell Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Friendship
William Balmain Assistant Surgeon to the Colony arrived on the Alexander
George Worgan Naval Surgeon arrived on the Sirius
Thomas Jamison Surgeon's Mate arrived on the Sirius
James Callam Ship's Surgeon arrived on the Supply
Arthur Bowes-Smyth Ship's Surgeon arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
John Altree Convict's Surgeon arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
Lowes Surgeon's Mate arrived on the Sirius
John Irving Convict arrived on the Lady Penrhyn
With the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in late January 1788, hospital tents were among the first to be erected to cope with Cove scurvy and dysentery. This was followed by a hospital building and laboratory made of wood and a shingled roof that was completed by August 1788. The hospital building was divided into a dispensary and wards for the troops and another for the convicts.
A portable military hospital arrived with the Second Fleet. It was flat packed for easy transportation by ship, and was constructed of prefabricated wooded framed panels, 84 feet long by 20 feet 6 inches wide by 12 feet high, with its roof covered by copper. This hospital was erected in one week (figure 1 and 2).
Figure 1: View of the hospital complex at 1792. The white building, No. 18 is the portable hospital which arrived with the 2nd Fleet in 1790. 19 and 20 are the hospital store and outbuildings. No. 20 could possibly be the original hospital building constructed in 1788. 21, the assistant surgeon's residence. 22, the surgeon-general's residence. 29, the hospital garden.
Figure 2: The hospital complex is the area enclosed by the fence and includes the surgeon and assistant surgeon’s residences on the far right. The portable hospital is the long white building behind the hospital wharf, the original hospital is the biggest building in the centre. The function of the smaller outbuildings is not known for sure.
Figure 3: Governor Macquarie's General Hospital in 1816.
A new Military General Hospital made of stone was built in Sydney by Governor Macquarie, which construction commenced in 1810 and was completed by 1816 (figure 3). It consisted of three buildings made of timber and quarried stone; a large central building was the Convict Hospital, a Northern Wing was quarters for the Principal Surgeon or Inspector-General of Hospitals and two staff surgeons, and a Southern Wing for four Assistant Surgeons, a Purveyor, and an Apothecary. It was also locally known as the "rum hospital" as it was constructed by three colonists in exchange for a short term but lucrative monopoly on importing spirits into the colony.
By 1823 a Ward in the South Wing was provided for sick officials of the Colonial establishment and Governor Brisbane instructed that sick soldiers of the Buffs (3rd Regiment) also be treated there. Assistant Surgeon James Mitchell was the only occupant.
At this time there existed throughout the colony two Official Medical Establishments. Firstly the Civilian establishment under the control of James Bowman, and secondly, a Military establishment attached to regiments stationed in various places throughout the colony. Wherever small detachments of soldiers were stationed, they were treated by the nearest surgeon.
By about 1833 Lord Glenelg decided to combine the civilian and military Medical establishments so Governor Bourke appointed a Deputy Inspector of Hospitals (Dr John Vaughan Thompson - see his uniform in the "Photo Gallery" of this website) and a Deputy Purveyor, Dr Jonathan Croft. Thompson arrived in March, 1836, and took charge, appointing a superior officer over James Bowman. The effect of this reorganisation was that the Hospital and its Staff were no longer controlled by an independent civil officer responsible to the Governor, but was assimilated into the Military establishment and thus subjected to the rules and regulations applying to General Military Hospitals on Colonial Stations. This change was unpopular as the civilian surgeons lost their privilege of private practice and were liable to transfer to other stations, and Thompson was apparently devoid of tact and lacked firmness to implement decisions.
in 1843, Medical stores became part of the Army Ordinance Department, controlled by Dr Croft, who occupied the South Wing for a short period. Later in the year the entire South Wing was vacated and occupied by the Sydney Infirmary & Dispensary for the treatment of non-convict paupers.
By 1823 a Ward in the South Wing was provided for sick officials of the Colonial establishment and Governor Brisbane instructed that sick soldiers of the Buffs (3rd Regiment) also be treated there. Assistant Surgeon James Mitchell was the only occupant.
At this time there existed throughout the colony two Official Medical Establishments. Firstly the Civilian establishment under the control of James Bowman, and secondly, a Military establishment attached to regiments stationed in various places throughout the colony. Wherever small detachments of soldiers were stationed, they were treated by the nearest surgeon.
By about 1833 Lord Glenelg decided to combine the civilian and military Medical establishments so Governor Bourke appointed a Deputy Inspector of Hospitals (Dr John Vaughan Thompson - see his uniform in the "Photo Gallery" of this website) and a Deputy Purveyor, Dr Jonathan Croft. Thompson arrived in March, 1836, and took charge, appointing a superior officer over James Bowman. The effect of this reorganisation was that the Hospital and its Staff were no longer controlled by an independent civil officer responsible to the Governor, but was assimilated into the Military establishment and thus subjected to the rules and regulations applying to General Military Hospitals on Colonial Stations. This change was unpopular as the civilian surgeons lost their privilege of private practice and were liable to transfer to other stations, and Thompson was apparently devoid of tact and lacked firmness to implement decisions.
in 1843, Medical stores became part of the Army Ordinance Department, controlled by Dr Croft, who occupied the South Wing for a short period. Later in the year the entire South Wing was vacated and occupied by the Sydney Infirmary & Dispensary for the treatment of non-convict paupers.
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