"Sydney Hospital dates from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and has been on its present site in Macquarie Street since 1811. The oldest building now standing on the site is the Nightingale Building which dates from 1868, and the sandstone buildings on the Macquarie Street frontage, dating from 1894.
The new Clinical Services Building of the hospital was opened in 1996 and has been built to harmonise with the historic buildings on the site. The complex of buildings provides an important monument to the history of medicine and nursing in Australia, and continue to provide high quality healthcare services.
Many areas of Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital are listed on the National Trust Register.
Building descriptions
North Block, South Block, Centre Block and the Administration Building
The buildings facing Macquarie Street are an imposing group of high Victorian institutional buildings, which form an integral part of the historic streetscape of Macquarie Street, as well as being important to the early history of medicine in Australia. The hospital is dominant in view from Martin Place, and serves as a sympathetic backdrop to other important buildings such as St James’ Church, the Hyde Park Barracks and the old Register General’s Department when viewed from Hyde Park.
Building containing the Worrall Lecture Theatre and Chapel of St Luke the Physician
The building containing the Chapel of St Luke the Physician is a rare example of high Victorian style architecture, illustrating the influence of medieval romanticism on the arts and crafts movement and shows a most unusual combination of functions within one building.
The building was completed in 1894 and designed by Architect, John Kirkpatrick. It has a symmetrical plan with a spiral end to the east accommodating the chapel on the ground floor and theatre above. There are turrets at the corners of the east elevation with balconies between on cast iron columns and with cast iron lace balustrades. The building is rendered to simulate stucco and the main turret roofs are of slate.
Internally, the chapel is in original condition with etched glass doors, stained glass windows (some by Lyon and Cottier) and an excellent tiled mural behind the altar.
The Nightingale Wing
The Nightingale Wing is the home of the oldest nursing school in Australia.
The wing is a picturesque polychrome brick, four storeyed structure (1868-69) built to the design of Thomas Rowe and approved by Florence Nightingale. The gothic revival building became the home of the first nursing school in Australia, and was opened soon after the arrival of Miss Lucy Osburn, who was sent by Miss Nightingale with a team of five nurses from England to reform nursing practice at the hospital.
In 1901, additions were made by adding a floor and a wing to the east; and in 1918 it was again extended due to space limitations. It is listed under the National Trust because it is the oldest building now standing on the present site of Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital.
Part of the Nightingale Wing is now used to accommodate the Lucy Osburn – Nightingale Foundation Museum."
--NSW Government (
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