Works in Progress- Nurses Cottage

These are a few photos from the Nurses Cottage owned by Haydn Pearce. Over the last few months he has done quite a bit of work to the interior of the Nurses Home. Keep up the Good Work Haydn.

These Photos were supplied by Aiden Sullivan

Nurses Cottage History 1911/13

Federation style architecture.

Nurse Cottage is a 2 story building built in an L shape out of red brick, sandstone foundations, timber frame work, sandstone window seals, lead light windows, sandstone detailing on the brick work and corrugated iron. It has a number of chimneys throughout the building a lovely grand star case built out of Blackwood. 

Before the Nurse Cottage was built the nurses lived in the wards with the patients they cared for. All staff lived on site except when on leave. Several years later only married male staff were allowed to live off site. Married Female staff were not employed except for the matron. 

In 1883 Committee Report indicated that many of the nurses were not suitable to care for mentally ill patients, the staff worked long hard hours, were under payed and lived and worked in substandard conditions. The report recommended a wage increase and a new separate building built for female nurses to reside. 

The Nurses Cottage was well appointed and was a complete opposite to the Wards they used to live in. 

In 1923 there was a need for additional accommodation facilities to be built for the female nurses and the additional wing was built at right angles to the original building forming the L shape. 

From the 1960’s female nurses were moved to the new multi storey Nurses Home complex in the grounds of Royal Derwent Hospital. 

In 1962 Male patients moved into the old Nurses Cottage saving it from possible demolition. 

During the late 1960’s – 70’s the original wing on the Nurse Cottage was also used for staff training, speech therapy and Child Development. 

The Garden out from of the Nurses Cottage is known as Muriel Knight Park.