091322 140 year history - A4 landscape v1 digital - Flipbook - Page 11
It was the very first visit by a member of the
Royal Family to the colony of New South Wales.
A variety of festivities were organised, including
a picnic at the picturesque beach at Clontarf on
Middle Harbour.
On the afternoon of 12 March 1868, an Irish fanatic
shot His Royal Highness during the festivities. He
was treated and the bullet removed. His Royal
Highness made a full recovery.
The community rallied, by 20 March Sydney
residents had decided to erect the Prince Alfred
Memorial Hospital to commemorate the public’s
satisfaction at the Prince’s recovery. A sum of
£34,393 was raised by voluntary subscriptions
for the purpose, and this was supplemented by
Parliamentary votes. The Institution thus became in
the nature of a national memorial.
The University of Sydney, itself less than 20
years old, offered land in Camperdown to build
a general hospital, providing that the hospital serve
as a teaching hospital for its new medical School.
The hospital also aimed to provide nurse training,
forging a partnership that has remained strong
for 140 years.
The Prince Alfred Hospital opened on 25 September
1882, with the Royal prefix added in 1903, it served
as a shining example of modern hospital design.
One hundred-and-forty-six patients were admitted
on that first day and by the end of the first year
over 1000 patients had been treated. Prince Alfred
was the first and largest teaching hospital to be
built in Sydney.
Story
A hospital, built by the people, for the people.
RPA Museum Collection
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