Royal South Sydney Hospital was a hospital in the southern Sydney suburb of Zetland, New South Wales, Australia.
Initial efforts to open a hospital in South Sydney began in 1908 when fundraising efforts by local residents saw James Joynton Smith, local businessman and racecourse owner, elected as provisional president of a future hospital. In 1912, construction of a 25 bed public hospital began and was opened in 1913. in 1917, the title of Royal was bestowed upon the hospital by the King, and capacity was expanded to 110 beds the following year.
In 1976, the present brick buildings were constructed and opened, and the hospital began to specialise in rehabilitation, orthopaedics and community health. In 1991, the hospital merged with the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry Hospitals. General hospital services, including (controversially) the emergency department were slowly wound down until only community services operated from the location until 2003, when the hospital finally closed and the site was transferred to the South Sydney City Council (later, City of Sydney council).
The site currently lies disused, it is anticipated that the hospital will be included as part of the Green Square town square development.
Famous quotes containing the words royal, south, sydney and/or hospital:
“High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Show’rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
To that bad eminence; and, from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue
Vain war with Heav’n, and by success untaught,
His proud imaginations”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“The cloud was so dark that it needed all the bright lights that could be turned upon it. But for four years there was a contagion of nobility in the land, and the best blood North and South poured itself out a libation to propitiate the deities of Truth and Justice. The great sin of slavery was washed out, but at what a cost!”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (1826–1903)
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—O. Henry [William Sydney Porter] (1862–1910)
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—Tennessee Williams (1914–1983)