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:
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—David Mercer, British screenwriter, and Karel Reisz. Mrs. Dell (Irene Handl)
“The South is very beautiful but its beauty makes one sad because the lives that people live here, and have lived here, are so ugly.”
—James Baldwin (1924–1987)
“If ever there was an aviary overstocked with jays it is that Yaptown-on-the-Hudson, called New York.”
—O. Henry [William Sydney Porter] (1862–1910)
“Time rushes toward us with its hospital tray of infinitely varied narcotics, even while it is preparing us for its inevitably fatal operation.”
—Tennessee Williams (1914–1983)