Balmain Hospital

Balmain Hospital
Sydney Local Health District
Balmain Hospital main building, 2011
Geography
Location	Booth Street, Balmain, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°51′35″S151°10′59″E / 33.8596702°S 151.1831414°E / -33.8596702; 151.1831414
Organisation
Care system	Medicare (Australia)
Funding	Public hospital
Type	Specialist
Network	NSW Health
Services
Emergency department	Yes - 08:00am to 10:00pm
Beds	98
Speciality	Geriatric medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation
History
Former name(s)	Balmain District Hospital Balmain Cottage Hospital
Opened	1885;140 years ago (1885)
Links
Website	www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/balmain

Balmain Hospital (formerly Balmain Cottage Hospital and Balmain District Hospital) is a public hospital in the suburb of Balmain in Sydney, Australia. ^{[1] [2]} It was founded in 1885 and provides outpatient, rehabilitation, aged care and general practice/casualty services. ^[1]

The hospital commenced operation in 1885 in an adapted cottage, which survives as the hospital's administration building and is now heritage listed. A series of additions and new buildings occurred throughout its early decades: a new wing (the Evans Ward) opened in March 1890, a new outpatient, women's and children's wing (the Victoria Ward) opened in September 1901, it underwent major refurbishment in 1908 and a new children's ward opened in September 1924. ^{[3] [4] [5] [2]}

It expanded significantly in the 1920s, increasing from 40 beds to 120 beds and experiencing a doubling of treated patients. ^[6] Complaints about run-down, overcrowded and otherwise poor hospital facilities were common through the late 1920s and into the 1930s. ^{[7] [8] [9]} New women's and children's wards opened in 1935 and new nurses quarters' (Stacey House) in 1937. ^{[10] [11] [12]} A major new four-storey building, Thornton House, was added in 1943. ^[13]

The hospital underwent a significant downgrade and refocus c. 1993, with the closure of the emergency department and change in focus to provide primarily for aged care and rehabilitation, though a new casualty department opened shortly afterwards to deal with remaining unmet need. ^[14]

In 2019, Leadership Mentor Kylie Pagent and her husband, Nicholas Pagent, funded the revamp and extension of the hospital’s casualty service facility. This included the funding of new equipment, the establishment of a children’s activity corner and a revamped waiting room. ^[15] Despite local investments, the Balmain Hospital suffered severe staff cuts in 2024 as result of Local Health District budget cuts. ^[16]

The Balmain Hospital Main Building is listed on the New South Wales Heritage Register. ^[17]

References

1. "Balmain Hospital". Sydney Local Health District. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
2. "BALMAIN HOSPITAL". Evening News . No. 12, 667. New South Wales, Australia. 15 January 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
3. "Balmain Hospital 130th Anniversary 1885 – 2015" (PDF). Sydney Local Health District. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
4. "BALMAIN COTTAGE HOSPITAL". The Australian Star . No. 2835. New South Wales, Australia. 8 March 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
5. "BALMAIN HOSPITAL". The Daily Telegraph . No. 13, 975. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1924. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
6. "BALMAIN HOSPITAL". The Labor Daily . No. 676. New South Wales, Australia. 23 March 1926. p. 7. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
7. "'WHISKERED' WALLS". The Daily Telegraph . No. 14, 833. New South Wales, Australia. 24 June 1927. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
8. "TOO CROWDED". The Sun . No. 5366. New South Wales, Australia. 19 January 1928. p. 16 (FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
9. "BALMAIN HOSPITAL". The Sun . No. 5478. New South Wales, Australia. 30 May 1928. p. 3 (LAST RACE FOOTBALL). Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
10. "New Wards at Balmain Hospital". The Sun . No. 1671. New South Wales, Australia. 7 April 1935. p. 30. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
11. "NEW BUILDING AT HOSPITAL". The Sun . No. 8393. New South Wales, Australia. 26 November 1936. p. 28 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
12. "HOSPITALS ARE POPULAR". The Sun . No. 8543. New South Wales, Australia. 22 May 1937. p. 2 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
13. "NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 33, 030. New South Wales, Australia. 5 November 1943. p. 7. Retrieved 26 August 2021– via National Library of Australia.
14. "Compliance of hand washing practices: Theory versus practice". Australian Health Review. 1998. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.630.3901 .
15. "KYLIE AND NICK PAGENT BRING GOOD TIDINGS TO BALMAIN CASUALTY SERVICE". The Daily Telegraph . 12 June 2019.
16. "These Five Sydney Hospitals Face Staff Cuts, Doctors Are Demanding To Know Why". The Age . 6 November 2024.
17. "Balmain Hospital - Main Building". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H00814. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence .