Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women (South Sydney Women's Hospital) Admissions Register

The Admissions Register of the Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women (South Sydney Women’s Hospital) are two volumes of registers. The registers contain pre-printed forms requesting personal details of pregnant women who were admitted. Details on the firms include the mother’s medical history, current circumstances, and additional notes relating to outcomes after the mother and child were discharged from the Home.

According to Professor Lynette Russell, archivist of the Nursing History Research Unit, these were retrieved from a rubbish pile at Rozelle Hospital and donated to the Nursing History Research Unit. Professor Russell believes all other records of the Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women have been destroyed. The Admissions Register for Home of Hope was held by the Nursing History Research Unit was in the custody of the Nursing History Research Unit before being transferred to the State Library of New South Wales.

The registers contain limited information about the women who lived at the Home of Hope. Following the closure of the Nursing History Research Unit these registers were donated to the State Library of New South Wales.

Access Conditions

These registers are open and can be viewed by any member of the public. For access to these registers please contact the State Library of New South Wales.

Records

There are 2 registers in this collection.

The first register covers admissions from the 16th of March to 28th of December 1903 (admission numbers 63 to 265), and 2nd of January to 9th of March 1904 (admission numbers 1 to 53A).

The second register covers admissions from 11th March to 5th November 1904 (admission numbers 55 to 307).

Although the last admission date covered by these registers is in 1904, the end date for these records is listed as 28th February 1905. This is likely referring to the last discharge date for mothers admitted in late 1904.