Some people may find content on this website distressing. Read more
New South Wales - Organisation

Lady Edeline Hospital for Sick Babies (1914 - 1936)

  • The Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies, 'Greycliffe'

    The Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies, 'Greycliffe', April 1914, courtesy of State Library of New South Wales.
    Details

From
1914
To
1936
Categories
Babies' Home, Government-run, Home and Hospital
Alternative Names
  • Greycliffe
  • Greycliffe Children's Hospital
  • Greycliffe House
  • Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies

The Lady Edeline Hospital for Sick Babies was a government children's hospital at Nielsen Park, in Vaucluse, in an historic house called 'Greycliffe'. It began in 1914. It had 40 cots and was intended as a hospital to nurse babies who were sick with gastroenteritis, which was common in Sydney summer. It closed in 1936 and the building was taken over by Tresillian.

Details

Lady Edeline Hospital for Sick Babies was named after Lady Edeline Strickland, the wife of the New South Wales Governor.

'Greycliffe' was originally built by W.C. Wentworth, for his daughter. It had been left to the New South Wales Government, which consented to its use as a hospital in 1913. Its position, on three acres and fronting a beach, was considered perfect for restoring the health of babies, particularly as it could grow its own food.

Vaucluse House, the sea and Greycliffe House are rumoured to be linked by tunnels.

In 1936 the Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies closed. Greycliffe was then used by Tresillian Homes as a Mothercraft Nursing Home until 1968.

In 1968 the Government resumed control of Greycliffe House and since then it has been owned and managed by Parks and Wildlife as part of the Nielsen Park reserve.

Location

1914 - 1939
Address - Lady Edeline Hospital for Sick Babies was situated at Greycliffe House, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse. Location: Vaucluse

Related Organisations

Publications

Online Resources

Photos

Greycliffe Children's Hospital was for sick children. Many babies were admitted with gastroenteritis - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW
Title
Greycliffe Children's Hospital was for sick children. Many babies were admitted with gastroenteritis - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW
Type
Image
Date
c. 1914 - c. 1935
Creator
Balmer, Mable
Source
State Library of New South Wales

Details

Greycliffe Hospital was in a home built for the daughter of W C Wentworth, opposite Vaucluse House. There was a tunnel from Vaucluse House to Greycliffe which the nurses occasionally used - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW
Title
Greycliffe Hospital was in a home built for the daughter of W C Wentworth, opposite Vaucluse House. There was a tunnel from Vaucluse House to Greycliffe which the nurses occasionally used - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW
Type
Image
Date
c. 1914 - c. 1936
Creator
Balmer, Mable
Source
State Library of New South Wales

Details

The Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies, 'Greycliffe'
Title
The Lady Edeline Hospital for Babies, 'Greycliffe'
Type
Image
Date
April 1914
Source
State Library of New South Wales

Details

Official Opening of 'Rosalind Black' Ward
Title
Official Opening of 'Rosalind Black' Ward
Type
Image
Date
February 1918
Control
From NSW Govt Printer series - Lady Edeline Hospital, d1_18272
Source
State Library of New South Wales

Details

Tresillian home, Greycliffe
Title
Tresillian home, Greycliffe
Type
Image
Date
August 1935
Source
State Library of New South Wales

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: 'For the sick babies', The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 November 1913, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/15466865; Greycliffe Children's Hospital was for sick children. Many babies were admitted with gastroenteritis - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW [Image], Date: c. 1914 - c. 1935 Creator: Balmer, Mable; Greycliffe Hospital was in a home built for the daughter of W C Wentworth, opposite Vaucluse House. There was a tunnel from Vaucluse House to Greycliffe which the nurses occasionally used - Greycliffe Children's Hospital, NSW [Image], Date: c. 1914 - c. 1936 Creator: Balmer, Mable.

Prepared by: Naomi Parry