The Adelaide Children's Hospital opened in 1879 in North Adelaide. It was run by a board of management and funded by donations, fund raising and government subsidies. The Adelaide Children's Hospital ran the Queen Victoria Convalescent Home for Children at Mount Lofty and Mareeba Babies Hospital. It also purchased and ran Estcourt House at Tennyson. In 1989 the Adelaide Children's Hospital combined with the Queen Victoria Hospital to form the Adelaide Medical Centre for Women and Children.
The Adelaide Children's Hospital was founded in 1876 and officially opened in North Adelaide in 1879. It was initially funded by several wealthy patrons, subscriptions and fund raising as well as grants from the government. Run by a board of management it was originally intended only for poor and destitute children but later opened wards for paying patients. It became an incorporated institution in 1880.
The Adelaide Children's Hospital ran the Queen Victoria Convalescent Home for Children at Mount Lofty from 1898 until the 1940s. Through the 1920s and 30s the hospital developed strong ties with Estcourt House at Tennyson which it purchased in 1955 and ran until 1978. It also ran Mareeba Babies Hospital from 1951 until the 1960s.
Some children from the Adelaide Children's Hospital were sent to Seaforth Convalescent Home to recover from illness.
In 1989 the Adelaide Children's Hospital combined with the Queen Victoria Hospital to form the Adelaide Medical Centre for Women and Children, which became known from 1995 as the Women's and Children's Hospital.
1876 - 1989 Adelaide Children's Hospital
1989 - 1995 Adelaide Medical Centre for Women and Children
1995 - Women's and Children's Hospital
Sources used to compile this entry: 'SPASTIC CHILDREN ENJOY PARTY', The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), 20 December 1946, p. 16, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35773063; 'Spastic Centre In New Premises', The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), 4 November 1949, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74659001; 'Attendances Grow At Spastic Centre', The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), 8 March 1950, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50212369; George, Karen, Finding your own way, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc., 2005, http://nunku.org.au/resources/; State Records of South Australia, 'Agency Details: GA464 Adelaide Children's Hospital', in State Records of South Australia, ArchivesSearch, http://archives.sa.gov.au.
Prepared by: Karen George and Gary George
Created: 16 February 2011, Last modified: 8 May 2014