Governor Macquarie’s Rum Hospital
My daily walk into town through some sydney history…yes we do have some history.
The Sydney Hospital is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and at its current location since 1811. Rum was the currency of the colony and Governor Macquarie gave a rum monopoly to three locals if they built him a splendid hospital in return.
Nurse training in Australia began on site in 1868 when Florence Nightingale sent out Lucy Osburn and five other English sisters. The brick and sandstone Gothic Revival Nightingale Wing of 1869 off the central courtyard, with its colourful fountain, was built to the plans of Florence Nightingale to house the first nursing school.
