Historic Sydney Hospital - Plaque on Sidewalk
by Kaye Menner
Title
Historic Sydney Hospital - Plaque on Sidewalk
Artist
Kaye Menner
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
An image I captured on the path or sidewalk in Macquarie Street Sydney... see more:
Governor Macquarie's Rum Hospital - Sydney Hospital
Governor Macquarie's original "Rum Hospital".
Upon his arrival in the Colony of New South Wales at the beginning of 1810, Governor Macquarie discovered that the Sydney Cove's hospital was an affair of tents and temporary buildings. Macquarie set aside land on the western edge of the Government Domain for a new hospital and created a new road - Macquarie Street to provide access to it. Plans were drawn up but the British Government refused to provide funds to build the hospital. Consequently, Macquarie entered into a contract with a consortium of businessmen - Garnham Blaxcell, Alexander Riley and, later, D'Arcy Wentworth - to erect the new hospital. They were to receive convict labour and supplies and a monopoly on rum imports from which they expected to recoup the cost of the building and gain considerable profits. The contract allowed them to import 45,000 (later increased to 60,000) gallons of rum to sell to colonists and was signed on 6 November 1810. In the event, the hospital did not turn out to be very profitable for the contractors. Convict patients were transferred to Governor Macquarie's new hospital in 1816.
Uploaded
August 18th, 2012
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Viewed 10,167 Times - Last Visitor from Terrebonne, QC - Canada on 04/25/2024 at 3:59 PM
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