Brislington, Parramatta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brislington
Location	10 George Street, Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1819–1821
Owner	NSW Department of Health
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Parramatta District Hospital – Brislington and Landscape; Brislington & Landscape – Parramatta District Hospital
Type	state heritage (complex / group)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	59
Type	Hospital
Category	Health Services
Builders	John Hodge
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Brislington is a very old and important building in Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was built a long time ago, between 1819 and 1821, by a builder named John Hodge. Over the years, this building has been many things. It was once a home, an inn, a doctor's office, and even a place where nurses lived.

Today, Brislington is part of the former Parramatta District Hospital. It now serves as the Brislington Medical and Nursing Museum. This museum helps us learn about the history of medicine and nursing in Australia. The building is owned by the New South Wales Department of Health. It is officially protected as a heritage site, added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Discovering Brislington's Past

Brislington has a rich history, changing its purpose many times over the years.

Early Days and the "Anchor & Hope" Inn

The building was constructed between 1819 and 1821 for John Hodges. He was a businessman who had once been a convict. It's thought that Brislington might have been used as an inn called the "Anchor & Hope."

Local stories say that John Hodges won a lot of money in a card game. To remember his good luck, he supposedly asked the convict bricklayers to create a special diamond pattern in the back wall of the building.

At that time, the property was quite large. It had four rooms on each floor, plus a kitchen, pantry, cellar, and servants' bedrooms. There was also a stable for horses and a coach house. Brislington even had one of the first wells in Parramatta town, providing fresh water.

The Brown Family and Medical History

In 1857, a doctor named Walter Brown bought the house. He named it Brislington after his hometown in Bristol, England. This started a long connection between the building and the medical profession. For 95 years, three generations of the Brown family practiced medicine from this very site.

The large Port Jackson fig tree (Ficus rubiginosa) near the front gate was already big when Dr. Brown bought the property in 1857. It's still there today!

Becoming Part of Parramatta Hospital

In 1949, Brislington became part of the Parramatta Hospital. It was used as a home for nurses working at the hospital.

Later, in the 1970s, there was a plan to knock down Brislington. This was because the hospital's needs were changing, and a new hospital, Westmead Hospital, was opening. However, the plan to demolish Brislington was stopped.

Instead, in 1983, both Parramatta and Westmead Hospitals decided to save Brislington. They created a committee to preserve its history. Brislington then became a museum, showcasing medical and nursing displays for everyone to see.

What Brislington Looks Like

Brislington is a large, two-story house built in a style called Old Colonial Georgian. It's made of red bricks laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond. This means the bricks are arranged in a way that makes the wall very strong and decorative.

Building Features

• The roof is hipped, meaning it slopes down on all four sides. It's now covered with slate tiles.
• The front garden has a huge Port Jackson Fig Tree that helps create a beautiful setting for the house.
• The ground floor verandahs (covered porches) were added later. They have brick bases with timber columns and decorative brackets, and a slate roof.
• There's a cellar entry at the back of the house.

Garden and Special Stones

A small part of the original garden still exists. Besides the old Port Jackson fig tree, there's also a jelly palm tree (Butia capitata).

The garden also holds two special stone tablets. These tablets were moved here from the old "Cottage Hospital."

• One stone dates from May 1, 1901. It remembers the opening of a new hospital wing by the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. John See.
• The other stone dates from June 4, 1896. It commemorates the opening of the cottage hospital by the State Governor, Viscount Hampden.

Changes Over Time

Brislington has seen some changes since it was first built:

• Around 1910, the ground floor verandahs were added.
• A two-story section on the eastern side was also added later.
• Some changes were made inside the house.
• In the 1930s or 1940s, a front verandah was added facing George Street.
• In 1949, Parramatta District Hospital took over the building.
• In 1982, a big restoration project took place. Two wings at the back of the house were removed to bring the building closer to its original look.

Why Brislington is Important

Brislington is a very important historical building in Australia. It's one of the oldest two-story private homes built in mainland Australia that is still standing today.

A Long Medical Connection

Since 1851, Brislington has been linked to the medical profession. It was a doctor's home and office, and then part of the Parramatta District Hospital. This shows its long and strong connection to the health and well-being of the Parramatta community.

Historical Significance

• Brislington is important because it shows how early towns developed in Parramatta.
• It has one of the first five wells dug by European settlers in Australia. This well is a very rare example of an old well still existing in a city area.
• The Port Jackson fig tree, which is older than 1857, is probably the oldest tree on the hospital site. Its location is special because it matches the design of the house.

Heritage Listing Reasons

Brislington was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, for several reasons:

• It shows the history of New South Wales: Brislington is the oldest existing home in Parramatta, built in 1821. It's from the time of Governor Macquarie. The well on the site is also a rare example of an early well in a city.
• It's connected to important people: The building is linked to John Hodges, an interesting early figure in New South Wales. It's also strongly connected to the Brown family, who lived and practiced medicine there for over 90 years. Other important people like George Wigram Allen and Alfred George Lloyd also had connections to the site.
• It has unique design and features: The building still has many of its original parts, like windows, doors, and chimneys. The bricks and flagstones are very old and rare to find in a house in a city setting. It also has a unique diamond pattern made of burnt bricks on one of its walls.
• It can teach us more about history: The site has been used continuously since the very early days of European settlement. This means it could hold valuable information about how the house and land were used in the past.

• It is rare: Brislington is considered rare because it is the oldest existing building in Parramatta.

See also