Brislington, Parramatta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brislington |
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| Location | 10 George Street, Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1819–1821 |
| Owner | NSW Department of Health |
| 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 building in Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was built by John Hodge between 1819 and 1821. Over the years, it has been a home, an inn, a doctor's office, and a place for nurses to live.
Today, Brislington is a museum called the Brislington Medical and Nursing Museum. It is owned by the New South Wales Department of Health. This special building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Contents
The Story of Brislington
Brislington was built for John Hodges, a person who had been a convict but later became a successful trader and inn owner. It might have been his inn, called "Anchor & Hope."
A Lucky Card Game
Local stories say that John Hodges won a lot of money in a card game. He won a thousand pounds at a nearby inn. To remember his good luck, he supposedly asked the bricklayers to create a diamond pattern in the back wall of the building.
Early Life at Brislington
The building was quite large, with four rooms on each floor. It also had a kitchen, pantry, a big cellar, and rooms for servants. There was even a stable for horses and a coach house. Brislington also had one of the first water wells in Parramatta.
John Hodges faced legal trouble for taking a large stone from a government quarry for his kitchen fireplace. Because of this, he had to sell Brislington. An advertisement for its sale appeared in the Sydney Gazette newspaper on April 14, 1825.
The Brown Family and Medicine
In 1857, Dr. Walter Brown bought the house. He named it Brislington after his hometown in Bristol, England. This began a long connection with medicine. Three generations of the Brown family, all doctors, lived and worked here until 1952. Walter Brown passed away in 1896, and his wife Sigismunda in 1903. They are both buried in St. John's cemetery in Parramatta.
The large Port Jackson fig tree (Ficus rubiginosa) near the front gate was already big when Dr. Brown bought the property in 1857.
Becoming Part of the Hospital
In 1949, Brislington became part of the Parramatta Hospital. It was used as a home for nurses. In the 1970s, there was a plan to knock down Brislington. This was because the hospital's role was changing, and a new hospital, Westmead Hospital, was opening. However, the plan to demolish Brislington was stopped.
In 1983, both Parramatta and Westmead Hospitals decided to save their history. They started using Brislington as a museum. It now shows medical and nursing items for people to see.
What Brislington Looks Like
Brislington is a large, two-story house made of red bricks. It was built between 1819 and 1821. The way the bricks are laid is called Flemish bond, which is a special pattern. The verandahs (covered porches) on the ground floor were added later. The roof is slanted, a style called a hipped roof.
Garden and Features
The front garden has a very old Port Jackson Fig Tree that helps screen the house. The verandah has brick bases with wooden posts and a slate roof.
A small part of the original garden remains. Besides the old fig tree, there is a jelly palm (Butia capitata) and other plants.
The entrance to the cellar is at the back of the house, on the eastern side.
Special Stone Tablets
In the garden, there are two stone tablets. These were moved from the old "Cottage Hospital." One tablet is from May 1, 1901. It remembers when the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. John See, opened a new part of the hospital.
The other tablet is from June 4, 1896. It remembers when the State Governor, Viscount Hampden, opened the cottage hospital.
Changes Over Time
- 1819-1821: Brislington was built on a large piece of land.
- Around 1910: The ground floor verandahs were added. These had brick posts and wooden supports.
- 1930s or 1940s: The front verandah, facing George Street, was added.
- 1949: Parramatta District Hospital took over Brislington to use it for health-related purposes, like a nurses' home.
- 1970s: A new Accident & Emergency wing was built for the hospital, right next to Brislington.
- 1982: Parts of the house were restored. Two wings at the back were removed to help preserve the main building.
Why Brislington is Important
Brislington is very important because it is the oldest example of a two-story townhouse built by a private person in mainland Australia. It has been connected to doctors and the medical field since 1851. This shows its long history with the Parramatta community.
Historical Significance
- It is the oldest existing house in Parramatta, built in 1821.
- The well on the property is one of the first five wells dug by European settlers in Australia. It is rare to find a house and well together in a city area.
- The building is linked to John Hodges, an interesting person from early colonial New South Wales.
- It is also connected to the Brown family, who lived there for over ninety years and gave the house its name.
- Other important people from the 1800s, like George Wigram Allen, also lived there.
- The site has been connected to the Parramatta District Hospital since around 1850.
Unique Features
- Brislington still has many of its original parts, like windows, doors, and parts of the stairs.
- The bricks and flagstones (flat stones) are very old and rare to find in a house in a city.
- The house has a unique diamond pattern made from burnt bricks on its outside wall.
- It was designed with two "fronts," which was unusual for early colonial buildings.
- The Port Jackson fig tree in the front garden is probably the oldest tree on the hospital site. It was there before 1857.
See also
