Herries Private Hospital facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herries Private Hospital
Herries Private Hospital, 2015
Location	180 McLeod, Cairns North, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1919–1930s (interwar period)
Built	1880s circa – 1920
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Herries Private Hospital
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	28 July 2000
Reference no.	602137
Significant period	1880s circa, c. 1920 (fabric) 1920s–1930s (historical, social)
Significant components	toilet block/earth closet/water closet, air raid shelter, fence/wall – perimeter, residential accommodation – quarters
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Herries Private Hospital is a special old building in Cairns North, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a private hospital, especially for mothers having babies. Today, it is a private home. This building was moved to its current spot in 1920. It is now known as Herries House. The building is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it is an important historical place.

A Look Back: The Hospital's Story

Herries Private Hospital is located at 180 McLeod Street, across from the Cairns Pioneer Cemetery. This wooden building was moved here from Cooktown in 1920. A nurse and midwife named Janet Abercrombie Herries owned it. She ran it as a private hospital from 1921 to 1938.

Matron Herries: A Caring Nurse

Janet Abercrombie Mackie was born in Scotland in 1869. She became a nurse. Because of her health, she moved to Australia for a warmer climate. She worked as a nurse in North Queensland. In 1902, she married Robert Herries. They had four sons.

In 1916, her family moved to Cairns. Janet Herries rented a two-story house. In 1918, doctors in Cairns asked her to open a hospital. She started one of the first private hospitals in Cairns. It cared for nine or ten patients at a time. This included both mothers and general patients. The hospital part was upstairs, and her family lived downstairs.

The Building's Journey

The land at 180 McLeod Street was first bought in 1888. It was sold many times before Mr. Francis Albert Blucher bought it in 1918. In 1920, the building itself was moved from Cooktown. It was put back together on the McLeod Street site. People believe this building was once a fashion shop in Cooktown. It was called "Miss Timony's Premises." Its unique front shape, which looks like a corner shop, supports this idea.

When her lease ended in 1920, Matron Herries rented 180 McLeod Street from Mr. Blucher. She opened her hospital there in November 1920. The Cairns Town Council officially registered her private hospital in December 1921. The property was later advertised for sale. It was known as "Nurse Herries Hospital." The ad said Nurse Herries was a great tenant. She was willing to rent for a long time. Mrs. Charlotte Mary Cato bought it in 1923. She then sold it to Mrs. Herries in 1924.

A Busy Hospital

Herries' Private Hospital could care for nine to ten patients. Many women traveled from places like Herberton and Mount Garnet. They came from the Atherton Tablelands to have their babies there. Matron Herries worked very hard. She was respected and loved by the Cairns community. Many older people in Cairns were born in her hospital. They feel a strong connection to the house.

Surviving Cyclones

The building was damaged by a cyclone in Cooktown in 1907. It was damaged even more by the 1927 cyclone in Cairns. A family member remembered the roof blowing off to the cemetery. After that cyclone, the upstairs verandah was closed in with windows. The roof was also lined.

Matron Herries retired in 1939, and the hospital closed. She lived in the house with her son Charles until she passed away in 1958. In 1986, during Cyclone Winifred, part of the front of the building fell off. A builder suggested closing in the open areas. Charles, her last son, lived there until he passed away in 1996.

In 2014, the owner, John Westwood, spent a lot of money to fix up the property. It is now a private home called Herries House. Before this, some people thought it looked run down.

Building Features

Herries' Private Hospital is a two-story wooden building. It has a unique shape, like a rectangle with one corner cut off. This cut-off corner makes it look like a shop that was on a street corner. It has a sloped roof made of corrugated iron. The building sits on low supports.

Verandahs and Walls

The wide front porches (verandahs) are now closed in. The front part of the house is made of wooden boards. The sides and back of the house are covered with corrugated iron.

Windows and Doors

The front and sides have many windows. These are casement windows, which open outwards. They have a large blue glass pane in the middle. There are two smaller clear glass panes above and below it. At the back, the ground floor has similar windows. The upper floor has three double-hung windows.

You enter the ground floor through a front door on the cut-off corner. The floor inside is made of timber. There is a narrow, steep staircase to the top floor. The kitchen, toilet, and bathroom are also on the ground floor.

Inside the Hospital

Upstairs, the floor is polished timber. Part of the front verandah is open. But a section on the southeast corner has been closed in to make a room. The rest of the floor has a main room. Behind it is another room to the east. Another room is next to it to the north. The room at the back left was where babies were born. The room on the right was the operating room.

Backyard Features

In the backyard, you can still see parts of an old outdoor toilet. There is also a trellis and a post that might have been for a washing line. You can also find the remains of an air raid shelter. This shelter was built during World War II. It is now used to store bricks. A large fig tree is the only plant in the backyard.

The Fence

The property has different types of fences. The front fence has concrete posts. These posts are set in a low concrete wall. Metal pipes and wire mesh connect the posts. There is a double gate at one end and a single gate at the other. The tops of the posts are painted pale green. The posts themselves are cream. This matches the house's paint colors. The house is cream on the bottom floor. The top floor has faint green paint left on its wooden boards.

Why It's a Heritage Site

Herries Private Hospital was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2000. This means it is important for several reasons.

A Glimpse into Queensland's Past

This building shows how Queensland's history unfolded. Many buildings in North Queensland were moved from old mining towns to new, growing towns. Herries Private Hospital was moved from Cooktown to Cairns. Its unique shape shows it was once a corner shop.

The hospital also shows the important role of midwives and nurses. For a long time, most babies were born at home or in small private hospitals. These hospitals were run by midwives. Almost every town had these small maternity homes. They also cared for other patients who were not seriously ill.

A Rare Find

Herries Private Hospital has a rare feature: a private air raid shelter in its backyard. This shelter was built during World War II. This makes it a special part of Queensland's history.

A Typical Private Hospital

This building shows what a private hospital was like before World War II. Private maternity hospitals, run by nurses, were common. This building has stayed in the family of the nurse who ran it. Its current look also shows how verandahs were often closed in after World War II. This was often done to protect against cyclones. Other than that, the building has not changed much.

A Special Connection to the Community

Herries Private Hospital has a strong connection to many older people in Cairns. They were born in Matron Herries' hospital. People remember her and the hospital with great fondness.

Important People in Queensland's History

After World War II, these private hospitals became less common. But the nurses and midwives who ran them were very important. They helped most Queenslanders be born. Many of these old hospitals are no longer recognized as such. Herries' Hospital is still strongly linked to the nurses and midwives. They were vital for the health of Queensland's mothers.