Royal Perth Hospital Administration Building

Royal Perth Hospital dates back to 1855 when the first stage of what was then called the Colonial Hospital was officially opened.  As a Government hospital, relying solely on government funds rather than private patronage, there was little incentive or money to improve infrastructure or patient care for the first few decades of its operations.  It wasn’t until the advent of Gold Boom in Western Australia in the 1890s that made it necessary for the Government to carry out extensions and improvements in response to the dramatic increase in population and wealth which inevitably brought with it increase in injuries caused from mining accidents and, just as significant, a substantial rise in alcohol-related injuries and diseases.  By this time, the hospital had been receiving very bad press, reported as falling behind the standard of other States and described as insanitary and ill-arranged with both insufficient medical staff and disorganised nursing staff.  The Government was being pressed to improve the hospital without further delay, because then the public would in turn take an interest in the hospital and be more willing to contribute to its maintenance until such time that it could become self-sufficient through external charitable assistance.  The Hospital then underwent a significant program of expansion during the 1890s, starting in 1894 with construction of a new Administration Building 

The construction of the Administration Building coincided with the introduction of the new Hospital Bill in 1894, by Premier John Forrest, and which was endorsed in 1895.  Modelled on South Australian legislation, this finally clarified the financial and management structure for all public hospitals in the State, stating that public hospitals would be maintained by Government funding and with additional revenue provided through public subscription. The Colonial Hospital was retitled “Perth Public Hospital” which affirmed its intention that the hospital was to cater exclusively for those who were not in a position to afford private hospital care.  Not long after the hospital would just be known as the Perth Hospital, removing the “public” as another mechanism to change people’s perceptions of it being merely a lower class government institution. 

Planning for the new Administration Building had actually been underway since the early 1890s.  Original plans proved too expensive so alternate plans had to be drawn up for a more modest building.  However, these plans were also rejected and finally a third design was requested, but it was not until the sixth attempt that plans were finally accepted and tenders were called.  The plans were prepared by George Temple Poole, who was then Assistant Engineer in Chief of the Public Works Department (PWD) and later became Chief Architect, and drawn by Arthur Hockings who had recently joined the architectural staff of the PWD. The successful contractor was prominent local builder Robert Bunning. 

The building and fitout of the Administration Building, which was also called ‘M’ Block, cost a total of £12,500.  It is a highly ornate brick four-storey Federation Queen Anne style building originally with a shingle roof topped with tall chimneys and dormer windows.  Although it included the use of red brick to blend in with the other hospital buildings, it was designed specifically to look different from the existing architectural style of the other buildings in order to distinguish it as an office and quarters rather than a treatment building.   

The entrance to the building was planned to be either accessed from the ornate split stone steps or alternatively from the sub-ground floor or basement level.  At the basement was the kitchen and kitchen offices and the nurses’ association rooms.  The ground floor had the surgery, dispensary and rooms for the resident medical officer, matron, secretary and wards.  The first floor was a surgery surgical ward, a private ward, service rooms and nurses bedrooms.  On the second floor – in the roof of the building – was the servants’ accommodation.  Balconies front and back provided shading from the sun but good ventilation especially to the wards.  Internally the different levels could be accessed by either the staircase or a modern hydraulic lift.  The decorative stepped windows on the western side were designed to follow the line of the internal staircase.  The garden and fence are also important parts of the character of the building and handsome examples of their period.   The building was connected to the western corner of the main hospital by two weatherboard covered walkways. 

In 1909, additions were commenced to the rear of the Administration Building.  As the standard of food at the Hospital had long been criticised, a new hospital kitchen was badly needed. The Kitchen, also referred to as ‘L’ Block, was designed by PWD Architect William B Hardwick and the building contractor was F. L. Gurr.   Completed in 1910, it was a single-storey brick building with an iron roof, housing a large industrial kitchen as well as a number of store rooms and featuring many modern conveniences such as the latest gas cooking appliances and steam cookers, and also other elements to provide the most efficient sanitary standards for the time such as a granolithic floor that could be easily washed and drained.  In 1926, a refrigeration plant was installed in the Kitchen.  During the 1960s, alterations were carried out to the Kitchen when it was converted into a nurses’ lecture hall. 

Royal Perth Hospital Precinct Conservation Plan, Considine and Griffiths Architects 1995  

Western Mail 30 June 1894 p. 9 

West Australian 22 September 1909 p. 6 

West Australian 29 October 1926 p. 12