Brislington, Parramatta

About

Brislington is a heritage-listed former residence, inn, doctor's surgery, nurses' home and now museum at 10 George Street, Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1819 to 1821 by John Hodge. Incorporated into the former Parramatta District Hospital for many years, it now serves as the Brislington Medical and Nursing Museum. The property is owned by the New South Wales Department of Health. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Brislington was built in 1819-21 for emancipist trader and publican, John Hodges, and probably used as the "Anchor & Hope" Inn. It was later occupied by Sir George Wigram Allen from 1840s to 1857. Local history claims that Hodges won a thousand pounds in a card game at the nearby Woolpack Inn - the 8 of diamonds being his winning card It is believed that to commemorate his luck, he had the convict bricklayers work the diamond pattern into the back wall of the building.

Then set on an acre and a quarter of ground, the building was "large and commodious", with four rooms on each floor, a variety of outhouses consisting of kitchen and pantry, a large cellar, two servants' bedrooms, a four stall stable and a coach house and possessing one of the first wells in Parramatta town. Hodges was found guilty of stealing a large stone from the Government Quarry to build his kitchen fireplace, his conviction leading to the forced sale advertisement in the Sydney Gazette on 14 April 1825.

In 1857 the title passed to Dr Walter Brown, the first of three generations of Doctors Brown, establishing a long association with the medical profession. Brown named the house Brislington after his home town in Bristol, England, commencing 95 years and three generations of the family's practise of medicine on this site (until 1952). Walter Brown died in 1896, his wife Sigismunda in 1903, both being buried in St. John's cemetery, Parramatta. The Port Jackson fig tree ( Ficus rubiginosa ) at the front gate was already large in 1857 when Brown bought the property.

From 1949, it became a part of Parramatta Hospital and was used as a nurses' home.

In the 1970s, it was proposed to demolish Brislington, as it was no longer needed for accommodation with the changing role of Parramatta Hospital and opening of Westmead Hospital meaning that Parramatta ceased to provide acute surgical care. The demolition proposal was not proceeded with. In 1983, both Parramatta and Westmead Hospitals established an Archives Committee to preserve their history, and began operating Brislington as a nursing/hospital museum, housing a medical and nursing display for public viewing.

Brislington is a large two storey Old Colonial Georgian free standing house in red brick, laid in Flemish bond, built between 1819 and 1821. The ground floor verandahs are a later addition. The roof, now slated, is hipped. The front garden, screened by a large Port Jackson fig tree, provides an appropriate setting.

The verandah and entrance porch has brick column bases with timber columns and bracketing with a slate roof.

A small (remnant) garden survives, with large pre 1857 Port Jackson fig ( Ficus rubiginosa ) on George Street, jelly palm ( Butia capitata ) near the south-western corner of the house, and more recent cottage plantings in beds edging lawn.

The cellar entry is on the rear of eastern (north–south axis) wing of house.

The garden contains two foundation stone tablets both relocated from the former "Cottage Hospital" designed by John Sulman, of Sulman & Power Architects, New South Wales Government Architect.

One stone tablet dates from 1 May 1901, commemorating The Hon. John See, NSW Premier's opening of a wing of the hospital.

The other stone tablet dates from 4 June 1896, commemorating Viscount Hampden, State Governor's opening the cottage hospital.

Built 1819-21 and set on an acre and a quarter of ground

c. 1910 ground floor verandahs added, with stumpy brick pier posts, twin timber posts, heavy timber brackets, and gabled entrance bay.

1930s?/40s? Front verandah added to (southern elevation) house, facing George Street.

1949 resumed by Parramatta District Hospital for health related uses (nursing home from 1949).

1970s?/redevelopment of the adjacent Parramatta District Hospital with a new Accident & Emergency wing directly north of Hambledon, three stories tall.

1982 restoration by Parramatta Hospitals, Parramatta City Council and NSW Heritage Council involved demolition of two rear wings (one two storey to the east, one one storey to the west) on the recommendation of National Trust.

Built 1819-21 and set on an acre and a quarter of ground