The Nursing Museum is located on the first two levels of the 1931 wing of Lady Lamington Building, formerly the Nurses’ Home, in the grounds of the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The Lady Lamington Building is heritage listed on the Register of the National Estate, the National Trust Register and the Queensland Heritage Register. Lady Lamington, the wife of the Governor of the day laid the foundation stone on 14 September 1896. Robin S. Dodds was the architect of the original 1896 “L” shaped building. The 1896 building provided accommodation for the Head Nurse, four Charge Nurses, fifty trainee nurses and four servants. A second wing was added to the Nurses' Home in 1914 providing a further 98 cubicles for nursing staff, mainly trainee nurses.
With the growth of the Brisbane population in the 1930s and the increasing needs of the community during the economic depression, the Brisbane and South Coast Hospital Board appointed Architectural firm, Conrad, Atkinson and Powell to develop a modern hospital on the Herston site. Similarly at this time there was a need to train more nurses to staff the new wards and services buildings. The 1931 building facing the north-east, provided an additional 105 cubicles mainly for trainee nurses bringing the total accommodation provided for nursing staff at that time to 207. This wing has four floor levels and was used as night duty accommodation for the trainees. Sitting rooms, each with a fireplace, were a feature of the two top floors.
The Nursing Museum features artefacts and exhibitions that interpret the story of nursing at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The collection includes nursing equipment, photographs, furniture, uniforms and memorabilia from the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The library and archival collection is open to researchers.
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Tuesday 11.00 am to 2.00 pm
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Free, donations appreciated.
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Building No.25 in the grounds of the Royal Brisbane and Royal Women’s Hospital, Bowen Bridge Rd, Herston.
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Welcome by prior arrangement.
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Map Reference - Nursing Museum RBH
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