Old Bathurst Hospital, Heritage hospital building in Bathurst, Australia.
Old Bathurst Hospital is a colonial-era hospital building on Howick Street in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It features a sandstone exterior, high ceilings, and arched windows arranged in a symmetrical layout typical of Victorian public buildings.
Bathurst's first hospital is traditionally dated to 1824, a four-room weatherboard building at Howick and Bentinck Streets, though local historian Theo Barker argued it opened earlier, with assistant surgeon James Paterson in charge by 1823. The present building was designed by William Boles and built from 1880 to 1886 by J Willet as the main building of Bathurst Hospital. It was conserved and restored when a new hospital rose on the same site in 2006–2008, and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The sandstone facade and arched windows give the building a formal appearance that reflects how public institutions presented themselves in colonial Australia. Locals and visitors can walk around the exterior and observe the contrast between the old structure and the modern hospital next door.
The building now houses an education center and consulting offices and is open to visitors. It stands right next to the modern hospital, so both can be seen during the same visit without much walking.
The building was designed by William Boles and erected between 1880 and 1886 by the contractor J Willet, and it served as the main building of Bathurst Hospital until a new hospital replaced it on the same site in 2006–2008. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and is owned by the NSW Department of Health.
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