Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Museum & Archives

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Museum & Archives

The RPA Museum & Archives are located in the heritage-listed operating theatres of the King George V Building, directly across the street from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. RPAH is one of Australia's largest and oldest public hospitals. In 2007 it celebrated 125 years of service.

Unique domed ceiling of the heritage-listed KGV theatres
Unique domed ceiling of the heritage-listed KGV theatres

Address: 
Level 8, KGV Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown NSW 2050, Australia
Tel: 
+61 02 9515 9201
Hours: 
Mondays 10-2pm
Tuesdays 10-2pm
Wednesdays 10-2pm
Website: 
http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/RPA/Museum/default.htm
Email: 
kathryn.hillier@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
Admission: 
General admission free
Images
Facilities: 
Wheelchair access, disabled toilet facilities, guided tour on request, research facilities by appointment. There are several cafes in the area and metered parking is available on the street or in the hospital carpark for $5 (gold coins only). The 412 bus passes directly in front of the Hospital and we are in easy walking distance from both Parramatta Road, Camperdown and King Street, Newtown.
Collection: 

The collection features many significant items related to the history of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney from the attempted assassination of Prince Alfred in 1868 to present. We have a large collection of nursing memorablia including the original nursing registers, uniforms, photographs, badges, teaching aids and personal items. We also have a large collection of surgical and medical instruments. The Archive collection contains patient registers to 1906, minute books, annual reports, photographs, personal papers, operation registers and RPA publications. We also have a small but interesting library which includes textbooks related to nursing and medical education from the 1860s to the 1970s.

Some of the most significant items in the collection are the gold probe which was used to locate the bullet in Prince Alfred in 1868 and the mallet used to lay the foundation stone of the hospital in 1876. We also have a letter written by Florence Nightingale to a RPA nurse as well as copies of Florence Nightingale's books. There are many war-related badges and items in the collection including a diary written by an army nurse at Galipoli in April 1915.

We are busily working to make the collection available online to CAN users.