In 1906 the Bethesda Hospital was opened with 50 beds as an intermediate hospital. I first saw the light of day there, in 1919 ,when a donation of Six Thousand Pounds by Sir Aaron Danks allowed the Methodist Church to buy Yalcowinna, a mansion property on one and a half acres of gardens on Richmond Hill. Epworth Hospital was opened there on 27th February 1920 with 25 beds and a staff of 5.
Recently I found myself back in Erin St receiving positive proficient physiotherapy at the magnificent mansion "Elim" (originally called ) where I was warmly welcomed by receptionists Ann and Loretta and soon introduced to the first of about a doze machines, instruments etc. by Sean....that first visit caused me to write the CEO asking her to express my personal appreciation to Sean for his sensitive conscientious caring..........that letter was followed by another later in the week expressing my similar reactions to Chris & Libby`s valued assistance in the workouts and later supplying me with information needed when I told them I was extremely impressed by the admirable architecture and wanted to write a blog about it and Epworth Rehabilitation Centre.
The mansion was built in 1867 by William Highett who was born in Weymouth in the county of Dorset England in 1807, the son pf Joseph Highett and his wife Elizabeth (nee Harding). He travelled to Victoria with his brother John, arriving in Hobart Town in February 1830. With a combined capital of 507 pounds and highly respected testimonials they were granted 500 acres of land at Georgetown, later buying extensive land holdings at Launceston and Campbell Town which were managed by brother John.
Two years after his arrival in Van Diemen`s Land William was appointed accountant of the Launceston branch of the Van Diemen`s Land Bank. In January 1835 he joined the Tarmar Bank Co. as cashier remaining there until he accepted the position of manager of the Union Bank of Australia in Melbourne in 1838 which had taken over the Tarmar Bank Co. in Launceston that same year.
The Union Bank in Melbourne operated from a single storey brick building on the corner of Queen St and Flinders Lane but with the growth of business a second storey was added the next year. With continuing success the bank bought land at 30 pounds a foot on the south-east corner of Collins & Queen Sts. There in 1842 Donovan & Crosbie erected an impressive new bank building constructrd entirely of stone designed by George MacLagan.
Later that year Highett travelled to England and while there resigned from the bank and later rejoined the Union Bank as a local director remaining in the position for a number of years, becoming deeply involved with the growth of business and commercial development in Melbourne and was one of the founders and directors of the Bank of Victoria in Collins St.
A bachelor all his life, he decided to build a Mansion home at 29 Erin St Richmond on gardens of 1 1/2 acres naming it "Yalcowinna" - later changed to "Elim". It was described in a newspaper advertisement as a palatial palace built with artistic skill where no expense was spared with its appointments". The ground floor contained a dining room 28 X 16 ft,a ballroom 45 X 23 ft, lavatory 14 x 8 ft, breakfast room 16 x 14 ft, one bedroom16 x 14 ft. and 2 servants` rooms.
The first floor had a drawing room 24 x 16ft and 5 bedrooms of varying sizes. The outbuildings comprised a four-stall stable, three loose boxes, two coachhouses, a man`s room a hayloft and wood and coalsheds. All these buildings were
'very tastefully laid out" including a lawn tennis court and an asphalt tennis court - 100 x 20ft in size.
A special feature was a huge magnificent coloured leadlight window forming a beautiful background to the upper and lower section of the home above a unique wide sweeping staircase. The ceilings were 15 and 20ft high daintily decorated with carved & moulded rosettes.........
`till next time - in about 7 - 10 days
1 comment:
Yalcowinna was never changed to Elim, that was another mansion with a different name entirely, that became that name ie Elim. My great grandfather Henry George Callaway 1863-1946 and his wife Marguerite Gabrielle (née Deschamps) 1875-1958 owned Yalcowinna 17 or 37 or 29 Erin St Richmond (street no. changes from one directory to another) from the mid 1900's until he sold it to the Methodist Church for it's use as a hospital in 1919. His four children were born/grew up there... Marguerite Mahood (née Callaway), Claudina James (née Callaway, my grandmother), Lemual James Callaway and Alfred Henry Morgan Callaway (my great aunt and uncles). My father (who's grandparents they were) has a set/series of photographs of the interior and exterior of the house (and the children) in it's original condition, before it was sold in 1919. It's interior (before destruction, although the outside arches/facade is still there?) was "apparently" the location of some of the scenes in the Australian horror film Patrick with Sir Robert Helpmann etc. But not entirely certain whether this is true, but there is a high probability that it is, because it definitely and clearly looks to have been a "location shoot" in an aging ruin of a hospital. So there you go, a bit of historical trivia/information for you to digest. Kind Regards-Liz Curtain
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