THE SISTERS OF CHARITY FIRST CAME TO BATHURST IN 1922 FOLLOWING AN APPEAL TO MOTHER M. BERCHMANS BY BISHOP O'FARRELL FOR NURSING SISTERS TO STAFF A NEW CATHOLIC HOSPITAL. BISHOP O'FARRELL HAD ALREADY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY OF 'HATHROP' ALONG GORMANS HILL ROAD TO USE AS THE HOSPITAL BUILDING, SO IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR THREE SISTERS ARRIVED AND TOOK UP THEIR TASK OF MINISTERING TO THE SICK. IN 1929 A SEPARATE CONVENT WAS BUILT FOR THE SISTERS ADJACENT TO THE HOSPITAL. IN 1976 THE SISTERS DEMONSTRATED THEIR MODERN THINKING WITH A MAJOR EXPANSION OF HOSPITAL FACILITIES TO BRING IT UP TO DATE A PROCESS WHICH HAS BEEN CONTINUED UNDER THE SISTER'S SUCCESSORS WITH THE OPENING OF THE ALBERT THOMAS BUILDING IN 1994. FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS THE SISTERS PROVIDED NURSING STAFF AT ST VINCENT'S UNTIL A RATIONALISATION OF CONGREGATIONAL COMMITMENTS SAW THEM WITHDRAWN IN 1979. THE HOSPITAL WAS SUBSEQUENTLY HANDED OVER TO THE DIOCESE AND THEN TO CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE TO MANAGE.

ORIGINALLY THE SISTERS LIVED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE EAST WING OF THE HOSPITAL WITH THE NURSES QUARTERS ABOVE. IN 1929 HOWEVER A LARGE AND COMFORTABLE CONVENT WAS BUILT FOR THEM ADJACENT TO THE HOSPITAL (LEFT). IT WAS DEDICATED TO ST VINCENT DE PAUL AND WAS AN IMPOSING BRICK BUILDING WITH AN UPSTAIRS VERANDAH AND A CHAPEL SIGNIFIED BY THE DUAL ROUND-HEAD WINDOWS. AFTER THE SISTERS HAD LEFT IT WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE HOSPITAL AND CONVERTED INTO ADDITIONAL HOSPITAL WARDS.

ST VINCENT'S WAS CONCEIVED AND OPENED IN 1922 BY BISHOP O'FARRELL AS A MEMORIAL TO HIS PREDECESSOR BISHOP DUNNE. OVER THE EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS OF ITS EXISTANCE THE HOSPITAL HAS KEPT EASY PACE WITH MODERN MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND IS TODAY ONE OF
THE PREMIER HOSPITALS OF WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES. IT IS A FITTING TRIBUTE TO THE BISHOP'S VISION FOR CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE.

THE SITE SELECTED BY BISHOP O'FARRELL WAS THE PALATIAL RESIDENCE OF 'HATHROP' BUILT BY EDMUND WEBB IN 1862 (^^^^). SET AMID ORNAMENTAL TREES AND FLOWER BEDS THIS LOVELY COLONIAL GEORGIAN HOME WITH ITS TOWER AND WIDE VERANDAH HAD ALREADY BEEN PUT INTO USE BY THE RED CROSS SOCIETY AND WAS THEREFORE THOUGHT EMINENTLY SUITABLE FOR THE NEW CATHOLIC HEALTH FACILITY.

IN 1929 A CONVENT ATTACHED TO THE HOSPITAL WAS ERECTED (ABOVE FAR LEFT) AND AROUND THE SAME TIME THE HOSPITAL FACADE AND A NEW UPPER VERANDAH WERE CONSTRUCTED (ABOVE RIGHT). THE FOUNTAIN SEEN IN THE FOREGROUND ABOVE STILL EXISTS TO THIS DAY.

TODAY THE FORMER 'HATHROP', SHOWING LITTLE CHANGED FROM THE DAY IT WAS OPENED, REMAINS THE CORE OF ST VINCENT'S HOSPITAL.

THE ORIGINAL HOSPITAL WAS LOCATED IN THE MAIN BUILDING OF 'HATHROP'. IT CONTAINED AN OPERATING THEATRE, STERILIZING ROOM AND AN X-RAY DEPARTMENT. LATER THE UPSTAIRS VERANDAH WAS ENCLOSED TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE SPACE FOR PATIENTS (ABOVE LEFT).
TO THE RIGHT CAN BE VIEWED THE BEAUTIFUL GLASS PANELS OF THE MAIN DOOR OF THE OLD BUILDING (ABOVE RIGHT). SIMILAR VICTORIAN GLASS FILLS MANY OF THE OLD WINDOWS WITHIN THIS SECTION OF THE HOSPITAL BUILDING INCLUDING SEVERAL IN THE HOSPITAL CHAPEL.

THE EAST WING OF THE BUILDING (ABOVE LEFT) WAS ORIGINALLY USED AS THE CONVENT WITH THE SISTERS LIVING APPARTMENTS ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND THE LAY NURSES ON THE FIRST FLOOR. THE HOSPITAL WAS SET IN LOVELY FORMAL GARDENS THE REMAINS OF WHICH CAN STILL BE SEEN AT THE OLD ENTRANCE. ESPECIALLY NOTABLE IS THE LOVELY FOUNTAIN, NOW SADLY NEGLECTED. BELOW LEFT CAN BE SEEN THE COMPLEX FROM THE REAR WITH THE CONVENT IN THE FOREGROUND AND THE HOSPITAL AT THE REAR. BELOW RIGHT IS A MARBLE DEVOTIONAL STATUE OF ST JOSEPH THAT STANDS IN THE FRONT GARDEN AND SO RECALLS THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF THE HOSPITAL.

IN 1976 THE LARGE MODERN HOSPITAL WING (ABOVE) AND NEW ENTRANCE (BELOW LEFT) WERE BLESSED BY BISHOP THOMAS (BELOW RIGHT) AND THE HOSPITAL WAS THEN SEPARATED INTO A PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITAL REFLECTING CHANGES IN CURRENT CONCEPTS OF HEALTH CARE DELIVERY. TODAY ST VINCENT'S CONTINUES ITS DEEP COMMITTMENT TO PROVIDING THE MOST UP-TO-DATE HEALTH CARE AVAILABLE.

IN 1994 THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE NEW BUILDING FOR THE PRIVATE HOSPITAL WAS BLESSED BY BISHOP PATRICK DOUGHERTY. DEDICATED TO HIS PREDECESSOR, BISHOP ALBERT THOMAS, IT PROVIDES STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES FOR PRIVATE PATIENTS.

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOCATIONS WITHIN THE HOSPITAL IS THE CHAPEL. ONCE THE DINING ROOM OF 'HATHROP' IT WAS CONVERTED BY THE SISTERS INTO A PLACE OF WORSHIP FOR THE PATIENTS. ORIGINALLY IT WAS ORIENTED THE OPPOSITE WAY (BELOW RIGHT) AND THE PRIEST WOULD ENTER FROM THE SACRISTY STRAIGHT INTO THE SANCTUARY. FOLLOWING THE REFORMS AFTER VATICAN II THE CHAPEL WAS TURNED THROUGH 360 DEGREES (ABOVE). AS PRESENTLY FURNISHED THE CHAPEL IS A PLACE OF PRIVATE PRAYER BEFORE OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT THOUGH A PORTABLE ALTAR IS AVAILABLE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS. BELOW CAN BE SEEN THE SAME VIEW OF THE CHAPEL AS IT WAS (RIGHT) AND AS IT IS NOW (LEFT). THE DOOR TO THE RIGHT BELOW IS NOW COVERED BY A RED DRAPE AND A CRUCIFIX.

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN WINDOWS.

ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL STYLED STATIONS.

INFORMATION AND HISTORICAL PHOTOS FOR THIS PAGE WERE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF AUSTRALIA. THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CONGREGATION AND THE CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVIST IS HERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH GRATITUDE. FURTHER INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM FATHER JOHN CULLEN'S BOOK PUBLISHED IN 1938 THE AUSTRALIAN DAUGHTERS OF MARY AIKENHEAD. HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THE OPENING OF ST VINCENT'S HOSPITAL IN BATHURST WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ANNALS OF THE IRISH SOCIETY IN AUSTRALIA 1882 - 1938 SUPPLIED BY THE ARCHIVES.