Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park

The Repatriation General Hospital at Daw Park, South Australia (an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide), also commonly referred to as "The Repat" or just "Repat", is one of a number of Repatriation General Hospitals set up by the Commonwealth Government around the time of World War II to cater for returned serviceman. The various "Repat"s were initially set up as Army hospitals before becoming Repatriation General Hospitals administered by the Repatriation Commission, (now called the Department of Veterans' Affairs). In general, "Health" in Australia is a State Government responsibility. In the mid 1990s, the Commonwealth Government divested itself of these hospitals, and they have now become either public hospitals under State Government administration, or private hospitals.

History

Summary^[1]

• June 1940 - South Australian State Cabinet agreed to build a new army hospital.
  • Local architect Wood, Bagot, Laybourne-Smith and Irwin were commissioned to develop plans and oversee the building.
  • It was proposed that once the war was over, the hospital would become a Repatriation Hospital.
  • "Cudmore Estate" was obtained under wartime emergency regulations. The large bungalow style home at that time fronting on to Daws Road was called Cudmore House.^[2] It still stands today in Lancelot Drive.
  • "Daw House" commandeered.^[3]
• 10 June 1941 - 105 Australian Military Hospital (105 AHM) formed. Temporary HQ set up in "Daw House"
• January 1942 - Building commenced.
• 20 January 1942 - Site formally handed over to the Army.
• 21 February 1942 - First patients admitted; the first wards were in tents and temporary huts.
• 22 August 1942 - Administration Services moved from Daw House to the newly completed "A Block"
• late 1944 - Last of the tents struck - "all 492 patients at that time housed more comfortably in completed buildings."

A feature of RGH's 14-hectare complex is its easy accessibility and beautiful grounds.^[4]

Notes

References

• History, Repatriation General Hospital, www.repat.com.au, retrieved 2009-03-03.
• Peter Last, "The Repat - A Biography of Repatriation General Hospital Daw Park and a History of Repatriation Services in South Australia", 1994, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park.
• Heidi Kliche, "A short history of Daw House Hospice", 1998, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park.

External links

• Repat website: http://www.rgh.sa.gov.au/
• Repat Logo (tiny)