St Joseph's Hospital
Our History
On 2nd July, 1886, St. Joseph’s Hospital for consumptives was opened at Parramatta. From that beginning we now have our present St. Joseph’s Hospital.
It had been at Parramatta in 1838 that the Sisters of Charity had commenced their mission in Australia by caring for women prisoners. Twenty years later, an early report of St. Vincent’s Hospital which had commenced serving the poor of Sydney notes “Consumption has been the most frequent disease presenting itself amongst the in-patients” (First Annual report of St. Vincent’s, 1857).
In response to this prevalence of tuberculosis, the previous convent of the Sisters of Charity at Parramatta became the location of St. Joseph’s Hospital, which was established as a branch of St. Vincent’s.
Following the closure of St. Joseph’s Hospital at Parramatta in 1892, Duncraggon Hall at Auburn became its new location, accommodating seven men on the ground floor and seven women on the upper floor. Three years later, St. Joseph’s became independent of St. Vincent’s.
Demands on the service provided by St. Joseph’s soon necessitated expansion. Subsequently, the blessing and opening by Cardinal Moran of a new hospital building took place on 23rd March, 1903, and this became a medical/surgical hospital. By 1924 the bed capacity had increased from 27 to 76 with the opening of Casualty, Outpatients and new Operating Theatres.
By 1991 St. Joseph’s Hospital was comprised of 94 beds including medical/surgical and Accident and Emergency Centre as well as a 20 bed inpatient Palliative Care Unit and Day Hospital. Later that year the Sydney West Area Health Service rationalised services in the Area and this effected a major role change for St. Joseph’s.
The Hospital now has 75 beds including medical and aged care rehabilitation, palliative care, psychiatry for the aged as well as day hospital outpatient facilities and an aged care assessment component. The process of this change to sub acute services was completed with re-organisation of the hospital’s management structure in 1994.
St. Joseph's, like all other Sisters of Charity facilities, belongs to the Sisters of Charity Health Service. Now incorporated as a company "limited by guarantee", its management is the responsibility of the Facility Board through the Executive Director. The Congregational Leader and Council is supported by the Sisters of Charity Health Service in exercising overall responsibility for our Health Services.
As we reflect on the philosophy, mission and values which inspired the Sisters and Staff of St. Joseph's in 1886, we recognise that many things have changed in the past 114 years, yet our philosophy, mission and values remain constant.
