Medical Superintendent’s House

When Ipswich Hospital was originally built it fronted East Street which ran through to Gray Street (now Chermside Avenue). In 1883 a piece of land across the road was resumed. The Board of Management decided to build a residence on the resumed land, hoping to attract married doctors. The Colonial Secretary refused to approve funds for this building and the Board of Management decided to fund the project from general funds. The house was designed by architect Samuel Shenton and was a “handsome villa residence with nine rooms of generous proportions—the main bedroom being 18ft by 16ft 6ins. It was build of wood on a brick base and roofed with hardwood shingles”. A separate building included a two-stalled stable, a man’s room, a fodder room, a buggy house and two Scott’s patent air closets. Mr Peter Brown erected the residence at a cost of £1219.

In 1901 £139 was spent in ‘reroofing’ the house replacing shingles with iron and painting the whole house.

In 1936 this section of East street was closed to provide for hospital expansion including a maternity ward on the site of the superintendent’s house which was removed.

A new Medical Superintendent’s house was completed on the corner of Court and Nicholas Streets in 1941.