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THE KISSING TREE
The large Moreton Bay Fig tree in from of Kirkman House which dominates the streetscape was believed to have been planted in the 1890’s. By the late 1930’s reports were emerging that the tree was under threat or removal because its invasive toots were causing damage to the roadway and footpath. Fortunately, it was given a lifeline and still takes pride of place in Murray Street today. It was no doubt affectionately regarded by nurses too; one story of the tree is that it was called ‘the kissing tree’ – the nurses from the hospital used to say goodbye to their sweethearts under the canopy before returning to their room at Kirkman House.
Opposite are the No. 1 Fire Station and Hibernian Hall; all three buildings are beautiful examples of the architecture of the times.
KIRKMAN HOUSE
From the time the hospital was established in the 1850s, nursing staff were initially not well-regarded and the poor standard of living quarters, working conditions and pay provided in the early days reflected this general attitude. From the late 1890s the number of nurses working at the hospital had increased substantially, due both to the introduction of a two-year nursing certification program as well as the population growth in Western Australia – and hence the number of patients – owing to the Gold Boom which took off in the early 1890s. However, even then living conditions for nurses at the hospital was still poor and never given much priority against other hospital needs, and they continued to be housed wherever there was space, such as in basements. Later, as numbers increased and more space was needed for patients’ beds, nurses had to find private lodgings across the city.
Finally, in the early 1900s planning for a specially built nurses’ home was underway. The funding of the building was made possible by government funds as well as private donations and also fundraising from events such as hospital balls. It was designed by the Government Architect, Hillson Beasley, in accordance with the recognised principles of nursing accommodation found in all up-to-date hospitals around the country of the time. The four-storey building, completed in 1909, was designed to harmonise with the Administration Building located immediately to the east which was also designed in the Federation Queen Anne style. The Nurses’ Quarters was more commonly known as Kirkman House after nurse, Annie Kirkman who was the first graduate of the nursing certification course that had started in 1896. It contained 90 single bedrooms, separate matron’s quarters, dining room, sitting room, lecture rooms, a library and study rooms. In 1926 the building was extended to include a further 40 bedrooms as well as a lecture and sewing room, but by the 1970s it was remodelled into offices.
No. 1 FIRE STATION
Before No. 1 Fire Station was built in 1900, the Fire Brigade operated from the undercover area beneath the Town Hall on Barrack Street. Fire brigades in Western Australia expanded rapidly after the Fire Brigades Act of 1898. There were just 21 in 1902, but twenty years later this number had doubled.
The expansion of the service from 1898 meant the Central Fire Station under the Town Hall was no longer sufficient, so a new station was planned on the corner of Murray and Irwin Streets which opened in 1901. Designed by architects Cavanagh and Cavanagh, the new building was Romanesque in style, with solid rock-faced stone walls and a red-tiled roof.
The large engine room had three exits and held two large steamers and two hose carts, which doubled the equipment with which the brigade had previously been working. When a call was received, an officer pressed a button, which set the alarms ringing, flooded the building with electric light, and opened the trap doors in the ceilings to clear the sliding poles.
No. 1 Fire Station was used until 1979, after which it was converted for use as a Fire Brigade Education and Heritage Centre. Today, No. 1 Fire Station remains a popular museum and education centre, visited by both schools and the public, and one of Perth’s most important heritage buildings connected with our firefighting service.
HIBERNIAN HALL
Perth Chest Clinic
When it first opened in 1902, Perth Chest Clinic was known as Hibernian Hall and served the local Irish-Australian community. Hibernian Associations provided contributing members with access to financial assistance such as sickness benefits, life insurance, provision of funeral costs, and benefits to members’ widows and families. These societies also operated as social clubs, organising events such as dances and sports days which played an important role in the social life of the community.
The foundation stone for a Hibernian Hall in Murray Street, Perth, was laid on 17 March 1902. The architect was Michael Cavanagh who designed many buildings for the Catholic Church, in addition to No. 1 Fire on Murray Street, just two doors away from Hibernian Hall.
During the 1940s the Commonwealth Government became committed to the eradication of tuberculosis in Australia. One of the first steps in improving TB control in Western Australia was the establishment of Chest Clinics, which were diagnostic and treatment centres, offering free x-ray facilities for patients. Hibernian Hall was purchased in 1947 for conversion into a Chest Clinic and headquarters for tuberculosis control.
In 2009 a new radiology room was being fitted at the Chest Clinic when a work-related accident occurred to a fitter. This resulted in a decision to relocate the services at the out-of-date Perth Chest Clinic to new premises on the corner of Pier and Wellington Streets.
In 2009 a new radiology room was being fitted at the Chest Clinic when a work-related accident occurred to a fitter. This resulted in a decision to relocate the services at the out-of-date Perth Chest Clinic to new premises on the corner of Pier and Wellington Streets.
Ref: Heritage Perth website with thanks
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