Part 1: From humble beginnings
Pastoral care has been part of the hospital from very early days. Initially, this was offered by visiting ministers, who provided ‘religious services in the room set apart for that purpose’ (Annual Report, 1879)
In 1881 the nurses dining room in the East Wing was being used as a chapel on Sunday afternoons: a harmonium was supplied by one of the churches.
Prior to 1888, the chapel served a dual function with the operating theatre which was in the main body of the hospital. This was not unusual for the time, as there were not the same number of operations and the procedures were limited
“Last Sunday I attended the Anglican Service at the Adelaide Hospital. This begins at 9.30am and consists of a shortened form of the Morning Prayer, the singing of hymns, and the delivery of a short address. The whole service lasts little longer than three-quarets of an hour. The congregation was small, consisting of sixteen patients, the head nurse, who plays the harmonium, and one or two visitors. What struck me most was the cheerfulness of the service and the heartiness of the congregation … “
29/06/1888, p4, Evening Journal
In 1921 several nurses considered using the basement in the Nurses Home as a chapel. They petitioned the board for permission for church services to be conducted there, due to the unsatisfactory arrangements in the East Wing. The board did not agree. Facilities for church services had never received a high priority.
When plans were being made for a new administrative building in 1923, a deputation from the Council of Churches approached the board and requested that the new building include a chapel. The deputation failed in its appeal. For a short time, the Chapel was situated in the old 1891 mortuary building!
In 1939 the old IMVS student’s laboratory building was converted to a Nurse’s Chapel, paid for by the Commissioners of Charitable Funds. It was named the GK Soward Chapel after the late Mr George Klewitz Soward, on the Commissioners Board for many years.
The GK Soward Chapel was used for services from 1939 to 1968.
In 1962 as part of the rebuild of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the staff block, which we now know as the Residential Wing, was to have accommodation for the Medical Superintendent and a chapel to seat 200 people.
In 1972 the purpose built chapel was built attached to the Nurses Residential Wing within the grounds of the Royal Adelaide Hospital. This Chapel replaced the previous 1940 Soward Chapel During the major demolishing and rebuilding of the RAH between 1964 and 1969, a demountable building was used on the grounds of Ayers House as a chapel. When the chapel was opened in the Residential Building, the demountable chapel was purchased in 1970 by to St Luke’s Anglican Church, Modbury. In the 1970s there were three full time Hospital Chaplains at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Church.
There is a plaque on the wall of that building which states:
The first inter-denominational service in the chapel was held on Sunday, 9th April 1972.
For a time during the tenure of Fr. Oliver O’Brien there were two Masses celebrated in the Chapel every week, a Tuesday and Sunday mass. In time these stopped due to a drop in numbers. Less than 10 people would attend a service and none of those people were patients. Therefore there was no need for two services a week. On 22nd December 1996 the last Catholic Mass was celebrated at the hospital chapel.
Non-Catholic Services were celebrated in the Royal Adelaide Hospital Chapel every Sunday. Each denomination taking alternate Sunday Services.
