Joe Tilcer was a paraplegic artist who spent most of his adult life at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. In 1972, he provided an autobiography to the Australian Handicapped and Disabled Artists Journal. The CALHN Health Museum has several of Joe’s paintings in its collection, including the recently donated painting ‘Dandelions’ by the Barbour and Trenaman […]
With the 17th Summer Paralympic Games set to commence in Paris next week, it is fitting that this blog post highlights the connection between the games and the CALHN Health Museum. The museum has a strong connection to the Paralympics, housing numerous artefacts from past games and sharing its grounds with the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre […]
Doctor’s bags have been used for centuries to transport medical equipment, medicine, and supplies on home visits and across hospital wards alike. Used primarily by physicians, but also by nurses and other professional medical staff, they were traditionally made of leather with a top handle opening into two sections, like the Gladstone bag. Cases, as […]
Hospital’s can be big. The Royal Adelaide Hospital for example covers the equivalent of three city blocks. It can often be hard to visualise the scale of hospitals when we are looking at them from street level. Adding to this is the jumble of different buildings, that many hospitals are made up of. Fortunately the […]
World Physiotherapy Day (also known as World Physical Therapy Day) is celebrated every year on the 8th September in recognition of the crucial work of physiotherapists worldwide. Physiotherapy is defined as the treatment of injury and disease by means other than medication or surgery, with the aim to improve or restore the patient’s movement, function, […]
The CALHN Health Museum has been doing some spring cleaning (or more accurately late winter cleaning), of our large item store room. My colleague Jasmin and some of our amazing volunteers, have done an excellent job in organizing this area. It has meant we have been more easily able to access some of our collection […]
The wheelchair has been used for centuries as a mobility aid for individuals with injury, illness, and disability. In the hospital environment, wheelchairs continue to be an essential part of patient care, although their design and mode of use has changed over time. The design of the wheelchair we are familiar with today was developed […]
The Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre has undergone a number of changes in its history. From name changes to transitioning from a infectious diseases hospital to a rehabilitation facility. One aspect that has changed over time is the built environment of the hospital site. The short video below highlights the changes that it has undergone. Starting in […]
Recently the CALHN Health Museum collaborated with The Hospital Research Foundation – Creative Health to produce an exhibition titled The Happy Snaps and the Hospital Plans as part of South Australia’s History Festival 2023. On display in the Creative Health Gallery at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre is a two part exhibition showcasing some of the CALHN […]
Historically, nurse’s capes were both symbolic as well as practical. They were a standard part of a nurse’s uniform and although mainly worn in winter months, they allowed the nurse to move freely and keep uniforms clean underneath. Royal Adelaide Hospital Registered Nurse’s (known as either a Charge Nurse or Sister) at the Adelaide Hospital, […]
There is nothing quite like the simple joys of getting some fresh air and sunshine. I think many of us can appreciate the benefits that spending time outdoors has on how we feel. These benefits have long been recognised in the health setting too. The CALHN Health Museum holds many photographs dating from the early […]
October the 14th is International Allied Health Professions Day. To help celebrate International Allied Health Professions Day, below are five items from the CALHN Health Museum collection that relate to some of these professions. The Allied Health Professions are made up of health professionals that are not part of the medical, nursing or dental professions. […]
The CALHN Health Museum has a number of photo albums in its collection. Many are personal photo albums of those that lived and worked at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Some of these albums are just as notable for the beauty of the album as the photographs that they hold. This Japanese themed album belonged to […]
The origin and meaning of Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre’s Coat of Arms has baffled us for some time. Historical Background Facing Hampstead Road, our heritage listed building has proudly displayed the Coat of Arms since the hospital was opened in 1932 as the Metropolitan Infectious Diseases Hospital, Northfield. At that time, the hospital was controlled by […]
As the sun set on the official final day of the former Royal Adelaide Hospital, an eerie silence filled the corridors of a once bustling metropolitan hospital. From the cradle to the grave, with much in between, the hospital played a pivotal role in the lives of many patients, workers, and visitors, from its opening […]