First General Hospital – George Street North, in Front of Police Station – The Rocks

There Is A Small Plaque On The Wall Of The Police Station.... Which Reads.....

"The Site Of The First General Hospital In Australia - 1788 - 1816"

"The Marines , Their Wives and Children, Together With All The Convicts Were Landed. The Laboratory And Sick Tents Were Erected, And I Am Sorry To Say, Were Soon Filled with Sick Patients Afflicted With The True Camp Dysentery And The Scurvy"

Early Naval Office - George St North, Outside Rawson Institute For Men - John Piper

In early New South Wales the Naval Officer wasn’t a ship’s captain’s title on shore leave — it was the official who enforced British navigation and trade laws and collected import duties, the forerunner of the Collector of Customs. Governor King appointed a part-time Naval Officer in 1800; after Navigation Law changes and the end of the East India Company’s regional monopoly, the Colonial Office upgraded the post. Captain John Piper (born Maybole, Ayrshire, 1773), formerly of the New South Wales Corps, was appointed Naval Officer and returned to Sydney in 1814. He became one of the colony’s most conspicuous public men — later nicknamed in society as a “prince” of colonial hospitality — until suspended in 1827 over large deficiencies in customs collection (mismanagement rather than proven theft). He resigned and sold much of his property to clear the debt.

The Naval Officer’s workplace sat in the maritime strip of Sydney Cove / George Street North associated with the Government Dockyard (accounts place the office toward the northern end of the dockyard precinct, earlier linked with the master boat builder’s residence). Customs functions later moved to premises in The Rocks (including the Argyle Stores period) and, from 1845, to the purpose-built Customs House on Circular Quay. The landmark “outside the Rawson Institute for Men” points to the later Mariners’ Church / Mission to Seamen complex at about 100 George Street (opened 1859; Rawson Institute name from the 1909 extensions) — handy Rocks orientation for historic views, but not itself Piper’s Naval Office.

Images here relate to George Street North and the early customs / dockyard shoreline story. Fix every “Navel” typo to Naval; the ship was Pitt, not “HMAS Pitt.”

Sydney's First General Hospital - Old George Street North - The Rocks

Sydney's First  General Hospital 

George Street North, In Front Of Police Station

The First Location Of The Canvas Hospital Tents Is Not Known. But By March 1788, The Hospital Buildings 

The precise location of the laboratory and sick Teds First directed is not known but by March 1788 hospital buildings on this site were in use a garden was also established John why was the principal search and apply corrected by the Royal Australian Historical Site Society On The Wall Of The Police stage and station reads The Site The First General Hospital in Australia from 1788 to 1816 Dr John White recorded on 29 January 1788 that the Marines their wives and children together with all the convicts were landed the laboratory and sick tents were erected and I'm sorry to say was soon Philby patients afflicted with the true Camp Justin Shray and The scurvy more pitiable objects were perhaps never seen not it was a comfort or convenience could pick up for them besides the very few we had with us the sick of increased since our landing to such a degree that spot for the General Hospital has been marked out and artifices already employed on at Captain Collins describes the feeding of the sick with Wild celery spinach parsley which the sick and the well enjoyed as a pleasant addition to the Russians of the soul provisions great governor Philip in the Dissen treat the red gum of the tree which abounds on this coast was found to be very a very powerful remedy the Yellow gum has been discovered to possess the Same Property but to an inferior degree the resources of the tiny hospital were taxed to the limit when The Transport surprise arrived from Portsmouth in Sydney Cove on the 26 June 1790 after a journey of 158 days during which 36 convicts died out of 256 who had embarked after the surprise drop anchor she was visited by the Reverend Richard Johnson the chaplain who stated a be held Site truly shocking a great number of convicts laying on deck some half and others nearly naked without bedding unable to help themselves spoke to them as I passed but the smell was so offensive I could scarcely Barrett the landing of these people was truly affecting great numbers were not able to walk nought to move handle Foote such was slung over the side in the same manner as they would sling a cask upon being brought up to the open air some fainted some died upon the deck and others's others died in the boat before reaching the sure some crept up on their hands and knees and some were carried on the backs of others All Where It Filthy state such was Sydney's First hospital In June 1790

Cadman's Cottage
Circular Quay West, Facing George Street North

Cadman’s Cottage looks almost shy against Circular Quay West — two storeys of sandstone that used to sit a short splash above high water, before the quay was filled and seawalled and the harbour stepped back. Built in 1815–16 as the government coxswain’s barracks beside the Government Dockyard and Commissariat Stores, it’s still among the oldest surviving residential buildings in Sydney.

It takes its popular name from John Cadman, the longest-serving government coxswain — not the first person through the door. Transported for horse theft on the Barwell (arrived 1798), he worked the government boats from about 1806, got a free pardon in 1821, and held the coxswain’s post from 1827 until 1845, when the office was abolished after he retired. From here he and his family oversaw the boats that shifted stores and produce around Port Jackson. Earlier coxswains occupied the building after it opened; Cadman simply stayed the longest.

After 1845 the cottage housed Sydney’s Water Police (with a southern extension for offices and cells), then from the 1860s folded into the Sydney Sailors’ Home precinct next door. Since 1976 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has managed it as Cadmans Cottage Historic Site / a harbour information point. People still murmur “Francis Greenway” — Heritage NSW and conservation research leave that attribution unproven. The photographs here show the cottage, its garden setting, and the Circular Quay West / George Street North frame that replaced the old foreshore.

Sydney Sailors’ Home, Circular Quay West, c.1880 — Cadman’s Cottage sat in this same foreshore precinct a short walk away.