Royal Perth Hospital Museum
About
About
About organisation
The Royal Perth Hospital Museum (RPH) preserves and shares the history of Western Australia’s longest serving hospital.
Through the collection, the museum reveals the journey from a desperately underfunded colonial hospital to a leading trauma and teaching hospital. We explore significant stories, people and developments in the hospital’s services and facilities, and we celebrate advances in medicine, technology and health care initiated at RPH.
Collection
Collection
Collection overview
The collection covers the history of two sites - the RPH site in Wellington Street Perth and the Shenton Park site, which was once a RPH annexe.
The Royal Perth Hospital was formerly known as the Colonial Hospital (1829 – 1894), the Perth Public Hospital (1894 – 1921) and the Perth Hospital (1921 – 1946).
The Shenton Park site was established in 1893 as an Infectious Diseases Hospital known as the Victoria Hospital. It underwent several name changes until its closure in 2014 but is probably best remembered as the Royal Perth (Rehabilitation) Hospital.
The collection is diverse and contains thousands of items including medical instruments and equipment, teaching aids, hospital records, photographs, uniforms, documents, furnishings, memorabilia, letters and audio-visual material.
Items are primarily received by transfer from within the hospital. We also acquire items through the generosity of donors. We prioritise items that relate to our key themes.
Royal Perth Hospital and the State Library of Western Australia are partnering to develop an oral history collection to capture and make available the memories of medical, nursing and ancillary staff, and the history of the hospital.
Iron lung machine
Early anaesthetic equipment
Early X-ray equipment c1900
Surgical instruments and diagnostic equipment from the early 1900s to present day
Teaching aids over the decades including audio visual material, obstetrics dolls, anatomical charts and models
Original nurses' uniforms
Harry Stephenson Lucraft Photograph Collection c1930
Oral histories
The museum’s theme priorities include:
• The built heritage of Royal Perth Hospital, including the Shenton Park Campus
• Key people of Royal Perth Hospital including staff and patients
• Research and significant developments in medicine, technology, health care and teaching initiated at Royal Perth Hospital
• Significant events and activities of Royal Perth Hospital
Contact
Contact
Contact information
10/14 Murray Street
Perth WA 6000
Australia
Visit
Visit
Visit information
Royal Perth Hospital Museum
10/14 Murray Street
Perth WA 6000
Australia
The museum is located in the 1894 Administration Building, part of a designated Heritage Precinct on the RPH site along Murray Street.
When you visit the museum, you can also view the surrounding heritage buildings including the Colonial Hospital (1855), Kirkman House Nurses’ Quarters (1908-1909) and the famous Moreton Bay Fig Tree (c1896).
Enter from 10-14 Murray Street through the gate under the large fig tree and follow the signage.
Free Entry.
| Day | Time slot | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Mon: | Closed | |
| Tue: | Closed | |
| Wed: | 9:00 am – 2:00 pm | |
| Thu: | 9:00 am – 2:00 pm | |
| Fri: | Closed | |
| Sat: | Closed | |
| Sun: | Closed |
