Brighton Vic. 25 May 1943. Some residents of Anzac Hostel enjoying the sunshine in front of the ...

Places
Accession Number 052021
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Maker McInnes, Geoffrey
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Brighton Vic. 25 May 1943. Some residents of Anzac Hostel enjoying the sunshine in front of the Hostel building. Anzac Hostel was previously a stately home, "Kamesburgh", which was purchased by the government in November 1918 to establish a home for the care of totally and permanently incapacitated men. Their disability was due to war service and they required nursing care but no active medical or surgical treatment. To purchase the property the government used part of a very generous donation of 25000 pounds from the Baillieu brothers; William Lawrence (1859-1936), Edward Lloyd (1867-1939), Arthur Sydney (1872-1943), Richard Percy Clive (1874-1941), Norman Horace (1878-1955) and Captain Maurice Howard Lawrence (1883-1961), all prominent Melbourne businessmen. After essential building modifications the Red Cross, along with the nursing staff, undertook the cleaning of the building and preparations for receiving patients. After its opening on 5 July 1919, the Australian Red Cross Society continued to contribute medical comforts and amenities to the Hostel. Anzac Hostel was officially closed on 30 June 1995 and the building is now used as a school. A new Anzac Hostel was built on the original property's grounds and was opened on 27 July 1998.