In 1788, an infirmary was established in Sydney to comfort diseased convicts arriving from England. The first hospital building was commissioned by the governor in 1810 and paid for by permitting the contractors to import rum. Hence its “Rum Hospital” nickname. The oversized medical facilities consisted of a central building plus two wings. This Nightingale Wing was added in 1868, named after Florence Nightingale. She was the famous English founder of nursing and had sent nuns to Sydney to train women to become nurses. This three-tier Robert Brough Memorial Fountain was added to the inner courtyard in 1907. Lionel Brough was a British actor and comedian. He was extremely popular in Australia until his death in 1906.
