The Uniting War Memorial Hospital in Waverley in Sydney’s eastern suburbs celebrates over 100 years of service to the community. An event was held on Saturday, April 1st at the historic Edina Estate (pictured below), where the hospital was originally established in 1919 by the Vickery family as a memorial to Australians who died in World War I. Uniting Chief Executive Tracey Burton praised the Vickery family’s significant legacy and the contribution of staff and volunteers over the years.
The event included a traditional Welcome to Country by Dr. Peter McKenzie from the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council paid respects to Elders past and present and the original custodians of the land. Bagpipes were also played in honour of the Scottish background of Jeanie Vickery, the family matriarch who made the Edina Estate the magnificent spectacle it is today.
Several speeches will be given at the event, including by Uniting Chief Executive Tracey Burton, War Memorial Hospital Executive Manager Jane McGuire, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) Chief Executive Tobi Wilson, and Michael Waterhouse, a descendant of the Vickery family. The hospital became a public health organization in the NSW Health system in 1969 and is now a part of SESLHD, operating as a specialist aged rehabilitation service.
The event also marks the publication of Michael Waterhouse’s book, “Family, Faith and Fortune in Victorian Sydney – The Edina Estate,” which offers a vivid account of the history of the estate and the families who lived there before it was gifted to the Church in 1922. The hospital has celebrated many significant milestones over the past 100 years and remains an important community hospital for the district.
