rich history of randwick residents remembered through a history wall

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The land on which the Randwick Campus Redevelopment stands was recently home to a small residential suburban district, now referred to as the Eurimbla Precinct.

When the NSW Government announced the expansion of healthcare facilities at Randwick in 2017, 92 buildings in what was then called Eurimbla Avenue, together with its adjacent neighbours on the east side of Botany Street and the north side of Magill Street were acquired.

In 2018, a small group of local historians formed the Eurimbla Precinct History Association (EPHA) and began collecting materials relating to the social history of the former residents, as more than 80 of the buildings were residential dwellings.

The materials they found, which included photographs, memoirs, poems and artefacts, helped form a now published book called ‘Remembering Eurimbla’, and will soon be permanently displayed as part of a history wall inside the new Prince of Wales Hospital Acute Services Building (ASB).

The history wall will bring to life not only the stories of those that lived in the Eurimbla Precinct, but the entire history of the site, from ‘dunescape to streetscape’.

Historian and Archaeologist, Dr Paul Irish has researched the Aboriginal and European heritage and health services history of the site on which the new hospital stands, and is working in consultation with the EPHA to determine how best to tell the story of the Eurimbla Precinct through the design of the history wall.

“The Eurimbla Precinct had become a close knit residential community and had existed for the past 100 years,” said EPHA members and former residents, Margaret, Jenny and Sarah.

“It’s incredibly important to us that the project recognises and acknowledges the history of the residents that shared memories on that land. The EPHA is looking forward to contributing to the design of the history wall for the new hospital.”

The history wall will be located in the mezzanine area of the main public entrance to the ASB on level 0, and will tell the stories of the site through a graphic timeline, multimedia screens, photos, text and even a display showcase featuring physical artefacts that were recovered when excavating the site.

Learn more about the history of the Eurimbla Precinct: eurimblaprecinct.com.au.

Visit the project page to learn more about the Acute Services Building.