Hospitals
RS (Robin) Dods, through his family, had good connections with the medical profession. His stepfather, Dr CF Marks was the visiting surgeon to the Brisbane Hospital; his uncle, James Stoddart was Hospital Board Chairman and his brother Espie was Government Medical Officer.
Hall & Dods.First section (public) Mater Misericordiae Hospital (sheet 5, 1/8” entrance elevation and details), August 1909, John Oxley Library State Library of Queensland 27671/119
Through these links, and his British experience, Dods had a large impact on two of Brisbane’s major hospitals – The Brisbane General where he designed eight buildings and the Mater Misericordiae, a whole new hospital in South Brisbane for the Sisters of Mercy which was the finest in Australia when built. He also designed a number of residences for doctors, as well as the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Herston which was later absorbed into the Brisbane Hospital. An elaborate chapel for the Mater was his last contribution to the South Brisbane site in 1917. It was never realised in his intended form.
Mater Misericordiae Hospital
The Sisters of Mercy commissioned a new hospital in South Brisbane in early 1908. The brief called for a first-class, modern, private hospital, which would fund free treatment for the less fortunate in an adjacent public block. Dods had already worked for the Sisters at All Hallows School and the Wooloowin Convent, but this was a more ambitious project, financed by a successful fundraising program. The public block had a butterfly plan, which had its origin in the English Arts and Crafts movement, and was also used by architects such as Norman Shaw and Edward Prior. At the opening, the Mater was acknowledged as Australia’s finest hospital. Hall & Dods were responsible for the master plan and for the first five buildings on the site. In 1918, Dods also produced two designs for the Sisters, for an elaborate chapel to adjoin the Mater Convent as a projection to the west. The drawings show the chapel as a refinement of the St Brigid’s Church design from five years earlier, but with a more Gothic flavour. It would have been Dods’ finest work if built, as the drawings show great finesse in the detailing and conception, and it had a more generous budget. A chapel was built eventually after Dods had died, but not to his design.
Last updated: 14th December 2011
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