Sydney Hospital's history is deeply intertwined with the history of Australia itself. From its humble beginnings as a "sick tent" to its current status as a leading healthcare institution, it has witnessed and played a crucial role in the evolution of medicine and surgery in Australia. Of note, the first operating theatre in Australia was built in Sydney Hospital in 1855, and in 1868, Lucy Osburn established the first nursing school in Australia at the Sydney Hospital site. The history of Sydney Hospital began on January 26, 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet. Surgeon-General John White established a tent hospital on the shores Sydney Cove, known colloquially as the ‘sick tents’. In 1810, on discovery that Sydney Cove’s hospital was mere tents and temporary buildings Governor Macquarie called for construction of a new general hospital. The British Government refused to provide funding, so Governor Macquarie entered into a contract for the hospital's construction with local businessmen Garnham Blaxcell and Alexander Riley, and later D’arcy Wentworth in return for a monopoly on the importation of rum into the colony. As a result, the hospital, completed in 1816, became known as the ‘Rum Hospital’ until 1881. Sydney Hospital continues its proud surgical, medical and nursing legacy today, being a leading centre for specialist ophthalmology and hand surgery services in Sydney. References 1.Our History. SELHD. https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/sydney-eye-hospital/about-us/our-history