Now and then.

Peter+Smith+2.jpg — Right: Peter Smith with his camera, May 2021.

When the ABC launched its Now and then photographs in 2010, Peter Smith became a popular and prolific contributor. He has now generously turned his skill and creativity to capturing the present and past of Maitland Hospital.
Using photographs from the Maitland Hospital Collection, he has identified the places and buildings at the hospital, photographed them today and then layered the past on the present.

Click on images for a full size view.

The hospital entrance in the 1930s and the same part of the site in June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.01 and Peter Smith photographs)

The doorway (no longer used) is on the eastern end of the 1849 building (Block K).The doorway provided an entrance to the foyer that connects the 1849 and 1905 buildings. The 1905 building (Block J) is on the right.

Premier Joseph Carruthers opening the new public ward in 1905, and the same part of the 1905 building in June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collect 165.170 and Peter Smith photographs)

View west along High Street from Regent Street in 1942, and same view in June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.14 and Peter Smith photographs)

1942 photograph: right foreground is the former isolation nurses’ cottage with the former isolation ward behind it, then the 1905 building with its decorative roofline and then the 1849 building. Beyond the 1849 building is the first nurses’ home that was demolished in 1993.

In the 2021 photograph, the 1905 building is hidden by the tree and its decorative roofline is overshadowed by the rectangular rooflines of the 1940s building.

Mortuary/pathology building (Block N) on left, Isolation ward building (Block L) on right, 1942 and June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.03 and Peter Smith photographs)

In 2021 Block N housed Community Health and Palliative Care; Block L the Maitland Hospital Volunteers.

1942 photograph: there is an ‘Infectious ward’ sign on the isolation ward building. You can also see the fence of the tennis court and a view across the floodplain.

View along the High Street side of the Isolation ward building (Block L), 1942 and June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.02 and Peter Smith photographs)

Isolation ward building (Block L) on left, 1905 building (Block J) in middle, mortuary/pathology (Block N) on right, 1942 and June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.10 and Peter Smith photographs)

1942 photograph: the boiler house and chimney are on the far right.

2021 photograph: note the extension added to the end of the 1905 building to accommodate stairs.

The former isolation nurses’ cottage, 1940s and June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 165.101 and Peter Smith photographs)

The hospital entrance in 1942, and the entrance in June 2021.

(Maitland Hospital Collection 288.06 and Peter Smith photographs)

1942 photograph: the glassed in section to the left of the entrance was the ambulance bay. The entrance sat at the intersection of what, in 2021, are Blocks H, I and K. The entrance is now blocked. The 1930s yellow tiled stairwell is still behind the entrance.