McBride Maternity Hospital, formerly Adelaide Maternity Home (GA2053)

McBride Maternity Hospital was a hospital service run by The Salvation Army which provided care to pregnant single women and girls. It was known as the Adelaide Maternity Home when the first hospital site was opened in 1893 in an eight-roomed house at 257-259 Gilbert Street, Adelaide. In 1895, due to increased demand, the hospital relocated to a much larger building at 72 Morphett Street, Adelaide, which could provide accommodation for seventeen women at once. In 1899 the institution moved again to a two-storey building which was known as The Ark. This building was located at 144 Carrington Street, Adelaide.

In 1914 The Salvation Army acquired a large two-storey residence on Briar Avenue, Medindie through a donation from a wealthy South Australian grazier. The building became the final site for the provision of maternity hospital services and was named McBride Maternity Hospital for its benefactor, Robert McBride. This large building, also known as The Briars, could accommodate fifty beds and allowed The Salvation Army to also offer private maternity services to married mothers. The income from this service was used to assist with the traditional care for unmarried mothers. McBride Hospital became a prominent Adelaide private maternity hospital, and was recognised as a training centre for obstetric nursing. Many babies were adopted from McBride. After the passing of a new Adoption Act in 1967, the hospital was registered as an official adoption agency, with the Matron acting as the adoption officer.

In the 1970s, more options for single mothers resulted in reduced numbers of single mothers seeking admittance to McBride. In 1974 the hospital ceased to operate exclusively as a maternity hospital and began admitting private patients convalescing from surgery or illness. The last baby was born at McBride in 1978 and from then on the hospital became primarily a convalescent hospital. A small hostel area downstairs continued to provide accommodation for single mothers after the birth of their baby elsewhere until 1983. The hospital officially closed in 1986.

At this time The Salvation Army gave all surviving admission and discharge records to the Department for Community Welfare. This department, now known as the Department for Families and Communities has since maintained the records and uses them as a reference tool for the provision of personal and family history information to its clients.

Timeline:

Adelaide Maternity Home, 1893-1914
McBride Maternity Hospital, 1914-1974
McBride Hospital, 1975- 1986

Sources:

Finding Your Own Way, A guide to records of children's homes in South Australia, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc., 2005.
The Salvation Army Australian Southern Territory Archives & Museum.
Families SA administration file 10-011-1021A Information Management - Records of the McBride Hospital in custody of Adoptions & Family Information Service.