Estcourt House was built in 1883 near the beach at Grange, by Adelaide businessman Frederick Estcourt Bucknall. He lost the property in 1886 due to financial problems that led to bankruptcy. The new owner, Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP) had trouble selling the mansion due to its isolation and it remained empty for a number of years. Eventually the mansion was bought and became a convalescent home for children.
James Brown Memorial Trust (1894 - 1955)
In 1892 Estcourt House was purchased by the James Brown Memorial Trust. The trust was established by Mrs Jessie Brown, widow of James Brown, a wealthy pastoralist, to help people in need. In 1894 Estcourt House was opened and by December there were eight children, aged between four and twelve, and twenty three visually impaired elderly people in residence. By the turn of the century the number of residents had increased to forty five. The children at the home received their schooling from members of staff until 1918 when the Education Department provided a teacher. In 1931 Estcourt House became a convalescent home for children recovering from medical treatment, and it also provided specialist care for survivors of tuberculosis, poliomyelitis and children with rheumatic fever. It could look after up to forty children at one time.
Adelaide Children’s Hospital (1955 – 1978)![Adelaide Children's Hospital patients were accommodated in convalescent wards at Estcourt House between late 1950s and early 1970s. [ Zoe Schaffer ]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1151/543569045_d45ff0e9d8_m.jpg "Adelaide Children's Hospital patients were accommodated in convalescent wards at Estcourt House between late 1950s and early 1970s. [ Zoe Schaffer ]")
During the 1920’s and 1930’s Estcourt House developed a close relationship with the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. Many of the children at the convalescent home were referred directly from the hospital. In 1955 the Adelaide Children’s Hospital bought Estcourt House. They spent a large amount of money on renovations and additions so they could accommodate up to one hundred children.
Ru Rua Nursing Home (1978 – 1989)
In 1978 the South Australian government bought Estcourt House and it became part of the Strathmont Centre. In 1981 the home was upgraded and convalescing children were moved from the Ru Rua Nursing Home at North Adelaide. Estcourt House became the Ru Rua Nursing Home and operated until 1989.
References
Find your way home: with SA Link-up. 2005. [online].[Accessed on 30th April 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web: http://salinkup.com.au/media/pdf/9_miscellaneous.pdf
June 24th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I have a Frederick Estcourt in my family tree and i was wondering if you have any history about the Frederick Estcourt who built Estcourt house?
Thanks!
Rebecca
email address: rebeccamillman@mediumalifebetweentwoworlds.com
June 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Hi Rebecca
I couldn’t find much about Frederick Escourt Bucknall the businessman who built Escourt House. However,the following State Library link under ‘Grange - Estcourt House’ provides some information on him.
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/g/g8.htm#choose
Hope that is of help.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
My father suffered from TB and was at Estcort House around 1912-1916 as a young boy.
Is there any way I can find records of this time?
Thanks Jenny Raper
August 7th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hi Jenny
There are no admission records available for Estcourt House during that period that I am aware of. However, I contacted Dennis Chamberlain the CEO of the James Brown Memorial Trust and he said they have minute books and other material from that period. He suggested calling him (ph:8278 5444) and he might be able to help.
State Records of SA (www.archives.sa.gov.au/index.html) has a Visitors book (1896 - 1955) for Escourt House. Archive reference GRG 78/129. It gives dates, names, addresses and remarks. Most of the visitors are official but some may be parents of patients.
I hope that is of some help.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I was a patient at Estcourt house between 1965 and 1978, I cant remember the actual date, but I remember being tranfered there from the Adelaide Childrens Hospital when I was a child. I have few memories from that time and remember them often… Are there any records from these years.
Thankyou
Julie Bollenhagen
February 24th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Hi Julie
The Womens and Children’s Hospital have some patient records from Estcourt House. You will need to contact the Freedom of Information Officer on 8161 6127 for more details.
April 3rd, 2010 at 4:07 am
however I am looking out about it long time and I am unable to discover any info, and it’s important.
June 5th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
My brother Trevor Cheeseman was a child patient at Estcourt House in the 1950s and was lead to believe he was there for 10 odd yrs I also remember a name of a friend he made whilst in there by the name of Ramsey
If there is any follow up on this I would very much like to here it
Wayne Cheeseman
June 14th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
My father told me his dad spend time at Estcourt House just before world war one, do you know if there is any records dating back that far, and what sort of childrens home it was.
March 6th, 2011 at 5:09 am
I became very ill in October 1966 and spent a good part of a month at the adel. childrens hos followed with a month at the Estcourt house getting care and sitting walking on the beach . It was a memerable stay in many ways.
March 19th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I spent 7 months there in 1966 recuperating from acute nephritis transferred from the kids hospital (princess ward)remembered the transport van was the kangaroo club van,think sponsered by 5ka. Spent many a night in the naughty room which the nurses figured if you were going to act like a baby spend the night in the babies ward. Also remember a young girl there with Hydrocephalus My education over that period was with correspondence school done by the education dpt I was 11 at the time. If any nurses from this period that were there are reading this sorry, and lets not forget the walks down past the dunes to the sea to paddle.Correspondence to my email is welcome joe.mccall@bigpond.com.au
January 5th, 2012 at 7:17 am
I worked as an RN at RuRua from 1982-1988 when it closed. Loved the work and often wonder what happened to the residents and where they are now. Any information gratefully received. I realise some are now under the care of Leveda.