Medical School Building

Although the University of Adelaide Act 1874 authorised the awarding of Medical degrees it was not until the early 1880s that the University made the first staff appointments in the Faculty of Medicine.  Following these appointments the newly formed Faculty met for the first time in 1885.

For the first twenty years of its existence lectures for the medical course were held in the Mitchell Building, as the first medical building was not begun until 1902.  The Anatomy Building as it was known was located at the rear of the University and was so plain in appearance that the Registrar described it as “nothing ornate … any more than there is about a 300-gallon iron tank”.  This building later became the Staff Club and was demolished in 1971 to make way for the Library Complex.

From 1922 pre-clinical subjects were taught in the Darling Building partially easing accommodation pressure due to ever increasing enrolments (an increase from 47 to 155 between 1904 and 1924).  This however, did little more than temporarily alleviate the situation as enrolments rose significantly in the aftermath of the Second World War (rising to 508 by 1954).  The need for a new building was paramount.

The Medical Building (Medical School South) on the eastern side of Frome Road to the north of the Royal Adelaide Hospital was commenced in 1947.  It was financed with a grant through the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme.  Further grants from both the Commonwealth and the State Governments financed later extensions (including the Medical School North).

Taken from University of Adelaide Archives Information Sheet No.31