Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Unit

Description and history

Rivendell Unit was originally located at Broughton Hall, Rozelle, before being relocated to Concord West in 1977. Its founding director was Dr Marie Bashir, later to become Governor of New South Wales. Dr Bashir was replaced by Professor Joseph Rey in 1988.

Rivendell is, as of 2009, a twenty-bed facility offering mental health services for children and adolescents in the Sydney area and rural New South Wales. Care is provided on both an outpatient and inpatient basis. Around five hundred children and their families are helped by Rivendell each year. Rivendell is a teaching hospital of the University of Sydney.

The Concord West premises are located on the banks of the Parramatta River and were originally known as the Thomas Walker Hospital. They were designed by Sir John Sulman and built from 1891-93 by A.M.Allan. The money came from the will of the philanthropist Thomas Walker, who had lived in the Italianate mansion Yaralla, also located at Concord West (and now known as the Dame Eadith Walker Hospital). The buildings are made of brick and sandstone, which is characteristic of the Federation Free Classical style. They feature marble fireplaces and cedar joinery, and are considered an important example of John Sulman's work. They are now listed on the Register of the National Estate.

Opera night

Opera Night at Rivendell is held annually and is a major fund-raising event. It is an open-air event and routinely draws two thousand people. The 2008 opera raised money that went towards the purchase of equipment for the hospital's intensive care unit. Money raised by the 2009 event was earmarked for the hospital's clinical school. Music was provided by the Rivendell Philharmonic Orchestra, a 35-piece orchestra led by the conductor Steven Hillinger.

Film Location

The scenes of the film The Great Gatsby (2013) showing the sanatorium where Nick Carroway visits his psychiatrist were filmed at Rivendell.