Tresillian heads north!

In order to serve the growing needs of people living on the North Shore from Hornsby to Manly, a Mothercraft training school was established in northern Sydney.

In January, 1927, a property was purchased at 2 Second Avenue, Willoughby for the sum of
£4,200. Staffing and equipment for the operation of the new training school followed. A Committee of Management for Tresillian North was created and officers elected on March, 12, 1927, and on the 23rd of the same month Tresillian North was officially opened by the NSW Minister for Public Health, Mr. Cann.

The Sydney Morning Herald (Thursday, 24th March, 1927) reported that ‘Dr. Margaret Harper, Tresillian’s Hon. Medical Director, presided at the opening ceremony giving an outline of the work at Tresillian’. One thousand mothers and their babies had been admitted to Tresillian Petersham since 1921, and 12,000 mothers and babies had attended the out-patients’ department. Mr. Cann expressed his approval of the work that had been done at Tresillian adding in all national affairs, ‘mothercraft was most important in the scheme of things’.

The opening ceremony at Tresillian North was attended by a large number of people, among them being several members of the Tresillian Council, including Mrs. R. T. Forsyth (President), Mesdames W. J. Barnes, Burley Griffen (Vice-presidents), Miss Amy Reuss (Hon. Secretary) and Mrs. Cecil Brierly (Hon.treasurer).

Council appointed Matron Norman in charge at Tresillian North.

Tresillian North hosted many fundraising events, the first of which was a garden fete as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 8th November, 1929. ‘

The front verandah of the home formed an appropriate stage for the opening of the fete by Mr. T. E. Rofe, of Wahroonga. Other speakers included Dr. Margaret Harper, the hon. Medical Director of the Tresillian Home, and Sir Charles Clubbe, president of the Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies, who was accompanied by Lady Clubbe. They emphasised the value of such homes as ‘Tresillian North’ for the teaching of mothercraft, and said it deserved wholehearted support. Mrs. Rofe, who accompanied Mr. Rofe, was presented with a bouquet of pink and blue lupins, and the local Girl Guides formed a guard of honour. Mr. Ferguson, of North Sydney, was the judge in the cake and scone competition, both of which were won by Mrs. Williams, of Burwood. The North Sydney Tramway Band played several selections’.