Fire destroys historic building
Thursday 7 February 2002

FIRE has devastated a 180-year-old hospital building at Sydney's Quarantine Station on North Head.

The fire brigade was called to the blaze shortly after 3pm (AEDT) this afternoon, spokesman Ian Krimmer said.

When fire crews arrived they found the two level weatherboard building, known as H1, or the hospital building, engulfed in flames. The hospital, at the heritage-listed site off North Head Scenic Drive in Manly, was constructed in 1833.

"The building had been totally devastated by fire," Mr Krimmer said.

He said 40 firefighters from eight stations attended the blaze, which took an hour to extinguish.

"Fire crews were forced to draw water out of Sydney Harbour," Mr Krimmer said. "They had to relay water through a series of fire engines up a cliff face to get to the blaze."

Mr Krimmer said a fire investigation was underway.

Part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, the Quarantine Station dates back to the 1820s when newly arrived immigrants spent their first few weeks there either recovering from illness or ensuring they were free of disease.

Last October, a building being converted into restaurants at the station was burnt to the ground.

A National Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman described the loss of the hospital building as "reasonably devastating."

"It's a fairly significant building because it was the hospital of the Quarantine Station," she said.

The NPWS spokeswoman said there had been a power outage at the building for most of the day.

"About 15 minutes after the power came back on the smoke was spotted by the National Parks field officers," she said.