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Sherbrooke House

Other Name Children's Convalescent Cottage, Robin Hood Restaurant, Poet's Lane Reception Centre Location 13 Sherbrooke Road (Cnr Poet's Lane), Sherbrooke VIC 3789 - Property No 58679 File Number 703 Level Included in Heritage Overlay

[1/1] Sherbrooke House

Statement of Significance

This property has high local significance as the former Children's Convalescent Cottage opened in 1936, with important links with the Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Funded by Charles Wilson, a Melbourne philanthropist, the building was constructed to rehabilitate children from the inner suburbs whose health had been affected by the deprivations of the Depression. The former convalescent cottage has architectural interest as an aftercare building designed in a domestic style, more like a 1930s house than a hospital. It illustrates popular views of the period about the health benefits of sunshine, fresh air and good food, particularly within a rural environment. The Cottage has historical significance for its associations with Charles Wilson and with Sister Ann Milburn, the popular Matron who introduced the convalescing children to the "joys of the bush". Externally, the building has been considerably altered.