In 1913 Sydney’s first Doll Hospital was opened in Beamish Street, Campsie by Mr. Harold Chapman Senior as part of his General Store, all beginning from a simple shipping mishap.

Harold’s brother was in the business of importing celluloid dolls from Japan and during the shipping process the rubber bands holding the dolls together would perish and it was Harold who devised a way to repair them. From such a small beginning grew quite a successful business as demand for doll repairs increased.

[I]n 1939 with the [Second] World War and the extreme restrictions on manufactured and imported goods. Suddenly new dolls were no longer an option so little girls had to have their “best friends” lovingly repaired.

Staff numbers had reached a whopping 70 employees working in 6 different workrooms.

Photos by Jason Reed.
Australia’s Doll Hospital.