Suspensions of disbelief get a thorough workout these days. Whether you can’t believe there are Superman movies that don’t star Christopher Reeve, or you refuse to believe it when NRL stars run afoul of the law, you’re likely having a tough time of it in this, the dawn of the information age.
For a long time, I refused to believe that one area, nay, one stretch of road could support not one but two doll hospitals. So when the Doll Repair Centre at 444 Stoney Creek Road, Kingsgrove ceased to exist a few months ago, that suspension vanished, the disbelief came crashing down, and here you are reading my attempt to process a lifetime of astonishment and uncertainty.
In simpler times, kids played with toys. ‘member toys? Action figures, Matchbox cars, those lame wooden ones that barely moved…and dolls. Back then, dolls were seen as a “girls toy”, and the levels of attachment the little girls of the past had for their dolls was in the minds of many a by-product of “maternal instincts”.
I speak from experience when I say this: when an action figure broke, it went in the bin. Too bad, so sad. “Boys toys” were expected to take damage through rough play. A broken doll, on the other hand – be it a loose seam, a torn dress, or a missing head – was a tragedy, and required immediate repair.
And so it was in 1913, when a Mr Harold Chapman of Campsie established Sydney’s first doll hospital. The demand was there, and carried the business through to the late 1930s, when Chapman’s son Harold Jr moved the Doll Hospital to Her Majesty’s Arcade in the city. If you had a shop in the city at this point in time, you’d made it.
The Sun, Sunday, July 29, 1945
Her Majesty’s Arcade had a problem, however – it occupied a most plum piece of real estate on Pitt Street, and in 1968 plans arose that sent all tenants packing. The Doll Hospital ended up here, near the corner of Stoney Creek and Forest roads in Bexley.
The arcade was demolished, and by 1981 Sydney’s favourite 309m-tall resident stood in Her Majesty’s wake.
But back to the Doll Hospital, as it stands today.
Unlike most hospitals, patients line the windows, exposing their medical issues to the world.
Sorry, but dolls are creepy. Maybe that’s why this is going up on Halloween. There’s something about those glassy eyes and pre-sculpted faces that rub me the wrong way. The public’s tastes have also skewed away from traditional dolls in recent years, and toward licenced merchandise instead.
There’s no better way to brag about your mad surgeon skills than by showing off no less than three fully intact Humpty Dumptys, the most frail of all toys.
Handbags and umbrellas need love too, so they’re also welcome here. They don’t repair signs, I’m guessing?
That’s a double no, then. Honestly, I was surprised to find it’s still in operation. Imagine my shock when I saw this sign:
That’s right – if your doll’s blue in the face and unresponsive at 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon, you’re shit out of luck.
Or are you?
Carmo’s got your back after hours, but I bet it ain’t cheap. Even with this safety net, don’t let your doll go for a big night in Newtown anytime soon.
The Doll Hospital wears its heritage proudly via its suit of signage armour. It’s still in the Chapman family: Harold Jr’s son Geoff runs the joint these days, and has a full team of dolly doctors on his staff. Though not everyone is a fan. Check out this “nit-picking whinger”:
Ignore the ominous green building and check out the sign on the western side of the doll hospital. It hides the identity of the building’s previous owner, but only just. If it ever comes down for an update (perhaps at the 180 years of service mark), we might get a look at that piece of blue and yellow history. But not today.
The building is old – “olde”, in fact – and in one place seems to literally be held together by a plank of wood. The signs boast that the Doll Hospital’s provided “Over 80 Years of Service”, but the sign above the awning says it’s “Over 100 years”. Get your story straight, guys.
The sign also makes the curious, almost defensive claim of being the “original” doll hospital. Is that to suggest there was at one time a pretender? An upstart that wished to usurp the Doll Hospital’s monopoly? A firebrand so ballsy that it would take up residence in the Chapmans’ own backyard?
The incredible answer is yes. This may be the “the Olde Doll Shoppe” of Sydney, and you should go and check it out. But imagine just for a moment, there was a doll shoppe that looked even olde-er…
Yep. This is where I’m gonna go when I need something repaired.
It’s hard to read as the sign has cracked and rusted from years exposed to the elements, but once, this was the other doll hosp- uh, I mean doll repair centre.
Until recently, that is. Now it’s anyone’s, so if you want to challenge the might of the Famous Original Olde Doll Hospital, here’s your chance. You can’t do any worse than the last one…
From what I could discover, rash daredevils Peter and Mary threw caution to the wind a few decades back and tried to democratise doll rehabilitation.
“We repair, we care” says the card, bold in its implication. It’s not hard to imagine a time when raw, violent rivalry spanned the gap between the two surgeries, and I believe that may have bubbled over in 1992:
The Canberra Times, Saturday, September 26, 1992
They couldn’t even bear to follow on from each other in the dot points! That the Doll Hospital placed a full three spots above the Doll Repair Centre tells you everything you need to know about the hierarchy.
Ultimately, Peter and Mary couldn’t hack the cutthroat world of doll repairing. The state of this shopfront was a sorry sight in the last few years; a battered old pram stood outside, attracting the wrong kind of attention. It was far from the lush doll dioramas of the Doll Hospital.
A look inside gives nothing away. They had a cupboard.
The signage above suggests this corner belonged to someone in a time before the divine feud. I can’t make out what it says, so if you know (or it was your corner), get in touch.
Ultimately, I was left unsatisfied by my as-exhaustive-as-I-was-bothered research, so, fascinated by the mysterious Doll Repair Centre, I went deeper. I found an old website, long since defunct. But thanks to our friends at the Wayback Machine, I was able to jump back in time. I had no idea what lay in wait.
What I found left me scandalised. Check out the layout of the Doll Repair Centre’s website.
Maybe it’ll seem familiar to you.
And maybe you’ll recall that old saying about staring into the abyss for too long.
So…any web designers in the house?
Past/Lives of the Near Future 
There was an establishment called ‘The Doll Hospital’ in Jolley’s Arcade at Hurstville. I clearly remember it when I was a child, teenager, and adult. I am now into my 70s. The business was certainly still operating there in the late 1970s. The physical shop itself is still in the Arcade .. walked past it last week (Wed 25 Oct 2017) albeit occupied by another business. The Arcade was opened in the 1930s and I presume the Doll Hospital was established in that era or soon after.
“The Doll Hospital” in Jolley’s Arcade at Hurstville belonged to my grandfather, Arthur Rowland. He sold toys and musical instruments, and even developed photographs from film cameras back in the day. Even after he retired and sold the business I have very fond memories of visiting his cavernous garage at every opportunity, still filled with boxed toys, trinkets, and, of course, drawers of doll parts. The drawers filled with detached dolls eyes was certainly haunting to my younger self.
Hi,do you remember to whom the business was sold
Interesting,keep up the good work.I also liked that Alan bloke who did ‘Walk Sydney Streets’. http://www.walksydneystreets.net
Thanks.
While I totally disagree with your creepy doll comment I found this very interesting having trekked out to Bexley to see this shop a few years ago. I must say we found the owner somewhat disinterested in talking to us. I hope you won’t mind if I share on my doll blog.
Reblogged this on Dolls, Dolls, Dolls and commented:
Interesting piece about doll repair shops in Sydney even though the author does not like dolls. It is another sad sign that young people don’t seem to like dolls let alone getting them fixed.
I’m just happy you think I’m young!
Well I actually meant young people of today.I’ve read some of your posts as I’m also interested in old buildings so I didn’t think you were a teenager. 🙂
I’d take that as a win Michael… I am a Bexley local and remember (being a not-too-fussed-about-dolls boy) walking straight past the Dolls Hospital and into the Toyworld next door for our fill of hand buzzers and blood capsules, and a very extensive range of fireworks around Queens Birthday. Toyworld is now long gone but the dolls are still there. I know which one I would have put my money on surviving longer, and I would have lost.
Oh really? Where was the Toyworld?
That was the large adjoining building that leads back to the corner. In your pic it’s the big green thing that looks like it’s about to become flattened for ‘medium density’ highrise. It was definitely a toy shop for some time in the 80s possibly up to early 90s, I’m nearly 100 percent sure it was Toyworld.
PS. Further along Stoney Creek on the same side, opposite Bexley Park was a pizza shop, I believe ‘Olympic Pizza’ run by an old Italian couple, that may be worth uncovering…
Excellent work as usual, Michael!
Maybe the man who runs the doll repair shop should get together with the man who runs the “haunted” milk bar on Parramatta Road. They could both growl and snarl at each other to see who could do it best. There is a toy repair shop in Jannali that, as far as I know, is still trading. I bought quite a few toys there when my kids were small and 17 years later, they still work. Viva le revolution in the toy world!
The shop in Jannali, is run by volunteers…still going strong, but hours open are limited. They repair donated toys and resell.
I remember around 1982-83 my friend accidently breaking my Barbie doll at the waist (Barbie dolls had special waists which required professional help, they werent the pop back in variety). My mum was furious and complained to her parents who proceeded to take this Barbie doll to the Bexley doll hospital. I have no idea how much it cost him to fix her (but I think my friend got in trouble over it 😬), but she was restored back to normal.
The green building next door was once a toy store in the late 70’s. I’m sure it was owned & run by the doll hospital
I visited this doll hospital place and the bloke who showed us around was rude and I did not feel encouraged to have any work done on my dolls. The place was messy and again I say the owner was rude rude rude. I would like to add a general comment about dolls. They are just plastic people. Real people are much creepier! Think about it. Who came up with the ideas for making dolls in the first place????
I remember going to the olde doll hospital with my nana when I was very young and the man who ran it had his father there as well who I’m guessing would of been Harold Junior Chapman and damn he seemed so old to me at the time.
Anyone knows what happened to ‘Mary’ of the doll repairer at Kingsgrove? I left a doll which I grew up with (I had it since I was 1) for her to repair and each time I rang her she’s always said she was looking for suitable materials – until recently when her phone was disconnected and much to my shock and sadness, the shop is vacated.
I know this is a long shot but if anyone can point me to Mary, or members of her family who might know her whereabout, or my doll’s whereabout that would be great.
My email is michael.oac@gmail.com
Thanks
Re: “I can’t make out what it says, so if you know (or it was your corner), get in touch.”
– I grew up a few blocks away from this shop, and in the 50s and early 60s it was a fruit & vegetable shop called “Peter’s Corner” run by the eponymous Peter, a garrulous & rotund Italian (or was he Greek, we kids didn’t distinguish, referring to these outgoing and warm-hearted people only as ‘New Australians’). As we shared the same first name I was a favourite and would score an apple or some grapes when my mother shopped there. So I reckon that faded blue lettering before ‘Corner’ said ‘Peter’s’.
Thanks Peter!
The name of the Doll Shop on the Kingsway was called Tom’s Corner when I was a kid in the 1960’s. It was a milk bar in those days.
I took my 40 yr old doll to Mary. It took her 6 months to source a perfectly matching eye for my doll (originally from Spain). After tending to her matted hair, she was ready for my little girl to adopt her. She is still overwhelmingly loved. Priceless. Where ever you are Mary, thank you for your dedication and care with the only heirloom I could provide our daughter with. Maybe this Christmas everyone should adopt an unloved toy and give it a home away from the trash. It would also be small and positive step for our single use society. ❤️
I should also note I originally found Mary through the above website (as demo in the screenshot). She said she felt really shy about having her photo taken for it. The website was donated by a volunteer who wanted to help Mary get the word out about her work as she was too busy to learn code. It clearly did its job. Cheers!
An interesting group of articles. Now how do I find a buyer for my 1920 something doll of German manufacture.
Take a photo of the doll, and post it to me at P.O. Box 241,GlenHuntly 3163
Need to repair my Grandma’s doll.
Leg to repair and a wig,also new clothes..
Hi Nanette. Perhaps you could contact the Doll Collectors Club of NSW. They might be able to put you in touch with a skilled doll restorer. This is their website url.
https://dollclubnsw.com.au/about/
Hi Michael, I can answer your question about that old shop on the corner. As kids growing up in Kingsgrove (in New England Drive), it was one of our regular shops from approx 1960. For many years it was called “Peter’s Corner”, that’s what we all called it and it’s awesome to see this photo. It was fruit & veg (not great, better down in Kingsgrove), lollies, good mixed business. Pretty sure Peter was Greek.
Yes that’s my recollection too Sue (we were in Kinsel Ave).
I scrolled across THIS photo album from October 1956 at the Mitchell Library recently. Is this at the Bexley location? https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/YK5rqVan/NZaxpE8GyXO8W
The Doll Hospital is still in business but they’ve moved to Appin.
I’m sure I remember a small doll hospital in Liverpool when I was a little girl, in one of the arcades at the south end of the shopping strip.