Bear Cottage - Wikiwand

Australian children's hospice

Bear Cottage is a children’s hospice located in Manly, Australia and is part of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. It provides long-term care to children, including nursing care, music, play and art therapy, and food, cleaning, and counseling services.^[1] Bear Cottage is designed to be like a home away from home and as far removed from a hospital environment as possible. Staff do not wear uniforms, and no medical procedures are carried out in the bedrooms, which are designed to be like a normal bedroom.^[2]

Bear Cottage was conceived in the 1990s by Dr John Yu and Dr Michael Stevens from The Children's Hospital at Westmead to enhance the hospital's palliative care program and proposed to be developed on part of the site of the former St Patrick's Seminary estate on North Head above Manly.^[3]^[4]

It opened on St Patrick's Day 17 March 2001^[2] after $10 million had been raised from the community to build it.^[5]

The hospice saw a huge increase in growth from 2008.^[1]

In 2017 its operational costs were approximately $3.7 million per year,^[6] with funding coming from the government, clubs and private sector.^[7] It is one of only three children’s hospices in Australia.^[8]

Since 2016 the Cottage has been managed by Narelle Martin.^[9] Professor Les White is the Patron.^[10]

A community icon

In 2021 radio announcer Ben Fordham publicly thanked Bear Cottage for their care for sick children.^[11]

In 2020 Sydney coffee roasters Seven Miles launched a new coffee blend, Bear and the Beard, donating proceeds of sales to the hospice.^[12]

In 2014 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited,^[13] where the Duchess (who is patron of UK children’s hospice, the East Anglia Children’s Hospice^[14]) made a speech.^[15] They were reportedly brought to the verge of tears by the plight of a nine-month old baby who had only days to live following a six-week battle with bacterial meningitis.^[16]

In 2005 competitors in the City to Surf running race raised funds for the cottage.^[17]

References

1 2 Corderoy, Amy (30 March 2013). "Child hospice struggling to meet demand". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
1 2 "About Bear Cottage". Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ WAINWRIGHT, ROBERT (26 October 1996). "Council threatened over hospice". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 13.
↑ Lucas, Brian (2024). "Saint Patrick's Estate, Manly - then and now" (PDF). Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society. 45: 108–125. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
↑ fpadmin (5 December 2016). "Bear Cottage fundraising event: Superhero Week". Fundraising & Philanthropy Australasia Magazine. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ Zwartz, Henry (15 April 2017). "NSW government addresses Australia's 'unseen crisis'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ VASS, NATHAN; PASSEY, DAVID (14 May 1997). "Angry clubs say charities will be $80m worse off". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
↑ "The cottage that makes moments heartbroken parents will treasure forever". NewsComAu. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ Buckingham-Jones, Sam (26 January 2016). "Palliative care with family focus". The Australian. p. 7.
↑ "Meet Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation's Patron - Professor Les White". Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
↑ "Ben Fordham makes heartbreaking announcement". 2GB. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
↑ "New coffee with a cause raises funds for children's hospice | PBA". Pro Bono Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ "Royals Kate and William meet Sydneysiders, visit Easter show". www.abc.net.au. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ "Bear Cottage's regal visit". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ connie.fisher (18 April 2014). "A speech by The Duchess of Cambridge at Bear Cottage". The Royal Family. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ "Dubbo toddler brings William and Kate to tears". Goulburn Post. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
↑ Quinlan, Heather (5 June 2005). "One inspirational boy and his enduring legacy". Sun Herald. p. 12.

33°48′14″S 151°17′32″E / 33.80375526771629°S 151.29227984448983°E

Related Articles