Behind the traffic noise and modernday confusion on Stoney Creek Road in Bexley lies a small but amazing piece of history.Just a century ago,Mr Harold Chapman Snr.founded Sydney's Famous Original Doll Hospital and,although the Hospital has relocated several times,you cannot help but get a sense of days gone by when you walk through the doors. In 1913 Sydney's first Doll Hospital was opened in Beamish Street.Campsie by Mr Harold Chapman Snr as part of his General Store,all beginning from a simple shipping accident.Harold's brother was in the business of importing dolls from Japan and during the shipping process the rubber bands holding the dolls together would go rotten and it was Harold who found a way to repair them.From such a small beginning grew quite a successful business as demand for doll repairs increased. The business was taken over in the 1930's by Harold's son,also Harold Chapman who relocated the Doll Hospital to Her Majesty's Arcade in Sydney where the business expanded.The real boom came in 1939 with World War II  and the extreme restrictions on production and import.Suddenly new dolls were no longer an option so little children had to have their "best friends" lovingly repaired. In 1968 the Doll Hospital moved to its present location.It is now run by Mr Geoff Chapman,Harold Jnr's son.The Hospital is not only in its third generation of owners,but also its third generation of "doctors",the skills and knowledge being passed down through the family of repairers. Flipping through the "Before and After" photo album,you can see just how many wonderful repairs have been carried out and you can just imagine the stories behind them.It is estimated that the Doll Hospital has treated over 2.5 million "patients" so far--that's a lot of childhood memories revived! Early in 1910s Harold' brother  _  .
ran a General Store shipped dolls from abroad helped Harold repair dolls ended his old business