In this day and age when kids bring home a new toy every time they return from the supermarket, it’s hard to believe that anybody would want to repair their old toys. But indeed, there is a “hospital” for dolls in Sydney where workers fix fingers, toes and heads, and repair broken eye sockets of beloved dolls and bring them back to their original glory. Even more amazing is the fact that this place has been around for a century, having just completed its 101st year of existence.

The Doll Hospital was opened in 1913 by Mr Harold Chapman Sr as part of his General Store, and it came into being from a simple shipping mishap. At that time, Harold’s brother was in the business of importing celluloid dolls from Japan. During the shipping process the rubber bands holding the dolls together would snap or perish, and it was Harold who devised a way to repair them. When customers found out that Harold was repairing dolls, they began bringing in their ragged dolls and stuffed animals, and a business was born.