It is very fitting that the new Research and Education building is named the Kolling Building.

Mrs Eva Kolling OBE was a generous benefactor of the Royal North Shore Hospital for over 12 years. Interested in medical research, she also made gifts to other hospitals and to the University of Sydney.

In 1929, she donated five thousand pounds for the building of a laboratory in memory of her late

husband, Charles Kolling. Born in the United States, Charles had helped to establish a large asphalt

works at Greenwich and later became Managing Director of the Link Belt Company of Australia, as well as being associated with developments in mining sites, including Mount Morgan in Queensland.

On a visit to the Royal North Shore Hospital to see the ‘Charles Kolling Bed’ she met Dr Bill

Ingram who invited her to inspect the Institute of Medical Research. As a result, she became very

interested in the Institute. Her grant to the hospital was conditional on equivalent support (pound for

pound) from the State Government. The Charles Kolling Memorial Laboratory, housing the Institute

of Medical Research, was officially opened in 1931.

On her death in 1941, she left a bequest to support the Laboratory and financed a third floor to

complete the Kolling Institute.