‘IL PORCELLINO’

This year marks the 50^th Anniversary of IL Porcellino, the Great Boar of Florence statue outside Sydney Hospital on Macquarie St. Donated in 1968, the statue commemorates two of the hospital’s esteemed surgeons Thomas Henry Fiaschi, and his son, Piero Francis Bruno Fiaschi. Coin donations from passers-by have raised over $500,000 for the Sydney Hospital. Well known to those in inner Sydney, the bronze boar statue is said to bring luck to those who rub his snout.

 At 10am on Tuesday 4 December there will be a morning tea in the Sydney Hospital forecourt followed by speakers to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary hosted by the descendants of Dr Fiaschi.

 Thomas Henry Fiaschi (1853-1927), surgeon, and Piero Francis Bruno Fiaschi (1879-1948), medical practitioner, were father and son. Thomas was born on 31 May 1853 at Florence, Italy, son of Lodovico Fiaschi, a professor of mathematics at the University of Florence who had tutored the children of Prince Corsini of Florence.

Fiaschi enrolled at the university as a medical student and at age 21 left for Australia and worked on the north Queensland goldfields before becoming a 'house surgeon' at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. on 17 February 1876 . In 1878 Thomas was licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Italy and, after a short time in London, reached Sydney with his family in February 1879.