Back in 1909 a conference was held in Perth at which women from 18 different organisations from Perth and the suburbs met. There was much discussion regarding the need for a maternity hospital in Perth. The Women's Service Guild arranged a meeting to be at Government House Ballroom on 8 November 1909. It was attended by 400 people, for the purpose of discussing a proposed establishment of a women's hospital in Perth for maternity cases.
When the matter was further discussed in May 1910, it was within days of the death of King Edward VII and it was decided that the future hospital would be called The King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women. In 1913 it was decided that the hospital would take over the building used by the Government Industrial School. The school was thoroughly cleaned and renovated. On completion, the accommodation comprised three large wards for 20 patients, special reception and delivery rooms, an operating theatre, an isolation ward for three beds, and staff quarters, well equipped kitchen and laundry, with hot water laid on.
King Edward Maternity Hospital opened on 6th July 1916 and provided 20 maternity beds. There were 10 pupil midwives and Matron Eleanor Harvey was appointed the first Matron, hence the building now being known as Harvey House. Due to family commitments Miss Harvey only stayed two years at the hospital but during this time almost 1,000 deliveries had taken place.
Volunteers of the museum have set up the various rooms with old medical equipment passed on from private donations and public hospitals. Interpreted displays of medical events important to the history of Western Australia are displayed throughout the museum, for example a Royal Flying Doctor exhibition, a polio display featuring an iron lung, an early dental surgery and many more.
Harvey House has been on the State Register of Heritage Places since 2002.