The lesser-known of the College properties is the building at 147 Macquarie St, Sydney - and although it's quite an attractive building in its own right, it mostly plays sidekick to the beautiful 145.

The original building on the site (recorded as 177 Macquarie St, it became 147 in 1880) was built by John Fairfax in 1858, ten years after he built 145 Macquarie St. It became the residence of his nephew, Andrew Fairfax, who arrived in Sydney in 1841 to work for his uncle at the Sydney Morning Herald. It was originally a three-story residence with two rooms on each floor.

In 1862-5, it became the residence of Dr. John Le Gay Brereton, a Scottish physician who was an early extoller of the principles of homeopathic medicine. He had a mixed career, establishing Sydney's first Turkish bath, which was so successful that larger, much improved quarters were opened in Bligh Street in 1861. In 1866, he was removed as a visiting doctor from Tarban Creek Asylum due to a conflict of interest. In 1881, he gave evidence before a committee of the Legislative Assembly, opposing the principle of compulsory vaccination, stating that he regarded 'vaccination as an evil greater than that of small-pox'

Between being used as a medical residence, 147 became a private boarding house for many years from 1870-1895, after which it once again became medical with Dr John Cain and Sir Alfred Roberts, surgeons, in residence. It remained medical in nature with the arrival of Herbert Maitland, surgeon, in 1911. After designing a rebuild of 147 in the style of a Harley St surgery (with waiting room and toilet facilities for patients), Maitland used the building as both a surgery and residence for his family, seeing patients on the ground floor, in what is now the History of Medicine Library. A waiting room and x-ray room were also housed here. A popular and well-known doctor, he died in his surgery in 1923, aged only 54. His granddaughter wrote that he was in the habit of 'taking a five minute nap between patients. This time he did not wake up'.

Later, the surgery would become the radiology practice of Sir Herbert's son, Geoffrey Maitland, before he sold the building to the College in 1959 for $64,000, with the agreement that he could occupy a flat on the upper floor rent-free for a period of five years. College secretary, Dorothy Roseby, recorded that after the hotly contested purchase 'we then settled to the unsettling time of ownership and of tenants with innumerable and petty complaints against an apparently wealthy landlord.'

Once the tenants were no longer resident in 147, College staff moved in to allow for the renovation of 145 in the mid-1970's (following an unsuccessful plan to demolish and rebuild on the site). Once renovation of 145 was completed, renovation of 147 began and was completed in 1978. After the linking of 145 and 147 by means of a hallway at the rear of 145, staff were able to access both properties with ease. For a time, 147 housed the Continuing Education Unit and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons also had an office there.

The History of Medicine Library moved into its current ground floor location at 147 Macquarie St. in the 1990's. The Library recently acquired the original nameplate of Dr. Maitland's surgery from the Maitland family, which can be seen on display in the current Reading Room, along with other memorabilia.