Building Highlight - Old Hospital Buildings

The original Canberra Community Hospital Buildings were amongst the earliest built in Canberra following the decision to develop the city as the Federal Capital. In February 1912 a recommendation was made to build a hospital, with separate isolation facilities, on a 15 acre site at Acton. Until this time, patients generally travelled to Queanbeyan for treatment.

Planning began in early 1913, with Mr Sullivan of ‘Springbank’ releasing 15 acres of land for the new hospital. The hospital then opened on 27 May 1914 and consisted of three general wards with staff accommodation and an isolation block.

In its early years the hospital was used by the Army, primarily for isolating German WWI internees, and for treatment of patients during the 1919 influenza epidemic. In the late 1920s extensions were undertaken to provide a maternity ward, larger operating theatre, new nurses’ quarters and additional isolation block.

In 1940 work began on a new hospital on the Acton Peninsula, and Acton Cottage, which dated to the 1830s, was demolished to make way for the new hospital which opened on 20 February 1943 and offered over 200 patient beds and accommodation for 70 nurses. The hospital was heavily used by the US Army during WWII.

In the late 1950s, the hospital was occupied by the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences and the National Centre for Epidemiology.    

Most of the Old Canberra Hospital Buildings were demolished as the campus was developed, however four remain and were redeveloped:  

Administration and Outpatients building (Building 61A), also known as Jaeger Old Hospital Building A. 

Nurses’ Quarters (Building 62), now the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. 

Isolation Block (Building 63), now the Centre for Mental Health Research. 

Laboratory (Building 64A), now the Gardener’s Depot. 

Additionally, the hospital tennis courts were retained.  

References

Godden Macaky Logan Heritage Consultants 2012, Acton Campus site inventory,