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Queen Victoria Hospital (1896 - 1977)

From
1896
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
To
1977
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
Hospital
Alternative Names
  • Queen Victoria Hospital for Women (also known as)
  • Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital (also known as)

Summary

Established in 1896, the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne was the first women's hospital in Victoria, operated for women by women. Originally housed in William Street, Melbourne, new premises were purchased with money raised by Victorian women contributing to Dr Constance Stone's 'Shilling Fund'. The hospital moved to its Lonsdale Street site in 1946. In 1989 it was relocated to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton.

Established in 1896 as the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, as a clinic in a local church hall, The Queen Victoria Hospital was one of three hospitals in the world founded, managed and staffed by women, 'For Women, By Women', for the benefit of poor women uncomfortable with male doctors. There were eleven female founding doctors led by Dr Constance Stone.

The hospital was funded by an appeal coinciding with Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. After three years, there were enough funds to move into separate premises, the old Governess Institute in Mint Lane. Known as the Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, the name changed to the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital when the Queen died in 1901.

In 1946, the hospital moved into premises vacated by the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Lonsdale Street. In 1965, it became Monash University's teaching hospital for obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics, at which point it became a 'Family Hospital' that treated and employed males.

In 1977 the hospital amalgamated with McCulloch House and was renamed the Queen Victoria Medical Centre. The years later , in 1987, it merged with Moorabbin Hospital and moved to Clayton. In 1991 it was involved with yet another merger, this time with Prince Henry's Hospital, to form the Monash Medical Centre.

Details

From its beginnings as an out-patients' dispensary in La Trobe Street (where the three Drs Stone - Constance, Clara and Mary - worked on Monday mornings), the Queen Victoria Hospital expanded its premises with the purchase of the Governess' Institute at Mint Place in 1899, funded by a Jubilee Shilling Fund appeal.

The National Council of Women of Victoria moved for the establishment of an operating theatre for out-patients at the hospital in memory of Mary Stone, honorary secretary of the Council from 1904 to 1910. The theatre was opened in 1912. When the hospital added a new pathology block in 1937 it was named after Dr Janet Greig. In 1946 the hospital moved to premises on Lonsdale Street.

In 1977, the Queen Victoria Hospital was one of a number of institutions (including the Jessie McPherson Hospital and McCulloch House, a convalescent home) to amalgamate and form The Queen Victoria Medical Centre. It continued to operate from its Lonsdale Street site until 1989, when it was sold and relocated to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton.

Following its closure, the centre tower of the hospital was refurbished and handed over to the women of Victoria. It is now known as the Queen Victoria Women's Centre.

Sources used to compile this entry: http://www.qvwc.org.au/about/history/history_of_the_queen_victoria_memorial_hospital; http://www.walkingmelbourne.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77, http://www.qvwc.org.au/, http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/CA256D800027B102/Lookup/AR1999-ActsOf/$file/AR1999ActsofP.pdf, http://www.qvwc.org.au/about/about_the_shilling_fund_today and http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/0/af70638062542dafca256d0a007c8149?OpenDocument accessed 2004-05-25.

Related entries

Founder

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Archival resources

Monash Medical Centre Historical Collection

  • Archives of the Queen Victoria Women's Hospital; Monash Medical Centre Historical Collection. Details

Anne Heywood, Ailie Smith and Nikki Henningham

Comments

I am hoping to locate records of the birth of a child who died soon after birth sometime between mid-1943 and end of 1945. Can you advise me where to start looking?

Thanks.

Judith Cain - 19 July 2010, 6:22 PM EST

Judith, you will need to contact the Monash Medical Centre Heritage Centre for advice. http://www.southernhealth.org.au/page/About_Us/Our_heritage/Our_History/

Someone there will be able to provide advice.

AWAP Administrator - 21 July 2010, 3:49 PM EST

Please, can you tell when nurse training began at Queen Victoria?

Thank you

Shirley Westaway - 1 October 2011, 3:18 PM EST

A good question, Shirley. Perhaps the Historical Curator at Southern Health could assist.

AWAP Administrator - 13 October 2011, 2:01 PM EST

Can you please tell me anything you know about my aunt,Dame Ella Macknight's involvment in working with the Indonesians/Jakarta hospitals in the 1960-1970's

Many thanks,

Jill Bowyer

Jill Bowyer - 4 December 2011, 1:27 PM EST

Jill, we don't have any information on that topic, but perhaps a reader might.

AWAP Administrator - 8 December 2011, 11:40 AM EST

I would like to obtain my medical records from 1964-56 and do not know where to start

Leanne de Vries - 24 January 2012, 11:13 AM EST

Leanne, you need to contact the Monash Medical Centre at:
http://www.southernhealth.org.au/page/About_Us/Our_heritage/Our_history

AWAP administrator - 24 January 2012, 8:29 PM EST

Hi I would like to know where my daughter is? born at the Queen Vic (Melb. Lonsdale St) in the 70s and adopted because I was an umarried mother this hospital has alot to answer for to the mothers and humanity.
The treatmeant of un married mother was aborhent. Michelle Gillam 0417 118506

Michelle Gillam - 26 January 2012, 5:50 PM EST

Michelle,
Contact the Monash Medical centre as a first step.

AWAP Administrator - 2 February 2012, 5:12 PM EST

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