Events
Ararat & District Hospital – 150 Years Celebration & Reunion
When: 16th April 2008
In 2010 East Grampians Health Service will celebrate 150 years on the Ararat Hospital site - a significant milestone of a long remarkable history of providing quality care to the Ararat and District community. It will be a time to reflect, to celebrate and importantly an opportunity for all those associated with providing health care over many, many years to come together on the long weekend of 6th, 7th and 8th March.
In Ararat in 1858, a committee was formed to collect funds to build a place of refuge for the sick and needy on a site called Slaughter-yard Hill and on 22nd August 1859 Frederick Lowe laid the foundation stone of a thirty- bed hospital. At a public meeting held on February 18, 1860 with President Fred Lowe, Esq, C.M.C. in the chair the rules of the Ararat Hospital were established.
In the late 1880's Pyrenees was built and this original building is still part of the health service today. In 1937 a three storey hospital was built and forms part of the new Ararat Hospital which was officially opened in May 2005.
In 1995 East Grampians Health Service was incorporated with the amalgamation of the Ararat and District Hospital, Willaura and the then John Pickford House.
Over the 150 years the ‘hospital' has been an integral part of the community and has grown significantly into an expanded health service and today employs some 300 staff at both Ararat and Willaura.
To recognise this milestone with the support of the East Grampians Health Service Board of Management a committee has been established to plan a program of events and activities to share with all past and present staff, the medical fraternity and the community.
The committee includes Yvonne Byron (Chairperson), Sue McAdie, Doreen Lewis, Gwen Knight, Jeannie Armstrong, Dayle Smith, Erin Ballinger, Edith Thomas, Marian McAdie and Community Liaison Dianne Radford.
Events already in discussion as part of the celebrations include a Historical Exhibition, Reunion Dinner, Reliving the 1880's with the Parade of Nurses, Relaunch of the Ararat & District History Book and a Time Capsule Ceremony. It is also envisaged that Pyrenees House will be recognised in someway and Willaura Hospital will have an activity.
The committee is meeting regularly and are very enthusiastic to the celebrations and a reunion and see it as a major community milestone also, with many past staff members and families expected to come back to Ararat for the occasion. The last reunion was held in 1992 which was a great success and previous to this in 1984 and 1988 ex nurses have had reunions in conjunction with the Ararat Trained Nurses Association, who have expressed their support to the 2010 activities.
One of the biggest tasks at this stage for the committee is to make contact with the many ex nurses, health professionals, administration services and support services in addition to doctors who have been involved with the health service at both Ararat and Willaura.
The committee with the assistance of the Ararat Trained Nurses Association already have a reasonable data base however want to attract as many as possible to the celebrations and are calling on the community for assistance with name and addresses, particularly of past staff who no longer live in the immediate area.
The committee is also keen to hear from those who might have old photos and historical memorabilia which they are prepare to share and can be copied or reproduced for the Historical Exhibition and possible for the reproduction of the History Book.
