Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the main hospital building opening

8 Sep 2020

On 8 September 2020, St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital’s main building will mark its 50^th anniversary.

Officially opened on 8 September 1970, the hospital’s main building has been a landmark of Mount Lawley for the last 50 years. Through all the changes, the main building has remained robust and continued to care for generations of families.

A brief history

1967

• The Sisters of Mercy negotiated a loan to increase the capacity of St Anne's Hospital in 1967 and commissioned architects Oldham, Boas, Ednie Brown and Partners to design a five storey building with the potential for another floor. 

 1970

• On 8 September 1970, the new general hospital building was blessed by the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Rev. Launcelot John Goody and opened by the Hon. Sir David Brand, Premier of WA (pictured at the opening with a Sister of Mercy).  The new 100 bed hospital complimented the existing 50 bed St Anne's Hospital (Killowen) and the 75 bed St Anne's Maternity Hospital. 

• On the lower ground level were plant rooms, the doctors’ car park, ambulance entry and a kiosk opening out onto the gardens. 

• The ground floor, entered off Thirlmere Road, had a similar layout to today with the main entrance, reception, lounge, offices, pathology, x-ray department with plaster and cystoscopy theatres, kitchen and the first Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD). 

• Three large operating theatres (linked to the existing two in the Maternity Hospital), sterile and clean up rooms, post and pre- operative areas, equipment store, change rooms and lounges for doctors and theatre staff were located on the first floor.

• 100 patient beds were provided across three floors; a children’s ward on the first floor and 24 single and 28 twin rooms on the second and third floors.

1979

• The sixth storey, level four, was added later in 1979. 

 The plaque at the main entrance spoke of "pre-eminent medical, surgical and nursing skills practiced in surroundings of loving kindness, dedicated service and mercy... amid scenes of beauty."

2020

Fast forward to the present day, St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital is a leading provider of surgical, maternity and medical services, as well as a leading provider of comprehensive private and public rehabilitation services.

Thank you to all caregivers – past and present – for their loyalty and passion in delivering the very best in healthcare.

Thank you also to the St John of God Heritage Collection and Curator Jacqui Sherriff for providing the archive information and photographs. 

Photos (top): the main building in 1970, (bottom): blessing by the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Rev. Launcelot John Goody and opened by the Hon. Sir David Brand, Premier of WA (pictured at the opening with a Sister of Mercy).