History
The Rochester and District War Memorial Hospital has a proud record of achievement and service to the residents of Rochester and district dating back to its establishment in 1952.
The official opening of the hospital by the then Premier of Victoria, the Hon.J.G. McDonald, was the culmination of eight years of planning and work by the building committee appointed by the Advance Rochester and District Association.
The sum of £27,000 was raised locally, with significant input coming from the local branch of the RSL. This substantial amount added to a government contribution of £63,000, enabling the hospital to be handed over to the Committee of Management totally debt free.
The official opening of the hospital by the then Premier of Victoria, the Hon.J.G. McDonald, was the culmination of eight years of planning and work by the building committee appointed by the Advance Rochester and District Association.
The sum of £27,000 was raised locally, with significant input coming from the local branch of the RSL. This substantial amount added to a government contribution of £63,000, enabling the hospital to be handed over to the Committee of Management totally debt free.
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Over the years, a number of additions to the original hospital structure have been made including additional acute beds, medical consulting rooms, bathroom facilities, staff amenities block and a major kitchen refurbishment. Two aged care facilities providing sixty residential aged care beds have also been constructed on the campus. After much deliberation and many meetings, the Rochester and District War Memorial Hospital amalgamated with the Elmore District Hospital, effective from 1st November 1993, to become known as the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service. In the following years the need for an updated hospital facility to meet the Health Service Accreditation and Building Certification requirements culminated in the State government agreeing to a $21.7 million redevelopment program. The redevelopment program commenced in late 2006 and was completed in July 2010.
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Rochester & District War Memorial Hospital c. 1957 |
Remembering those who served
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Gasps of delight and amazement were heard from the crowd as World War II soldier and nurse statues were unveiled at a special ceremony on 9 November, the culmination of many months of planning and months of sculpting. The statues signify the contributions and sacrifices made by Australian men and women who fought for our country and in honour of whom the Rochester War Memorial Hospital was built. At the opening of the Rochester and District War Memorial Hospital in 1952, Mr Norman Wilson, Victorian Branch President, Returned and Services League, said, “We must always remember that the hospital was built to the memory of those who gave their all”. Much has happened in the intervening years since the hospital was opened but the Rochester and Elmore community has been served consistently by staff and volunteers of the hospital who have given their all. Many in our local community give strident testimony to the selfless care that has characterised their interactions with this hospital since its inception. Their well-being and peace of mind is ample testimony to the dedicated staff of this facility who have generously given their all in the course of their duties. The Centenary of ANZAC created opportunities to further reflect upon the sacrifices of those who served this nation, to revisit the legacies we enjoy as a consequence of their service and to rekindle the flames of sacrifice, selflessness and service that characterised those veterans, both men and women. |
The generosity of the Victorian Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet in establishing the Victoria Remembers Grant Program has enabled the REDHS Board and community to develop this tribute to those whom this facility honours. More especially, this particular tribute creates a link between the veterans of World War 1, the World War 2 veterans who gave rise to the hospital, current veterans of many conflicts and the communities in which we all reside. It is a tangible display of service, heritage and legacy, of a future built on a tragic past and forged with aspiration and optimism, very definitely a symbol of peace.
We chose Richard Yates, a renowned artist from Chewton, to create the sculptures. Richard has done a magnificent job in transforming an honourable concept into a definitive piece of art that encompasses all that we seek to achieve with the Centenary of ANZAC grant. The figures are modelled on generic images of a World War 2 solder and nurse, however we were very fortunate that John Foster, Secretary of Rochester Historical and Pioneer Society, was able to provide high quality photographs of his father in full uniform, so you may see a likeness! Richard’s sculptures will permanently remind us of the tragedy of war, the lingering costs of conflict and the community benefits from a memorial that links all of these factors together.
It is fitting that the sculpture is modelled on a photograph of a local soldier, the father of one of the members of our steering committee. It is equally fitting that the interpretive plaque describing this work reflects the words of the RSL representative on the same committee.
The Rochester community is fortunate that this memorial which so vividly links our past and present practices and future aspirations is to be unveiled by a local man, a veteran himself, who is now dedicated with bringing reminders of the ANZAC heritage and legacy to the Australian community.
We were fortunate to have Major General Brian Dawson AM CSC (retired), who grew up in Rochester, as our guest of honour. Following a long and distinguished career in the Australian Armed Forces, Major General Dawson is currently the Acting Assistant Director of the National Collection at the Australian War Memorial and Executive Manager of the ANZAC Centenary Touring Exhibition.
Brian spoke about his youth in Rochester, including being a patient of the hospital following a collision with his nose from a wayward cricket ball! He spoke about special place that local hospitals and health services hold in small, rural communities, and the many theatres of war where ordinary men and women signed up to fight for the Empire and Australia.
We chose Richard Yates, a renowned artist from Chewton, to create the sculptures. Richard has done a magnificent job in transforming an honourable concept into a definitive piece of art that encompasses all that we seek to achieve with the Centenary of ANZAC grant. The figures are modelled on generic images of a World War 2 solder and nurse, however we were very fortunate that John Foster, Secretary of Rochester Historical and Pioneer Society, was able to provide high quality photographs of his father in full uniform, so you may see a likeness! Richard’s sculptures will permanently remind us of the tragedy of war, the lingering costs of conflict and the community benefits from a memorial that links all of these factors together.
It is fitting that the sculpture is modelled on a photograph of a local soldier, the father of one of the members of our steering committee. It is equally fitting that the interpretive plaque describing this work reflects the words of the RSL representative on the same committee.
The Rochester community is fortunate that this memorial which so vividly links our past and present practices and future aspirations is to be unveiled by a local man, a veteran himself, who is now dedicated with bringing reminders of the ANZAC heritage and legacy to the Australian community.
We were fortunate to have Major General Brian Dawson AM CSC (retired), who grew up in Rochester, as our guest of honour. Following a long and distinguished career in the Australian Armed Forces, Major General Dawson is currently the Acting Assistant Director of the National Collection at the Australian War Memorial and Executive Manager of the ANZAC Centenary Touring Exhibition.
Brian spoke about his youth in Rochester, including being a patient of the hospital following a collision with his nose from a wayward cricket ball! He spoke about special place that local hospitals and health services hold in small, rural communities, and the many theatres of war where ordinary men and women signed up to fight for the Empire and Australia.
The sculptures are accompanied by a commemorative plaque, “In Caring Hands”, the title of the 2012 book about the history of REDHS by Eve Salter.
You can purchase a copy of the book from reception.
You can purchase a copy of the book from reception.
