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Tasmania - Organisation

Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital (1897 - 1993)

  • Queen Victoria Hospital

    Queen Victoria Hospital, 2014, courtesy of Harrision Humphreys, Launceston.
    Details

From
1897
To
1993
Categories
Government-run, Hospital and Maternity Home
Alternative Names
  • Queen Victoria Hospital (1972 - 1995)

The Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital, initially run by its own Association and later by the government, opened in 1897. It provided maternity services to women in northern Tasmania. Adoptions took place from the Hospital. It closed in 1993.

Details

The Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital was an initiative of women's groups, supported by Lady Gormanston, the wife of the Governor, who wished to provide more help to women in childbirth. It was established to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria which took place in the same year that the Hospital opened.

The Queen Victoria Hospital Association ran the Hospital and supported it with fees, donations, and subscriptions. The government contributed a small annual subsidy.

On 15 January 1929, following the 1928 Queen Victoria Hospital and Baby Health Association Incorporation Act, the two Associations merged.

As the costs of running the Hospital rose, the government subsidy had to increase as well. On 12 December 1952, Parliament repealed the 1928 Act and by the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital Act made the government fully responsible for the Hospital's finances.

In 1972, the gynaecology section of the Launceston General Hospital was transferred to the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital. The word 'maternity' was dropped from its name.

On 29 April 1987, Parliament repealed the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital Act and the administration of the Hospital was transferred to the Launceston Public Hospitals District.

In 1995, maternity services were moved to the Queen Victoria Maternity Unit at the Launceston General Hospital and the Queen Victoria Hospital closed.

Location

1897 - 1935
Address - The Queen Victoria Hospital was at 195 St John Street, Launceston.
1935 - 1993
Address - The Queen Victoria Hospital was at 7 High Street, Launceston

Publications

Reports

  • Vincent, Robert, Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital, 7 High Street, Launceston : conservation management plan, R. Vincent, Dynnyrne, Tas, 1996, 114 pp. Details

Online Resources

Photos

Queen Victoria Hospital
Title
Queen Victoria Hospital
Type
Image
Date
2014
Source
Harrision Humphreys, Launceston

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Catholic claims, 7 November 2003, https://web.archive.org/web/20050316164958/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/tas/content/2003/s984706.htm; Richards, Paul, 'Queen Victoria Hospital', in The companion to Tasmanian history, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies, Hobart, 2005, http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/Q/Queen%20Victoria%20Hosp.htm.

Prepared by: Caroline Evans