General News
12 September, 2024
Generations of health care stretch 150 years
The collective effort of hundreds of health workers has made a huge difference to Horsham and the wider Wimmera community, Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser told a large gathering celebrating 150 years since Wimmera Base Hospital open its doors.
Retired surgeons Ian Campbell and Graham Kitchen were among the guests who filled a Day Centre function room.
Also among the many visitors was former Horsham doctor Peter Haslau, who was board chairman from 1988 to 1991. Other board chairmen who attended included Pawel Wajszel and Mark Williams.
Long-time volunteer Una Faux and staff member of almost 50 years Jill Roberts, now District Nursing teams coordinator, unveiled a plaque during formal proceedings led by Grampians Health chair Bill Brown of Warrnambool.
Mrs Faux told the crowd that volunteering had proved worthwhile for her.
Many years ago she had spoken to an elderly lady who later told her how much her chat was appreciated as a close relative had just died and she was feeling alone.
Another long-serving staffer was orderly Frank Marklew who started at the hospital in 1979, 45 years ago.
Mr Brown, who praised Mr Fraser for the quality of his leadership, said Grampians Health had enormous impact on the community.
"It's alive and breathing and serves many people," he said.
Mr Fraser, now of Ballarat and formerly of Horsham, said his first brush with Wimmera Base Hospital occurred when he was a young boy, and misjudging his athletic ability, smashed through a glass door, requiring medical attention.
Deputy board chair Marie Aitken outlined the valuable work of staff and volunteers, as well as former staff including Horsham and District Hospital's first appointed doctor, Frederick Lawton.
Another doctor who made history was Robert Ritchie, who started at Horsham in 1902 as Horsham's first anaesthetist, performing Australia's first recorded spinal anaesthetic.
After that, news of the use of anaesthetics quickly spread across Australia, despite communication difficulties at that time.
Ms Aitken also paid tribute to the hospital's first student nurse, Isabella Sexton, who qualified in 1892, and Isabella Bolton who became the hospital's first matron.
She also paid tribute to longest-serving matron GM Arthur whose name was remembered in Matron Arthur House, now Wimmera Nursing Home.
"And Professor Dr Alan Wolff who gave 37 years of commitment and achievement to this hospital," she said.
Changes he introduced were later used in hospitals Australia-wide.
After his death the Alan Wolff Medical Centre was named in his honour. It now has a specialist medical clinic with permanent and visiting specialists, servicing the medical needs of the wider region.
In 1927 the hospital's name changed to Horsham Base Hospital, and in 1942 the first multi-storey section was built in Baillie Street.
In 1950 the name changed to Wimmera Base Hospital.
The merger in 1995 with Dimboola's hospital meant another name change, this time to Wimmera Health Care Group, and again in 2021 when the health group joined with Stawell and Edenhope hospitals and Ballarat Health Services to form the Ballarat-based Grampians Health.
It is Victoria's largest regional health service and Australia's largest public aged-care provider.
Staff later led tours of the hospital for interested people.