History of St John of God Geraldton Hospital

Compassionate care begins in 1935

The land was donated by Mr William Bourke, and the original building was designed by well-known priest and architect Monsignor John Hawes.

The Sisters of St John of God arrived in 1935, at the request of Bishop O’Collins, to provide hospital services in the region. They started their work in poor conditions with few resources.

The hospital opened as a two-storey 28-bed facility.

In 1969, major renovations and extensions were added which increased bed capacity to 70.

Growing with the community

In the late 1980’s, the hospital’s design was no longer functional and communities within Geraldton and the Mid West rallied to raise $1.6 million towards building a new hospital.

In April 1992, the 60-bed single-storey hospital opened.

The new facility, in which we continue to operate, includes a chapel, two birthing suites, day and overnight ward areas, hospice, two operating suites, medical imaging, pathology services and administration offices.

A secondary redevelopment in 1994 added a laundry, and in 1997 a dedicated hospice unit was introduced.

The hospital auxiliary and local Variety Club helped raise money to build our children’s playground which opened in 2002, and the following year we extended our specialist centre to accommodate increased demand for specialist services.

Two family rooms were later added to our maternity unit through Commonwealth Government funding.

Meeting today’s needs in the region

The legacy of The Sisters, defined by a commitment to serving the local community, continues today and informs the distinctive care for which the hospital is still renowned.

St John of God Hospital Geraldton has become, and will continue to be, an integral part of this growing region; providing compassionate care and support to the people of the Mid West.

The hospital provides a range of services meeting health care needs, including general medicine, surgery, maternity, oncology, and palliative care.