Canberra Community Hospital, Acton, Australian Capital Territory

Abstract

View of entrance area of the complex of buildings that constituted the Canberra Hospital. The architectural style is modern and unadorned. It is constructed of bricks with a tile roof. Facilities for car parking and close vehicle access have been catered for in the design. A hospital of timber structures had existed in Acton since 1913, but in 1942 a modern brick hospital was completed. Initially, the new building was occupied by the United States Army Medical Corps, but the Canberra Hospital Board was able to take over the premises in February 1943. Canberra Community Hospital was known as Royal Canberra Hospital between 1979 and 1996 and was the only Canberra hospital until Woden Valley Hospital was built in the 1960s. Royal Canberra Hospital was closed in 1991 and demolished by implosion 13 July 1997. This photograph is from an album that was held at the London office of the Australian National University over the period 1949 to 1952. The album was used to inform prospective staff about Canberra. These images are part of the series produced by the Department of Information and kept at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra. National Archives holdings in this series have gaps and some images may be held only at the ANU Archives.