The Sutherland Hospital and Community Health Service

Sutherland Hospital was a visionary concept when it was first proposed in 1942. During the following 16 years the community consolidated, lobbied the government and raised the required funds to build a major hospital they could call their own on the southern shores of the Georges River. Construction of the Shire's major acute care public hospital finally took shape, being situated on a high point of the peninsula. On 29 April, 1950 AJ Williams turned the first sod for the new hospital. It was not until 5 September, 1955 that the foundation stone of the hospital was laid by the then Premier of NSW, JJ Cahill MLA. The foundation stone of the Nurses’ Home was laid by Andrew Gray, Chairman of the Board, on 5 September, 1955. In 1958, Sutherland Hospital officially opened its doors. The first patient was admitted at 9:30am on 21 April, 1958 and the first baby was born in the Maternity Ward on 22 April, 1958. What brought the Sutherland Hospital to life was the conviction of its community, and the tradition continues today with 98 per cent of its patients living in the local Shire.