East Grampians Health Service

East Grampians Health Service is rich in history with the first hospital built as part of the gold rush in the 1850’s, and today is an integral part of Ararat Rural City. A wattle and daub hut on the Canton Lead (Location of Gum San Chinese Museum) with a bark roof and canvas lining was the only shelter for the sick and injured on the goldfields surrounding Ararat. In August 1858 a committee began to collect funds to build a hospital. The Government reserved a site of five acres on Slaughteryard Hill, and on the 22nd August 1859, Frederick Lowe laid the foundation stone of a thirty-bed hospital. The townspeople of Ararat celebrated the opening of their hospital on 10th April 1860. In June 1885 the Foundation Stone of the second hospital was laid by John Ware of Yalla-y-poora on 24th June 1885. The hospital built twenty-five years previously was condemned and razed to the ground. The new hospital was officially opened on 24th February 1886 by the Hon William MacLennan MLA. Dr George Palmer was the medical officer.