Our History

Established in 1944 as a Bush Nursing Hospital, Ballan District Health and Care is a community owned and governed health and aged care organisation, servicing the needs of Ballan and the surrounding district

The bush nursing concept was launched Australia-wide in orderto train nurses in country areas, as she saw a desperate need for country people to have adequate medical help while living in remote areas. 

For over 40 years the hospital has grown to become a thriving community hospital offering a range of services including community health, acute services, district nursing, retirement accommodation, 24 hour emergency unit, dementia unit and residential aged care accommodation.

Today Ballan District Health and Care is administered by a Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers drawn from leadership roles within its corporate and community sectors of the community.  The hospital employs more than 100 people and each year returns to the community more than $4 million in salaries, wages and purchases and also has over 200 associated members.

Bush Nursing Hospitals and centres provide key health services to thousands of Victorians in some of the State’s smaller and more remote rural communities. Many of these hospitals have been under pressure in recent years because of changing population patterns and changes in hospital practice. There remain only 12 bush nursing hospitals in Victoria and Ballan District Health and Care is proudly one of these very few unique facilities.