IT’S often said not much changes in small towns, but Mortlake’s health services are remarkably different to how they once were.
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And today the community will celebrate 125 years since the town’s hospital opened with a celebration hosted by the Mortlake and District Historical Society at the Boundary Road hospital building.
Society secretary Virginia Branton-Hunt said even though the building was no longer used for its original purpose, celebrating 125 continuous years of public health in the town was worthwhile.
“Public health services are one of the key building blocks in small communities, so for it to last 125 years is pretty remarkable,” she said.
“We wanted to celebrate and recognise all the people who helped create the health services and those who over the years have helped keep it running.
“It started out as a history of the hospital and through our research grew from that to look at all the public health services that have been part of the town.”
Mrs Branton-Hunt said the celebration would involve a “visual feast” of history, with historical society members taking on the roles of those who were instrumental in bringing a public health service to the town.
She said there would also be a tree planting, the unveiling of a memorial to the doctors, nurses and community members who worked at the hospital and an afternoon tea.
