Ballarat Base Hospital 5.35

The Ballarat Base Hospital is a hospital located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It is a public hospital operated by Ballarat Health Services. Ballarat Health Services employs approximately 4000 staff at the Base Hospital, the nearby Queen Elizabeth Centre, and 13 off-site facilities in the surrounding area.HistoryDuring the gold rush of the 1850s, the Government Camp provided medical support but mainly for officers and not for miners and the general community. Those wounded at the Eureka Stockade in 1854 received varying attention and the need for a hospital became apparent. A year later building of a hospital commenced.The five storey Henry Bolte wing, designed by architects Bates Smart was completed in 1994. Styled in postmodern design to blend with the city's heritage buildings it has become a landmark in Ballarat, however many consider the building ugly and bulky.In 1997, the Ballarat Base Hospital merged with the Queen Elizabeth Centre and the Grampians Psychiatric Service to form Ballarat Health Services.In 2005 Ballarat Health Services was awarded the Premier's Award for the Outstanding Rural and Regional Health Service in Victoria.The Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre was completed in 2013 and incorporates a Chemotherapy unit, two Radiation Oncology Linear Accelerators, a specialised pharmacy and a Wellness Centre.A new helipad and carpark were opened in 2015 and a new main entrance building will be opened in early 2017.