Anne Caudle Centre [Bendigo Benevolent Asylum 1857-1886; Bendigo Benevolent Asylum and Lying-in Hospital 1886-1937; Bendigo Benevolent Home 1937-1963; Bendigo Home and Hospital for the Aged 1963-1988]

Full description

In early 1857, a public meeting was called to consider the establishment of a Benevolent Asylum in the Bendigo area. By mid-1857, a provisional committee had been formed and the government approached for grant-in-aid. In late 1857 a Committee of Management had been elected and the government had approved a site for an Asylum.

By July 1860, a grant-in-aid had been received from the government for the construction of a hospital building (Victoria Government Gazette July 10 1860, pg. 1278).

In 1868, the Bendigo Industrial School was opened within the Benevolent Asylum. In 1875 the boarding out of Industrial School children commenced. The school, sometimes known as the Sandhurst Industrial School, was closed in 1885.

1876 saw the Benevolent Asylum incorporated under the provisions of An Act for Hospitals and Charitable Institutions 1864.

In 1884, a Lying-in Ward was established. 1886 saw a name change to “Bendigo Benevolent Asylum and Lying-in Hospital”. The Lying-in Ward closed in 1920 and it took until 1937 for a name change to the “Bendigo Benevolent Home” to reflect this change in scope.

A Health Laboratory was opened in 1922 and functioned for four years before being re-located to the Bendigo Gold District General Hospital (VA TBC). Members of the Lansell family provided £2500 towards the building of a laboratory in the Bendigo Gold District General Hospital grounds and the State Government matched this gift. When the building was completed in 1926, the Commonwealth Health Laboratory, as it was known, moved into the new building.

The Lying in Hospital was the site of the training centre for nursing aides for the Loddon Region in 1960.

The scope of the home’s laundry and linen service was expanded in 1962 when it became the Loddon Hospitals Region Group Laundry and Central Linen Service. Still owned by the Benevolent Home, the laundry and linen service serviced a number of hospitals and other institution in the Loddon Region. The service closed in 2012.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the Home established the Golden Oaks Village, now known as the Golden Oaks Nursing Home.

1963 saw another name change to the Bendigo Home and Hospital for the Aged. This was followed in 1988 by a name change to Anne Caudle Centre.

In 1995, the Bendigo Hospital (VA 1264), Anne Caudle Centre and Bendigo Psychiatric Services merged to form the Bendigo Health Care Group (VA 5261) (see Victoria Government Gazette G 24, 22 June 1995, pg. 1531).