The Bellarine Community Health Story

Bellarine Community Health is steeped in history.

The story began in 1948 with fundraising in the hope of establishing a District Hospital for the Peninsula.  But Government policy changed over the years, and the fundraising committee could not secure a hospital.

The focus changed and in 1969, the Hospitals and Charities Commission recommended the concept of a Community Health Centre providing a range of health services designed to meet the social and environmental needs of the community it was to serve.

Queenscliff/Point Lonsdale was selected as the location, and in 1972 Governor of Victoria, Sir Rohan Delacombe officially opened the Queenscliff & District Community Health Centre. The Centre was the first of similar Centres which were established in other areas of Victoria.

In the first year of operating, there were more than seven thousand attendances at the Centre for allied health, health education, social support and nursing services. In late 1972, Dr Vernon Vivian moved from Melbourne to Point Lonsdale and became the first medical practitioner at the Centre, integrating community health and medical services for the community.

By mid 1974, the Centre had established a Domiciliary Nursing Service that supported communities from Portarlington to Barwon Heads.

In the mid 1970’s community fundraising committees were lobbying for funding to establish other Community Health Centre sites, including at Portarlington on the Northern Bellarine.

A block of land was purchased in Fenwick Street, with the Centre officially opened at the end of 1978. Demand for services was so great that an extension was added in 1983 thanks to fundraising efforts by the local Ladies Auxiliary.

The Portarlington Ladies Auxiliary has recently celebrated its own 50th anniversary and still supports Bellarine Community Health today.

A highlight of the 1980’s at the Point Lonsdale site was the construction and opening of 16 self-contained independent living units for the elderly, named after Mr Eric Tolliday, the foundation Treasurer of the original Queenscliff and District Memorial Hospital Society fundraising group.

The Centre is believed to be the first Community Health Centre in Australia to construct and manage independent living accommodation for the aged.

In 1988 further funding was secured for the construction of an aged care hostel called Coorabin Hostel.

In March 1992, the Bellarine Peninsula Community Health Service was formed through the amalgamation of the three
Community Health Centres that existed on the Peninsula.

These were the Queenscliff & District Community Health Centre, including Healthlink in Ocean Grove, the Portarlington & District Community Health Centre and the Drysdale & District Community Health Centre which had evolved from the Drysdale Bush Nursing Centre.

Whilst there was understanding of the financial rationale to amalgamate, this was a difficult time for the individual
services due to the community ‘ownership’ of their Community Health Centre. Ultimately all the independent Committees of Management decided that amalgamation was the only viable option.

During 1997 – 1998, the new Board of Management found itself fighting to stay out of another amalgamation. The Department of Health and Human Services was proposing to amalgamate the service with five publicly funded
health care agencies to form what is now Barwon Health. The five were Geelong Hospital, Grace McKellar Aged Care Facility, and the Geelong, Surf Coast and Corio Community Health Services.

The Board did not think it was best for communities on the Bellarine to become part of the ‘mega’ organisation, saying it was not what Bellarine residents wanted.

By 2009, the Bellarine Peninsula Community Health Service renamed to Bellarine Community Health.