Friday July 3, 2026
July 3, 2026 marks the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Eastern Health Maroondah.
Maroondah Hospital was established following a public meeting held at Ringwood Town Hall. The meeting led to the formation of the Maroondah Hospital Society, which worked towards the creation of a public hospital, now known as Maroondah Hospital.
Stage one of construction commenced in 1973 including 38 beds and ancillary services. While stage one was being completed, it was decided to immediately proceed with stage two, providing beds for a further 76 patients.
1978 saw the beginning of stages three and four, which would see the opening of a psychiatric unit, outpatients’ clinic and casualty department, now called emergency department.
To help raise funds to equip the emergency section of the hospital, the Miss Maroondah Hospital Quest was held. Local industries, businesses and service groups were asked to sponsor local entrants in the quest, with prizes such as a car and an overseas trip.
The hospital was running at full capacity with 112 beds by 1984, by which time it had become obvious that additional facilities were urgently required.
This led to the announcement of another redevelopment which saw the inclusion of a new ward, updates to medical imaging suites, and the transit lounge.
In 1994 Maroondah Hospital welcomed Breast Screen Victoria to one of its satellite sites. With Breast Screen Victoria helping thousands of consumers per year, it was an important expansion in the care that could be provided at the hospital.
The following year also saw the development of the Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault (ECASA), a service to support, empower and stand alongside those affected by sexual assault. ECASA has worked tirelessly to reduce the incidence and impact of sexual violence, standing as a beacon of hope and healing for countless individuals and communities.
Throughout the rest of the 90s Maroondah Hospital developed into a metropolitan teaching hospital, affiliated with universities such as Monash and Deakin.
Then in the year 2000, Maroondah Hospital merged with five other health services to form Eastern Health.
In 2004, a major redevelopment was completed, expanding the Emergency Department, adding a new medical ward, and increasing mental health bed capacity. This was followed in 2012 by the expansion of a 20-bed continuing care unit.
In 2014, a state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit was opened, further enhancing critical care services. Improvements to site access came in 2019 with the opening of a 542-space multi-deck staff car park, benefiting patients, staff, volunteers, and visitors.
In 2020, as COVID-19 reached Australia, Eastern Health activated its pandemic response, including establishing vaccination clinics at major hospitals such as Maroondah, which helped vaccinate over 128,000 people.
Now, in 2026, 50 years on, Eastern Health Maroondah continues to serve as a major public hospital in Ringwood East and remains a vital part of the Eastern Health network, providing care to many thousands of patients each year.
