Her Majesty The Queen officially opens new Royal Children's Hospital

27 October 2011

Her Majesty The Queen has officially opened the new Royal Children's Hospital in Parkville, almost 50 years after opening the existing hospital facility in 1963.

Premier Ted Baillieu said welcoming The Queen to open the new $1 billion hospital was a wonderful honour and a privilege for all Victorians.

"The opening of this hospital by The Queen was a very proud moment for the Royal Children's Hospital, the City of Melbourne and all Victorians," Mr Baillieu said.

"This is one of the most significant days in the 140-year history of this great facility and reflects the high regard in which the hospital is held."

Prior to the opening, The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh met staff members and patients as part of a guided tour through the hospital.

The new state-of-the-art Royal Children's Hospital is purpose-built for the care of children, bringing together six levels of world-class clinical, research and education facilities across more than 200,000 square metres.

The new hospital will have the capacity to treat thousands of additional patients each year. It has more rooms, cots and theatres than the existing facility and its light and bright design is aimed at providing a better experience for sick and injured children as well as staff.

The new Royal Children’s hospital is also Australia's most environmentally responsible hospital, ensuring a positive, natural environment for patients.

The hospital has many unique features, believed to be world-firsts, which aim to engage and delight children and their families during their visit to the hospital. The features include an amazing 14-metre tall sculpture, a two-storey coral reef aquarium, a beanbag theatre and the delightful meerkat enclosure run by Melbourne Zoo.

The new Royal Children’s Hospital project has been managed by the Capital Projects and Service Planning Branch at the Department of Health. The project team, led by Project Director Tony Lubofsky, have been planning the hospital since 2005 and have worked closely with teams at the hospital and the Children’s Health Partnership consortium which is responsible for building and maintaining the new hospital. They are proud to have achieved the goal of building a world-class children’s hospital, where the quality of the facilities match the standard of care provided to sick children.

Further information

To find out more, visit the new Royal Children’s Hospital website.