General News
18 August, 2026
Hospital’s 100th birthday
A GRASSROOTS campaign to establish Gordonvale Hospital 100 years ago has been celebrated by descendants of the campaigner.
The hospital was established through a community movement led by local mother Edith O’Neill. Her two sons, Sergeant-Major William O’Neill and Lieutenant Gordon O’Neill, enlisted in World War I and tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.
In late 1920, driven by her grief and determination to create a lasting tribute to her sons, Mrs O’Neill spearheaded a fundraising campaign to build the Gordonvale Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
The campaign was a resounding success and the hospital opened its doors in October 1926, admitting its first patients to what was then an eight-bed facility.
Gordonvale Hospital’s nurse unit manager Jason Turpin said the now 24-bed hospital had a unique legacy.
“Gordonvale Hospital is steeped in history and regarded as a living war memorial,” he said.
“We have been able to provide 100 years of care thanks to the efforts of Edith and the generous Gordonvale community” he said.
The hospital currently includes a palliative care unit and the Gordonvale Internal Medicine Unit (GIMU).
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Leena Singh highlighted the hospital’s vital role in the region today. “For 100 years, Gordonvale Hospital has been at the heart of this community, providing compassionate care and vital health services to generations of families,” she said.
