St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital began in May 1947 when the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland approved the building as a living memorial to those who had served in the recent wars.
St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital was built as a living memorial to the men and women of the Australian Armed Forces of World Wars I and II. The ideals of service are honoured and continued at St Andrew’s in the care given to all patients.
The Presbyterian Church established the hospital, opened on 17 May 1958, after more than 10 years of fundraising, land acquisition, hard work and dedication.
On 2 June 1958, the Hospital Board of Governors’ chairman, Dr Harold Crawford, performed the first operation, beginning a proud tradition of clinical excellence that St Andrew’s has maintained ever since.
Between 1958 and today, the hospital has grown and developed – both in size and in the range of procedures that are offered.
Redevelopments and new buildings have seen the hospital expand to have 250 beds, 15 theatres, an Intensive Care Unit, an Emergency Centre, Endoscopy Suites and three Cardiac Catheter Laboratories.
Today, St Andrew’s is one of four private hospitals operated by UnitingCare in Queensland.
Since its inception the hospital has been run on a not-for-profit basis with any surpluses invested in improving services and facilities to ensure the highest standard of patient care.