ANZAC CENTENARY GARDEN CONCORD REPATRIATION GENERAL HOSPITAL
COMBINED ROTARY PROJECT
CONCORD REPATRIATION GENERAL HOSPITAL is where ALL the returned service men and women came to on their return from service after each war Australia has been involved in.
Still today veterans , some now in their 90s are cared for at “the Repat " which it is affectionately named as well as their children and grandchildren.
Thank you to Rotarian Karen Rivers for her hard work in making this all possible. assisted in the design, implementation and fund raising.... bringing 16 Rotary Clubs together.
The Centenary Garden in the front lawn of Concord Hospital was officially opened and dedicated on November 11 2015. It was very fitting that this occurred on Remembrance Day, 97 years after the guns fell silent at the end of World War 1. The opening was witnessed by members of the veteran community, including RSL, Legacy and War Widows, senior representatives of the Army, Navy and Air Force, State and local government representatives, as well as many Rotarians.
No hospital anywhere in this nation can boast as proud a service to the military and veteran community as that enjoyed by Concord Repatriation General Hospital. The site was originally a home for the care and support of wounded soldiers during World War 1. It became an Army Hospital during World War 2, and in May 1947 it became the Repatriation General Hospital, then the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere, with 2000 beds. Concord Hospital is now a major teaching hospital, a vital part of the wider community in the 21st century. Nevertheless, it remains sympathetic to its roots as a miltary and veterans' refuge and is poised to assume a leadership role in healing and comforting the next generation of veterans.
The Rotary Club of Sydney Inner West was one of 16 Rotary Clubs that contributed to the Garden, all seats were contributed by Rotary. Randwick Member Richard Woodburn assisted the NSW Minister for Health, The Hon Jillian Skinner MP, to unveil the central plaque and Tri Service Badge, representing the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Garden and memorial will serve as a fitting tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in the service of this country. Lest We Forget.
Sydney Inner West Rotary Project Manager Contact: Karen 0411241582