Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment Secures Historic Site for Expansion

along the same uplifting lines as the ‘in person’ connection shared by Socrates and Plato; Emerson and Thoreau; Tolstoy and Chekhov, to name just a select few.

As if he were referencing his very own creative manner, albeit far-reaching and refined mannerisms as a writer, Galsworthy once said of a fellow wordsmith, “Without apparent effort he takes you with him into a rare, free, natural world, and always you are refreshed, stimulated, enlarged by going there. He puts down what he sees and feels, out of sheer love of the thing seen, and the emotion felt.”

Overwhelmingly, John Galsworthy is mentioned as a novelist, on those rare occasions that he is mentioned at all; but I find his essays and prose among the most impressively crafted in all of world literature.

Two of my all-time favourite books are titled The Inn of Tranquillity; and Candelabra, which are compilations of his prose that could well double as instructional aids for both how to best write in this form, and also, how to live a life of unbridled creative abundance.

Keeping in mind that Galsworthy passed away in 1933, from a brain tumour shortly after being awarded his Nobel Prize, his writings (at their finest) have retained a relevance and immediacy that has never waned, or failed to inspire. As such, he once noted, “The danger in this age is not our remaining ignorant; it is that we should lose the power of thinking for ourselves… I advanced with a light pen, feeling that none, and least of all myself, need expect to be right.”

The $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment has reached a signifcant milestone, with a portion of the historic former Grafton Gaol set to be acquired to support the hospital’s upgrade. The investment by the Minns Labor Government aims to meet the growing healthcare needs of Grafton and surrounding communities while preserving the heritage signifcance of the site.

Site Acquisition and Redevelopment Plans

A Development Application has been approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel to refurbish two administration blocks within the former minimumsecurity portion of the gaol, located in its north-eastern corner. These blocks will be repurposed into modern administrative, offce, and training facilities. Meanwhile, clinical services will remain on the existing hospital site.

The former Grafton Gaol, which operated between 1893 and 2020, is listed on the state’s Heritage Register (since 1999). The adaptive reuse of part of the site aligns with the conservation management plan developed in 2021, ensuring the preservation of areas of heritage signifcance while bringing new life to the site.

Key Hospital Redevelopment

Features

Planning and design for the main works are progressing, with the redevelopment set to deliver a three-storey acute services building housing:

• A new Emergency Department

• Emergency Short Stay facilities

• Medical Imaging and MRI

• Expanded inpatient units

Additionally, the Day Surgery and Operating Suite will be expanded, adding two new operating theatres to increase overall surgical capacity.

Construction timelines for the full redevelopment will be fnalized once planning is complete and a builder is appointed. However, refurbishment works at the former gaol site are expected to begin this year.

Government and Community Perspectives

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park, emphasized the project’s importance:

“The acquisition of this section of the old Grafton Gaol will provide critical new space to support the redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital. This multi-million dollar redevelopment will improve healthcare capacity and ensure the hospital has the best, most up-to-date models of care for the residents of Grafton and the surrounding communities.”

Minister for Lands and Property, Steve Kamper, highlighted the dual benefts of the project:

“This ensures the Old Grafton Gaol doesn’t remain an unused relic. It enables new uses for this important community asset while also providing signifcant economic benefts for the Grafton community.”

Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong, celebrated the site’s transformation:

“Grafton Gaol is an iconic place with a somewhat dark history, so it is wonderful we are delivering a positive new chapter that will serve the local community for years to come.”

A Positive Future for Grafton Labor Spokesperson for Clarence, Emily Suvaal MLC, welcomed the project:

“This is a fantastic outcome for the Grafton and Clarence communities as it secures the future use of this historic site, which will really beneft local residents.”

For more information on the Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment, visit: Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment.