The new veterans’ lounge at Canberra Hospital. Photos: Nicholas Ward.
Canberra Hospital has officially opened a new purpose-designed veterans’ waiting lounge for former military personnel and their families.
Peter Muir, who served in the army for 25 years, said these spaces were important to veterans.
“A lot of elderly veterans need to be away from noise, and they just need somewhere quiet, especially with their families, when decisions are made in the hospital, and they need a quiet time,” Mr Muir said.
”This is the ideal place for it, and it is a welfare hub for all veterans of all ages.”
The lounge includes tea and coffee facilities, books, a television, and the hospital’s veteran liaison office. The walls are decorated with pictures and ration packs dating back decades.
Several veterans remembered when they had them in their packs. Air force veteran Peter Nelms said the tinned corn used to be his favourite.
Army veteran Peter Muir (right) and former air force member Peter Nelms reminisced about the best and worst rations when they visited the new veterans’ lounge.
Accessibility was one of the key design aspects of the room, according to Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith, with wheelchair access prioritised. It was also placed to make it easily accessible for veterans arriving by public transport, being next to the entrance to a new bus interchange for the building.
“Having it right next to the new Yamba Drive entrance in a really obvious spot and, purpose-built and co-designed with veterans and their families, is going to make a real difference to those former service members who use Canberra Hospital,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Navy veteran Ron ”Dimples” Sheargold and Ms Stephen-Smith cut the ribbon to officially open the lounge.
“It’s absolutely essential because there’s not enough places for veterans and their families to meet, so it’s very important,” Mr Sheargold said.
Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith (second from right) and navy veteran Ron Sheargold lead the ribbon-cutting honours for the lounge’s official opening.
The lounge is not the only development. It is part of the redeveloped building two foyer, which includes new transport connections, a new cafeteria, and the relocated gift shop run by the Canberra Hospital Foundation. Everything has been designed around accessibility and meeting the practical needs of the community.
Foundation CEO Helen Fowler said the two most important parts of the new design were accessibility, similar to the veterans’ lounge, and red frogs.
“The staff are really, really keen on buying red frogs,” she said. ”We sell 20,000 red frogs a month … So we really designed the shop around the Red Frog table … also for people in wheelchairs, there are a lot of people who come in on crutches and things. We need to make sure there’s enough space.”
The hospital is continuing work on upgrading public transport links, adding new seating, landscaping and courtyard spaces, all part of the ongoing $660 million Canberra Hospital Expansion Project.
Ms Stephen-Smith said it was an honour to see such projects reach completion.
“The Canberra Hospital expansion … was the biggest thing that I’ll probably do as Health Minister,” she said.
”But each of these pieces of the puzzle really makes a difference for people, whether it’s in the community or here in a hospital space.”
