December 17, 2025Northern Health is proud to announce it has received a Community Heritage Grant to undertake a formal Significance Assessment of its historical archive – a collection that chronicles the evolution of Australia’s public health system through the growth and development of Melbourne’s northern corridor, one of the nation’s most diverse and rapidly expanding regions.
The archive is nationally significant for its ability to capture key milestones in healthcare history, including the establishment, transformation, and merging of pivotal health services such as PANCH (Preston and Northcote Community Hospital), Broadmeadows Health, and Bundoora Centre, culminating in the formation of Northern Health. These materials provide invaluable insight into how public health institutions adapted to Australia’s changing urbanisation, migration patterns, and healthcare policies in the post-war era.
The collection also documents the contributions of individuals whose work shaped healthcare nationally and internationally, including:
- Sir Benjamin Rank OBE – pioneer in plastic and reconstructive surgery
- Lilian Leonard OAM – leader in advancing community health and ostomy care
- Jan Rice AM – internationally recognised expert in wound care and nursing leadership
- Dr Ian Brand AM – hospital administration and international healthcare collaboration
- Professor Gordon Trinca AO OBE – trauma surgeon and road safety advocate whose work influenced national policy
These stories reflect broader themes of innovation, advocacy, and health system reform, making the archive a cornerstone resource for researchers, historians, and the wider community.
Tania Barry, Director, Library and Information Literacy Services, said, “I’m very pleased that the Library has received a Community Heritage Grant to carry out a Significance Assessment of Northern Health’s archival collection. This is a great opportunity for us to understand what we hold, why it matters, and how we can preserve it for future generations.”
The grant will enable Northern Health to engage a specialist historian to define the collection’s scope, identify items of historical and cultural value, and provide expert advice on preservation priorities. This work will strengthen how Northern Health cares for its archives and ensure they remain a valuable resource for staff, researchers, and the community.
Main image shows Drey Mendez, Project Lead for Northern Health’s Community Heritage Grant Archives project, pictured alongside a bust of Dr John Fethers – one of PANCH’s first appointed surgeons, who performed the hospital’s inaugural procedure in July 1960.
