A Provisional Committee, led by suffragette Annette Bear-Crawford, devised the Shilling Fund in 1897. It’s purpose was to raise enough funds for the Victoria Hospital – an outpatients clinic run by Constance Stone and other women doctors – to move premises and establish a dedicated women’s hospital.

In 1897 the Empire was celebrating the Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary) of Queen Victoria. The fundraising committee sought the Queen’s approval to name their proposed hospital the Queen Victoria Hospital and the Shilling Fund was launched in 1897. Every woman in the colony of Victoria was asked to donate one shilling (roughly $40 today) to fund a hospital for women and children and, in a stroke of marketing genius, ‘to do honour to their Queen’.

Celebrations were high on 22 June 1897, Jubilee Day – the Shilling Fund had raised 3162 pounds, 11 shillings and nine pence. The Provisional Committee bought the old Governess’ Institute on Mint Place, off Little Lonsdale St, for £2000 and moved there on 12 July 1899. It opened amongst much fanfare, with an outpatients’ clinic, a dispensary, eight beds for inpatients and an operating theatre.

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