Monash Health has been providing care for over 175 years. Today, we deliver world-leading care for our local community in south-east Melbourne.
Our history
Our story spans more than 175 years of care and compassion – from our first hospitals in Melbourne to a world-class network that continues to evolve with the needs of our communities.
Where we started
Our story began in 1850, when some of Melbourne’s earliest hospitals – including Queen Victoria Hospital and Prince Henry’s Hospital – opened their doors in the heart of the city.
As Melbourne expanded to the south-east, new facilities emerged to meet the needs of growing communities. From the early care provided at Dandenong, Moorabbin and the site that would later become the Kingston Centre, our story has always been about delivering safe, compassionate care where and when it’s needed most.
Growing with our community
Throughout the 20th century, our health service evolved alongside the region. As our communities expanded and diversified, so did our services.
The formation of Monash Medical Centre in 1986 brought together the teams, expertise and services of Queen Victoria and Prince Henry’s hospitals. In 1995, the Southern Health Care Network was established and later renamed to Monash Health in 2013.
Foundations for the future
From pioneering IVF research and welcoming the world’s first in-vitro twins in the 1980s, to performing Australia’s first successful in-utero surgery in 2008, innovation has always been part of our story.
Casey Hospital opened in 2004 to serve one of Victoria’s fastest-growing communities. The purpose-built Monash Children’s Hospital opened its doors in 2017, followed by the Victorian Heart Hospital in 2023, Australia’s first dedicated cardiac hospital.
Now, as a leading academic health service, we continue our legacy by delivering world-class care to our local community, ensuring the best possible outcomes.
Watch our history video
This video traces our journey – from 19th century beginnings to a modern, integrated health service – highlighting the people, places and moments that have shaped Monash Health and the care we provide today.
Our care
In 2024-25, we delivered
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Our locations
We provide care at over 40 locations in south-east Melbourne, Victoria.
Our major acute and subacute hospital sites include:
- Casey Hospital
- Dandenong Hospital
- Kingston Centre
- Monash Children’s Hospital
- Monash Medical Centre
- Moorabbin Hospital
- Victorian Heart Hospital
Our community health services are provided across a range of locations, including our major community sites:
- Cranbourne Community Hospital
- Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre
- Pakenham Health Centre
- Monash Health Community Dandenong
Monash Health also operates public aged care facilities, Boollam Boollam Aged Care Centre, located at our Kingston site, and Chestnut Gardens in Doveton.
Our private hospital
Jessie McPherson Private Hospital is a 150-bed facility operating across Monash Medical Centre and the Victorian Heart Hospital sites. As a private hospital wholly owned by Monash Health, the service delivers a comprehensive range of specialist services, including maternity, gastroenterology, cardiology, and neurosciences.
Our community
Monash Health supports one of Victoria’s fastest-growing and most diverse communities.
Local Health Service Network
Monash Health forms the South Metro Local Health Service Network. It is 1 of 12 statewide networks responsible for supporting collaborative care for their community, as close to home as possible.
Our network provides specialist and complex support to other networks, including women’s and neonatal care, and paediatric care.
The South Metro area encompasses the Cities of Monash, Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia, as well as areas within Glen Eira, Kingston and Knox.
A growing and diverse population
Over 1.2 million people call our community home, and the population is expected to reach around 1.36 million by 2036, growing close to 20,000 people per year.
Our highest growth areas are in Casey and Cardinia, due to urban expansion and housing availability in these areas.
47% of our catchment population was born overseas, and 45% speak a language other than English at home.
South East Public Health Unit
The South East Public Health Unit delivers a range of public health initiatives, including health promotion, disease prevention and responsibility for managing communicable diseases and notifiable medical conditions across south-east Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
The unit works collaboratively with the community and stakeholders to improve health and wellbeing outcomes across a range of public health issues.
