Royal Melbourne Hospital

Royal Melbourne Hospital
Aerial view of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (centre) with the old Royal Dental Hospital in foreground
Geography
Location	Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
Organisation
Care system	Public
Funding	Government hospital
Hospital type	General
Services
Emergency department	Yes
Helipad	Yes
Beds	571
History
Founded	1848
Links
Website	https://www.thermh.org.au/
Lists	Hospitals in Australia

The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), located in Parkville, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research. The hospital is managed as part of Melbourne Health which comprises the Royal Melbourne Hospital, North West Dialysis Service and North Western Mental Health.

The emergency department is at the City Campus, Grattan Street, Parkville.

Established in 1848 as the Melbourne Hospital, it was one of Melbourne's leading hospitals. Originally located on the corner of Swanston and Lonsdale Streets, Melbourne in 1935 the hospital was renamed the Royal Melbourne Hospital and, in 1944, it moved to Grattan Street, Parkville by provision of lands in the Royal Melbourne Hospital Act.

The Royal Women's Hospital was previously located in Carlton, Melbourne. The hospital moved in late 2008 to a new building, the new Royal Women's Hospital, co-located on the Royal Melbourne Hospital site in Parkville.

During World War II, the Parkville hospital, which was under construction, was occupied by the US Army 4th General Hospital between 1942 and 1944. While the hospital was under construction a temporary tent hospital was set up by the US Army in Royal Park just north of the hospital. Upon completion of the Parkville hospital the patients were moved progressively into the new accommodation which catered for 2,900 beds.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital continued to operate from their old premises on the corner of Lonsdale and Swanston Streets until the 4th General Hospital moved to Finschhaven in New Guinea in 1944. The Parkville buildings were reconditioned and the Royal Melbourne Hospital finally moved into their "new" premises in December 1944.