The University of Melbourne and its partner Lendlease are creating an innovation precinct on the former site of the
Royal Women’s Hospital (RWH). The RWH was the birthplace of many Melburnians, including Australia’s first test tube baby in 1980, and a hotbed for innovation for more than 150 years. With the commencement of the enabling works on site, a creative visual projection illuminated the existing building over three nights, as a tribute to the site’s history.
This event was an opportunity for the University and its partners to acknowledge the significant history of the site, and invite the surrounding community, former hospital staff and patients to view images from the RWH archive, which were projected on the Swanston street façade of the main ‘3AW’ tower (700 Swanston street, Carlton), on March 22, 23 and 24, 2018, at dusk.
A Heritage Interpretation Plan is currently being finalised to articulate how the site’s legacy will be incorporated into
the new innovation precinct. The community has been invited to share its ideas and thoughts, and there will be more
opportunities to engage in the coming months.
Pending planning approvals, construction of the new precinct is expected to start in mid-2018 for completion in late 2020.