Iconic cross removed as Catholic hospital seized by ACT government
By Catherine Sheehan
The ACT government acquired ownership and management of Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce on 3 July, a day after the iconic blue cross was removed from the front of the hospital building.
The unprecedented government seizure of the Catholic hospital, now called the North Canberra Hospital, proceeded as planned despite public outcry and following a failed attempt by Calvary to have the legislation allowing the forced acquisition overturned in the ACT Supreme Court.
The state government has also taken over Clare Holland House which provides specialised palliative care services.
Both facilities previously run by Calvary Health Care will now be run by Canberra Health Services.
“This Sunday marks the end of an era for Calvary,” read a statement from Calvary on 29 June.
“We have been a trusted health care provider for public patients in the ACT for 44 years, providing care from birth to end of life, and everything in between.
“Calvary Public Hospital Bruce and Clare Holland House are much more than bricks and mortar. They are representative of the Calvary values. It is our staff who have lived our Mission of “being for others” with their dedication to treat the patient in front of them.”
Catholic Voice reported that two days before the takeover, Calvary staff, family and friends, gathered at the hospital for a farewell picnic. Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Christopher Prowse blessed the hospital for the last time.
The following day, Calvary removed the large blue cross adorning the front of the hospital, and other religious items including a statue of Our Lady.
During the farewell gathering Archbishop Prowse addressed hospital staff, thanking them for their work.
“You are so proudly part of this place, and these few days and this next couple of months are going to be possibly a bumpy ride, but I know in the years ahead – regardless of whether crosses are coming down and the Calvary logo goes – that you will carry the genius of the Calvary insight into humanity and to healthcare wherever you go,” Archbishop Prowse said.
The ACT government passed legislation on 31 May allowing it to forcibly acquire the hospital which has been run by Calvary Health Care since 1979, and employs 1,800 staff.
An online petition set up by the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn to stop the government takeover attracted more than 40,000 signatures.
Calvary mounted a legal challenge to the government’s legislation in the ACT Supreme Court which was dismissed in June.
LNP senator Matt Canavan put forward a private member’s bill in late June seeking an inquiry into the government’s acquisition of the hospital. The bill has been referred to a senate committee for review.