The Friendly Society Private Hospital, known locally as The Friendlies, is a not-for-profit hospital in Bundaberg, Queensland. Today, it is a 142-bed surgical and medical facility supported by more than 500 staff, including medical, nursing, allied health and support professionals. The hospital provides a wide range of clinical services such as cardiology, oncology, day surgery, general surgery and orthopedics.
Origins
The Friendlies traces its origins to 1897, when Bundaberg mutual aid lodges came together to form a Friendly Society to improve medical facilities in the community. In 1919, the Bundaberg Associated Friendly Societies Medical Institute was registered, with members of local lodges forming the General Committee. A pharmacy was established in 1920, followed by the opening of new premises in 1921.
In 1946, the Institute purchased St Vincent’s Private Hospital, renaming it St Vincent’s Friendly Society Private Hospital. This marked the beginning of hospital operations under the Friendly Society. Over the decades that followed, the hospital steadily expanded with new facilities, extensions and services, alongside investments in pharmacy and real estate to support its operations.
Growth and development
Key developments include:
- 1962: Construction of new operating theatres, private rooms and nurses’ quarters.
- 1974–78: Extensions to provide x-ray, physiotherapy and lift facilities.
- 1984: Expansion to 36 beds with around 50 staff.
- 1993: Re-registered as the Friendly Society Private Hospital, doubling in size to 55 beds.
- 2003: Launch of the Friendlies Afterhours Medical Service.
- 2006: Expansion of operating theatres from three to five.
- 2011: Major $28 million redevelopment, including new buildings, technology and equipment.
- 2016: Launch of The Friendlies Foundation, relocation and expansion of the Day Oncology Unit.
Today
More than a century since its beginnings, the Friendly Society Private Hospital continues to operate on the founding principles of the friendly society movement: mutual support, not-for-profit operations, and reinvestment in services for the benefit of the community. Its history and ownership model make it a unique example in the Australian healthcare landscape.
