As part of a major redevelopment at St John of God Ballarat Hospital (SJGBH), Creative Spaces was engaged to design a 22-metre-long history wall that would honour the hospital’s rich heritage and seamlessly connect the original building with the newly constructed medical services wing.
Founded in 1915 by the Sisters of St John of God, the hospital has long served the Ballarat community with compassion and care. However, the challenge during redevelopment was how to meaningfully integrate its legacy into a modern clinical environment—ensuring the story of the hospital’s origins and values remained visible, relevant, and accessible.
Creative Spaces responded by designing a permanent, visually compelling installation that communicates key milestones in the hospital’s evolution. Using a layered approach to storytelling—combining textures, colour, archival imagery, and timeline graphics—the wall guides visitors through more than a century of change, growth, and continuity.
This interpretive piece not only honours the founding values of the Sisters—empathy, service, and community—it invites staff, patients, and visitors to connect with the hospital’s enduring purpose. Designed for longevity and visual impact, the history wall is a legacy feature that anchors the past within a future-facing healthcare space.
For organisations with rich histories embedded in their built environments, Creative Spaces offers tailored interpretation solutions that preserve heritage and enrich user experience—whether in hospitals, educational settings, or cultural institutions.
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Photos © Dan Farrar Photographer
