Home St Vincent's Hospital About Us

In 1838, five nuns from the Order of the Sisters of Charity in Dublin arrived in Sydney. Their mission was to care for the poor and the needy. One of the goals of these courageous pioneering women was to open their own hospital.

On the 25 August 1857, St Vincent's Hospital opened in Sydney, making it Australia's second oldest hospital.

From its humble origins as a 22 bed hospital, today St Vincent's Hospital is a 326 bed major public hospital considered to be one of Australia's leading acute hospitals with an international reputation for innovation, highly regarded as a centre of excellence for clinical care, research, teaching and medical leadership.

During its 150 year history, the Hospital has played a pioneering role in the provision of healthcare services and medical advancements at both a national and international level.

St Vincents Hospital is part of St Vincents & Mater Health Sydney (SV&MHS) and the Sisters of Charity Health Service, Australia's largest not-for-profit, non-government health care provider. The Hospital attracts referrals on a state-wide and national basis, treating inpatients, outpatients and members of the community.

In continuing the Mission and Values of its founding Sisters, St Vincent's Hospital upholds a strong devotion to serving the poor and disadvantaged in the local community, which includes Australia's largest concentration of homeless people.

St Vincent's provides a comprehensive range of community health services, including mental health, drug and alcohol, diabetes, dementia care and generalist community care with the aim of addressing some of the specific needs of this unique community.