• Unique Hospital up for Sale

    Ramsay Health Care to sell Wodonga’s Murray Valley Private Hospital, first built as Clyde Cameron College

    STORY ACCREDITATION: The Border Mail, October 28, 2022 | WRITER: Beau Greenway

    Chief executive of Ramsay Health Care’s three Border hospitals Sheryl Keir and Andrew Dixon, of LJ Colquhoun Dixon Commercial Real Estate, at Murray Valley Private Hospital in Wodonga, which is to be sold. Picture by Ash Smith

    Wodonga’s private hospital site is tipped to sell for in excess of $5 million after it was placed on the market this week.

    Ramsay Health Care owns Murray Valley Private Hospital on Nordsvan Drive, which specialises in rehabilitation, but with that service to be moved to Albury’s private facility, it will be offloaded.

    The property has a total site area of 41,500 square metres with frontage to Pearce Street and Nordsvan Drive and is broken up into three allotments, which includes the hospital, a parcel of almost 3000 square metres of land and common property.

    It was constructed in 1976 as Clyde Cameron College, which was commissioned by the Trade Union Training Authority when Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister and is listed by the Heritage Council of Victoria.

    The college operated until its closure in 1996, before Ramsay Health Care acquired it and converted it into a private hospital, which opened in 1999.

    It includes a 32-bed facility to provide inpatient, day patient and sleep study services, with 28 beds for specialised rehabilitation care.

    The second lot on the property was subdivided to offer an oncology service, which is now based out of Albury’s Border Cancer Hospital, while Seal Swim School operates out of the pool in the southern portion of the building.

    Concrete tunnels are a key component of the design of the Murray Valley Private Hospital building in Wodonga. Picture by LJ Colquhoun Dixon Real Estate.

    LJ Colquhoun Dixon Commercial Real Estate has been approached to sell the hospital on behalf of Ramsay Health Care and Pinder Hall, which owns part of the property.

    Materials used in construction include reinforced concrete and concrete blocks, with the interior primarily made up of solid timber trusses and exposed services.

    “It’s an architecturally significant building. It’s brutalist architecture, which is quite unique and it’s said to be one of the best examples of it with the big concrete corridors and exposed beams,” estate agent Andrew Dixon said.

    Mr Dixon said the site could still play a big role within the Wodonga community with the possibility of reconverting it into an educational facility, residence, aged care service, art gallery or even a hotel.

    Ramsay Health Care’s Border hospitals chief executive Sheryl Keir confirmed rehabilitation services offered in Wodonga will move to Albury’s private hospital on Pemberton Street, with plans in place for a new building with Albury Council.

    “As you come in the front, it will be on the right of reception in front of the car park. We’re demolishing an older part of the hospital to build a new area there,” she said.

    The property has been offered for sale by expression of interests which will close on Friday, December 9.