Local flora showcased as winners of photography competition announced
 

The walls of the $165 million Goulburn Hospital and Health Service redevelopment have been brought to life, with the winning entries of a community photography competition on display within the new Clinical Services Building.

Chair of the Goulburn Arts Working Group John Gale said the competition encouraged the community to submit photos of local flora and was an opportunity to showcase the talents of the region.

“The winning entries feature as part of large-scale artworks at staff stations and lift walls, supporting wayfinding around the hospital and adding bursts of colour, while also acknowledging traditional owner's use of local flora in bush therapies for recouperation and healing,” Mr Gale said.

Entries were received from across the Goulburn area, with the artworks providing an important connection with nature, selected from Wattle, Boronia, Eucalyptus, Blue Bell and Lilac categories.

The winning local photographers are:
• Wattle: Angus Robards
• Boronia: Mick Irvine
• Eucalyptus: Renee Andrews
• Blue Bell: Renee Andrews
• Lilac: Angus Robards



Image: Photography competition winners Mick Irvine, Angus Robards and Renee Andrews

Health Infrastructure’s Rural and Regional Executive Director, Amanda Bock congratulated the winners and thanked the community for participating in the competition.

“These new artworks celebrate local talent and form part of Health Infrastructure’s Arts in Health Program which integrates arts into our health facilities to create engaging public health spaces and improve clinical health and wellbeing outcomes for patients, staff and visitors,” Ms Bock said.

“The images highlight the beautiful local landscape and have brightened the walls of this significant new health facility and I thank everyone who entered, as well as the Southern Tablelands Arts and members of the Goulburn Hospital & Health Service Redevelopment Arts and Heritage Working Group who were involved in organising this competition.”

Competition winner Renee Andrews from Dalton said it was great to see the flora photos brightening up the hospital corridors.

“I especially love that the photos have been taken of our local flora. These photos will help remind locals of their own natural environment when they are visiting the hospital,” Ms Andrews said.


Image: Renee Andrews
Goulburn Base Hospital security officer Angus Robards, who won for his lilac and wattle photos, said the staff and the community appreciate the way the photos add colour and light around the hospital.

“It’s so nice for the people who work here and the people who visit because they have a bit of nature to look out on and it makes people feel relaxed,” Mr Robards said.
I
mage: Angus Robards
Ms Bock said the redevelopment team also worked with students from The Crescent School to create the artwork for the rainbow category, which is featured in the Maternal & Paediatric Outpatients and the Paediatric Inpatient Unit.

“We are very appreciative of the involvement of the local school children in our project. We hope the rainbow graphic will help make children from across the district feel at home and comfortable if they’re in the hospital,” Ms Bock said.

The Arts in Health Program is being delivered by Health Infrastructure in partnership with Local Health Districts, artists, and communities as part of NSW Health’s record $11.9 billion capital works program to 2025-26.

The $165 million Goulburn Hospital and Health Service redevelopment included the construction of a new clinical services building on the current Goulburn Base Hospital campus. Further health services such as a new MRI will be incorporated into the campus during the Final Works stage of the redevelopment which is currently under way.

Image: Mick Irvine