page_title: Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic
section_title: Post-World War I
hierarchical_section_title: Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic / Post-World War I
caption_attribution_description: English: The original floor plan for the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic
context_page_description: The Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic at 310 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia, is an Art Deco building of architectural and historical significance as the only remaining Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic or Commonwealth building built for the health and wellbeing of the original ANZACs.
  Significantly the building was constructed for the ANZACs of World War I nearly 20 years after the end of the war. The clinic subsequently supported the wellbeing of veterans of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. The Australian veteran community consider it a sacred place due to the connection to the suffering of veterans returned from those wars.
context_section_description: In 1936 the Repatriation Commission took control of a parcel of land on the corner of St Kilda Rd and Coventry St from the Department of Defence to construct a facility to address the needs of the large population of World War I veterans.
  'The out-patient clinic, which is at present within the Branch Office on St. Kilda-road, Melbourne, is so congested that no longer can the conditions be allowed to remain, and plans have been prepared for the erection of an out-patient clinic on a site made available by the Defence Department. All preliminaries have been hastened and an early commencement of the work of construction is anticipated.'
  'With increasing numbers requiring out-patient treatment, the accommodation at the Branch Office in St. Kilda-road was inadequate. Men suffering from all types of disabilities, many of them accompanied by their wives and children, had to sit in a basement waiting room. Another inconvenience through lack of space was the necessity for accommodating two medical examiners in each of the small cubicles built as examination rooms. These disabilities, together with other factors, made it imperative that better conditions should be provided. It was decided to erect a new out-patient clinic, the building embodying the latest facilities, including air conditioning, single rooms for medical examining officers, and a large general waiting room.'
  On this site the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic was built adjacent to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, it was opened on 15 November 1937, to provide a greater level of care to veterans. The building was designed by George Hallendal, under the supervision of Commonwealth Works Department Director, H. L. McKennall. Within months of opening as many as 400 prescriptions were being administered daily.
  The design of the Repatriation Clinic created some controversy with Sir Arthur Streeton criticising the use of brown brick in contrast to the established bluestone brick of Victoria Barracks.
caption: Original floor plan of the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic
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