Warburton Hospital could be reborn as health retreat

A landmark property with its own hospital on the outskirts of Melbourne could be revamped as a European-style health retreat and medispa.

Immaculately maintained since it closed its doors over a decade ago, the old Warburton Hospital and wellness facility still has sheets on its beds and an operating theatre ready to go.

At one time renowned for its pioneering hydrotherapy centre and set amid 8ha of parklike gardens, it was used as a wellness centre with programs from The Merry Medic Dr James (John) Wright, a rehabilitation clinic and obstetrics services.

The 25 Donna Buang Rd, Warburton property will be listed for sale later this week for the second time since it was established as the Warburton Sanitarium by the Seventh-day Adventists in 1912.

The group continued adding to the property throughout last century until they completed the hospital in 1994.

The landmark property extends over 8ha.

Leigh Harrison was one of the last babies to go through the Warburton hospital 28 years ago, yesterday he inspected the operating theatre that’s been kept prepped for surgery despite not being used in more than a century. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The 8ha property has five buildings connected to the hospital and another six out buildings, which the Bernardo Group’s Nick Bernardo said he hoped would encourage a buyer to revamp it as a medispa or use it for aged care.

“You think of Daylesford as the spa capital, but this was the first hydrotherapy centre in Australia … it was well ahead of its time,” Bernardo says.

“Even footballers would go there.”

CBRE director Sandro Peluso says buyers from developers to aged-care operators are expected to come from across Australia and the world for the property.

The hospital is just one part of the building’s extensive health facilities. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A health retreat connected to the hospital is still full of period charm. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ready to go.

“There’s even scope for a European-style health retreat … with massage therapy, hydrotherapy and everything all under the one roof,” Peluso says.

He estimated that if carved up into 1000sq m lots the property would be worth at least $20 million, but said its unique features and potential made it difficult to predict what the site could be worth.

His colleague Marcello Caspani-Muto said in the past six months Melbourne property had been gaining the attention of buyers as far as the Middle East, and that buyers might consider the property as a mixed-use venture.

With the right backing, there was even a chance the hospital could reopen.

The impressive facility features six interconnected buildings. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Get an old-style cut. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“It still could offer an emergency ward and the hospital itself could be quite good,” Caspani-Muto says.

Warburton man Leigh Harrison was one of the last babies to go through the hospital 28 years ago.

Now working as a plumber to maintain its pipes and sewage, he’s hopeful it could connect more jobs to the tourist town.

“There’s a lot of potential to do something with it,” Harrison says.

“To bring jobs to the town would only make it grow.”