If you’ve ever visited Canberra Hospital, chances are you’ve been to the Auxiliary shop.

Whether it’s to buy a present for a loved one, some red frogs for a quick sugar fix or just to have a chat with the volunteers, the Canberra Hospital Auxiliary is more than just a shop. It’s the heart of the hospital.

This week we celebrated 50 years of the Canberra Hospital Auxiliary Committee, with a group of volunteers, staff and a handful of committee members raising more than $4 million for equipment, nursing staff development and research during this time.

No one knows the shop better than volunteer Carol Johnston, who has been with the Auxiliary Committee for 34 years.

‘For patients, the Auxiliary Shop is not only a place where they can buy supplies, but also somewhere they can come for a chat.’

‘A lot of patients at Canberra Hospital aren’t necessarily local and they don’t have family or loved ones close by, so they just want to talk about what’s going on. I’m not just there to sell things, I’m there to listen and help where I can.’

The shop was founded following the inaugural committee meeting on 5 September 1972, with fundraising starting before Canberra Hospital opened and the first patients were admitted.

As well as the shopfront, the Auxiliary Committee has offered a range of other services over the years, including:

• a library service for patients and staff
• a trolley service with newspapers, magazines, confectionary and sundries from the shop to inpatients
• attention to patients’ flowers
• hospital guide service for patients and visitors
• maintenance of fish tanks within the hospital
• helping with Canberra Hospital’s annual ANZAC Day ceremony

COVID-19 has unfortunately impacted the Committee’s services, but we’re pleased to see the volunteers’ smiling faces starting to return to our facilities.

A big thank you to everyone who has been involved in the Auxiliary Committee throughout its 50 years of service to our patients, visitors, staff, and the broader Canberra community.

If you have a story you would like to share, get in touch.