In terms of health care and state of the art hospital services.

The St. John of God Hospital; the largest private not-for- profit hospital in regional Victoria, is much valued by our community. The hospital was opened in 1915 in Bailey's Mansion after Ballarat's Bishop Moore had invited the Sisters of St. John of God from Ireland to take control. The first Mother Superior was Sister Philip Heenan.

The origin of the hospital and the sisters starts with John Cidade; born in Portugal 1495. He was nicknamed "John of God" for his work with the sick and initiating the Order, "Brothers of St. John of God". Then in 1871 Bishop Thomas Furlong from Wexford in Ireland persuaded Mother Bridget Clancy from County Kilkenny to establish the St. John of God Sisters.

These three are especially remembered in the artistic leadlight window panel in St. John of God's Chapel of Visitation.