Queen Victoria Women's Centre invites you to uncover a hidden part of their iconic history with their new monthly guided tours in Melbourne.
Rising above busy Lonsdale Street, the Melbourne building began its life in the 1890s as the Queen Victoria Hospital, an institution founded by pioneering women — including Doctor Constance Stone, the first registered female doctor in Australia, and other community leaders who believed women deserved better healthcare and the right to be treated by women.
It became one of the first hospitals in the world run by and for women, at a time when such an idea was considered radical.
The Centre is now offering new monthly guided tours, inviting guests behind the scenes to explore this remarkable heritage site. Led by CEO Keryn Negri, each hour-long tour traces the building’s journey from its bold beginnings as a hospital to its current role supporting women’s voices and leadership.
Queen Victoria Women’s Centre Melbourne
- When: Friday 27 February, 27 March, 24 April, 29 May, and 26 June 2026
- Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
- Tickets: $20 per person, with proceeds going to the QVWC Conservation Appeal
- Purchase tix here
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Visitors can expect to wander through hidden spaces, uncover rarely told stories, and discover how generations of women have redefined what this place means to the city.
Along the way, you will hear about the nurses, doctors, and patients who shaped Melbourne’s social history, and the campaigners who fought to preserve it for future generations. It is a story of vision, grit, and community pride.
Over the decades, the hospital cared for millions, adapted through wars, social change, and shifting expectations, and eventually faced near demolition in the 1980s; before being saved through a major public campaign where a group of Victorian women chained themselves to the building’s front fence to halt its destruction.
Today, its last remaining tower stands proud as the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, continuing its legacy in a new form. Now a vibrant home for advocacy, gender equality, and creative communities, it remains a symbol of women’s strength and resilience in Melbourne.
Proceeds from tickets go directly to the QVWC Conservation Appeal; the fund dedicated to the preservation of the heritage and living history of the Women’s Centre building, to support women and gender non-conforming people to succeed, and to use the histories of women in the past to inspire women and gender diverse people of the present and future.
Step inside and experience one of Melbourne’s most inspiring landmarks, where history and progress continue to share the same walls.
For more information, head here.
