About The Hobart Clinic

Originally known as St Michael’s Priory, The Hobart Clinic came from humble beginnings, operating as accommodation for former Royal Derwent Hospital patients. Seeing the need for care, Dr Paddy Burges Watson led a group of health professionals to establish Seven Acres Pty Ltd. A therapeutic community was born and The Hobart Clinic came into being on 30th June 1984 as a benevolent institution. The Hobart Clinic Association took over the control and management of the Clinic.

Over the years, surpluses are dedicated to the development of the facilities for patients, doctors and staff and today we operate a 27 bed single room with ensuite facilities, set in beautiful gardens.

The current medical consulting suite was opened in 2003, known as the R A Pargiter Consulting Suite, after the then Clinical Director Dr Russell Pargiter.

As a charitable private mental health service we are driven by the demands of the community first and foremost, our unwavering commitment over the past 30+ years will continue for at least the next 30!

The Constitution of The Hobart Clinic specifically states it must apply its income and assets solely in furtherance of its charitable purpose. In recent years extensive rebuilding and refurbishing were undertaken with surpluses that were generated. There are no shareholders. The Clinic is truly owned by the community.

Unfortunately as a society, we are confronted by a growing number of mental health issues and as an organisation we strive to respond with the latest treatment programs. For example, we know that alcohol and drug problems resolve best when people have real ‘time out’. Our facility set on seven acres on the Eastern Shore provides a place for the individual to commence their recovery journey.

The development of a specialist clinical team together with a therapeutic environment that is unparalleled in Tasmania, brings to fruition our aim to be the treatment centre of choice for addictions.

In 2008, the development of general and specialist mental health services were high on the Clinic’s agenda and the Clinic was awarded ‘Excellent Achievement’ by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards in that year. Updating the Constitution and moving to a skills based board were also part of implementing best practice governance to take the organisation forward.

The Clinic had often discussed opening a centre in Hobart and in 2013 it commenced operating the Murray Street Clinic, with the official opening by the Minister for Health, The Hon Michael Ferguson MP in 2014. The new Murray Street Clinic represented ‘the development of a broader mental health service’, said Mr Harry Wilsdon (Chairman) at the opening. In July 2018, The Clinic moved Mind Hub to our current city location, 1/175 Collins Street.

In 2020, we were granted charitable status and recognised as a health promotion charity. Our charitable purpose is to provide mental health services for patients, families, and the community. It means that we have a real commitment to ensure any profit, fundraising or income is returned to the community for the furtherance of mental health. We provide our financial statements to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission each year and report other key information to show we are meeting this purpose, and provide transparency to those who generously donate to us. Donations to the Clinic are tax-deductible.

If you would like to donate to the Clinic, you may donate using PayPal or by calling us on 03 6247 9960.

First Nations Place Names

We thank the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for their research in place names and acknowledge the work they have done, which allows us to respectfully acknowledge the Country that our hospital is built on.

Our Rokeby hospital is on naniyilipata country. This the area that we also know as Cambridge, Clarendon Vale, Rokeby and Mount Rumney.

Our City MindHub location is on nipaluna country. According to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, this is the name known by the Aboriginal people of the south-east for this country. The town came later, in 1804, and it was well established within nipaluna by the time that Wurati first told the name and its meaning ‘country at Hobart Town’ to Robinson as they approached the area on 16 January 1831.

To discover the place name of where you are, please refer to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centres place names map.

A History of Excellence in Care

> 1984

The Hobart Clinic Association was formed.

> 1986

Full accreditation confirmed for a period of three years.

> 1987-1988

The hospital was extensively renovated and re-developed at a cost of $300,000.

> 1991

Further developments were made including increased kitchen and dining areas, administration block, boardroom and entry foyer.

> 1991

Residential PTSD programs for Veterans.

> 1993

New accommodation wing was added resulting in the hospital being a 21 bed private psychiatric hospital.

> 1993

Creed and logo “Time for Healing” was adopted.

> 1994

Community Nursing Service was established.

> 1997

Redmond Wing named after CEO Max Redmond opened.

> 2003

R A Pargiter Consulting Suite opened.

> 2009

New administration and hospital reception completed.

> 2011

Updated Constitution to organisational membership.

> 2012

Moved to providing our own ECT services at Hobart Day Surgery.

> 2013

Murray Street Clinic opened.

> 2014

“Change is Possible” campaign launched.

> 2014

30th Anniversary Celebrations.

> 2017

“We’re All Mental” campaign and clinic re-brand launched

> 2018

Murray Street Clinic moved to Collins Street – Mind Hub.

> 2019

Clinic re-brand launched

> 2020

Adopted Tasmanian Aboriginal place names

> 2021

Achieved Charity status, which allows The Hobart Clinic to truly operate as a philanthropic organisation, eligible to receive tax-deductible gifts.

Established in-house TMS services.

Changed name to The Hobart Clinic Association Limited.

Our Logo

The Blue Gum Flower (Eucalyptus globulus) is the inspiration for our logo. It is endemic to our area and is the floral emblem of Tasmania. The logo shape represents connections and a circle of support (family and community), while the bright yellow symbolises hope.