Ninetieth anniversary of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital

Honouring the past, shaping the future was the theme of a recent event celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne.

A morning celebration was held in the beautiful gardens of the Toorak home Cranlana, hosted by the two Hospital Patrons, Lady Southey, previously Victoria’s Lieutenant Governor, and Samantha Baillieu.

In the early 2000s I had the honour of researching and writing the history of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital and Animal Welfare League that funded it. My book, The Kindness of Strangers was launched by Victoria’s Governor, John Landy, in 2003.

It traces the history of the League, founded in 1926, that funded and built the hospital that opened in 1936, having in the meantime run a part-time clinic in Parkville.

It was initially named the Lort Smith-Lyle Hospital after two very active volunteers, Mrs Louisa Lort Smith and Lady Clare Lyle. However, after a falling out with the board, Lady Lyle asked that her name no longer be associated with it. There was a reconciliation some years later, and subsequently the original hospital building was named Lyle House.

There have been many changes to the hospital in the 23 years since my book was published.

One of the biggest changes was the opening of a new hospital campus in Campbellfield. This services Melbourne’s inner north but several of its programs were moved there, including one of its most important programs, the rehoming of pets, particularly cats and dogs,

The hospital has always strived to be at the cutting edge of veterinary science. In the 1930s Louisa Lort Smith did several overseas trips to research the latest developments in animal care and she arranged to acquire an X-ray machine in 1943, the first in an animal hospital in Australia.

The financial viability of the hospital has always been a serious concern. This is not surprising given the hospital’s policy to never turn away an animal for lack of the owner’s ability to pay and considering that it prides itself on having the most up to date equipment and knowledge.

It runs one costly program that is summed up with the words “Keeping people and pets safe through life’s hardest moments”. This funds an emergency boarding program for pets when families are faced with family violence, homelessness, mental health crises and hospitalisation.

There has been a substantial reliance on philanthropy, bequests and fundraising events to fund the increasingly expensive programs and the running of the hospital. And the hospital continues to receive support from some of the well-known names of people in Victoria.

The hospital relies heavily on volunteers. One of these, Joan Sturzaker, was instrumental in setting up a pet therapy service to local hospitals in the 1980s, a service that has expanded significantly. Other volunteers have worked hard at fundraising and raising the profile of the hospital.

Staffing of the hospital has always been something of an enigma. A core of long-term staff contrasts with a number who remain for only a short term. One of the veterinary surgeons, Patrick Cheah, has been on the staff for 30 years, having joined in 1996. There have also been quite a few changes of CEO over the years, the current CEO Frances Mirabelli having been appointed in September 2024.

One link with the past is Mrs Lort Smith’s desk: it has remained in the hospital’s CEO’s office over the years and symbolises the traditions and hard work that are so much a part of the hospital’s success. It isn’t simply tradition that has been handed down throughout the years but also the ethos of community service, care, and compassion.

More information about the hospital can be found on its website: lortsmith.com •