Send flowers to St John of God Ballarat Hospital
A Ballarat florist makes up the bouquet and takes it to the ward at St John of God on Drummond Street North. Ring the ward before you order: intensive care and coronary care take no flowers.
St John of God Ballarat Hospital, known to half the town as SJOG, is the largest private hospital in regional Victoria. It stands at 101 Drummond Street North, Ballarat VIC 3350, on the Lake Wendouree side of the city centre, and belongs to the Catholic not-for-profit group St John of God Health Care. It opened in 1915 and now has 221 beds, an emergency department, intensive and coronary care, five operating theatres, a maternity and gynaecology unit, rehabilitation and community mental health services. A florist in Ballarat makes up your flowers and delivers them to the hospital by hand; we do not promise a delivery time to a hospital, but a weekday morning order normally arrives that afternoon.
Which patients can receive flowers at SJOG Ballarat
The hospital does not publish a flower policy on its website, so the ward is the place to ask. Speaking generally about Australian hospitals rather than this one: intensive care and coronary care units refuse fresh flowers, oncology and chemotherapy units often ask for none, and a rehabilitation ward with long stays is usually the most welcoming. The maternity unit is a popular destination for flowers; keep the arrangement small and unscented, and ask whether the mother is in a shared or single room. If the ward says no, the home address in Wendouree, Alfredton, Buninyong or out towards Creswick is where the flowers will be enjoyed longest.
Getting flowers through the front door
The florist delivers during the day and hands the bouquet to reception, which sends it up to the ward. Give the patient's full name as it appears on admission, the ward, and a room number if you know it; without a ward the flowers can sit at the desk for hours. Add your own mobile number in case the patient has moved wards or gone home. If discharge is close, say so and we send to the home instead; a redirected order after the florist has left costs a second delivery fee.
Choosing a bouquet for a Ballarat hospital room
Ballarat is cold for most of the year and hospital wards are heated, so choose stems that cope with dry warm air: gerberas, alstroemeria, chrysanthemums, roses and native bunches with banksia, leucadendron or waxflower. A compact posy in a jar or a hand-tied bouquet with its own water reservoir does not depend on a nurse finding a vase. Leave lilies and hyacinths at home; their scent fills a small room, and lily pollen stains sheets. Potted plants are turned away by many wards.
When the order has to go in
Same-day delivery runs Monday to Saturday when the order is placed before 2pm on a weekday or 10am on a Saturday, Victorian time, though to a hospital same day is never guaranteed. There is no Sunday delivery, so for a Sunday birthday order on the Friday and ask for Saturday. Most Ballarat florists reach the hospital in a single afternoon run, which is why a morning order has the best chance.
A word on the card
Two honest lines beat a verse. For an operation, "Glad it went well, see you at home on Sunday. Love from Mum and Dad"; for a new baby, the baby's name and who the flowers are from. Bouquets start at AUD 75 and the delivery fee appears at checkout before you pay.
Did you know? St John of God Ballarat Hospital opened in 1915, has 221 beds and is the largest private hospital in regional Victoria.
Frequently asked questions about flowers to St John of God Ballarat Hospital
Can I send flowers to St John of God Ballarat Hospital?
Yes to most wards. The hospital publishes no flower policy, so ring the ward first, especially for intensive care, coronary care and oncology, which in most Australian hospitals take no fresh flowers. Give the patient's full name, the ward and a room number if you have it, and order in the morning.
What happens if the patient has left SJOG Ballarat before the flowers arrive?
Private stays are short, so tell us if discharge is near and we send to the home instead. If the florist has already been to the hospital, reception usually says the patient has gone and the bouquet can be redirected to the home for a second delivery fee. Add your mobile number to the order so the florist can ring you.
What flowers suit a hospital room in Ballarat?
A small, unscented arrangement that holds its own water: gerberas, alstroemeria, roses, chrysanthemums or a native posy with banksia and waxflower. Wards are heated, so avoid soft stems that wilt in dry air, and leave out lilies and hyacinths. Keep it small enough for a bedside locker.