Bowen has a long tradition of caring dating back to 1912 when the original hospital in Bowen Street (opposite Parliament) was built by the late Dr W E Herbert. He operated the hospital along with Dr H Hardwick-Smith.

After Dr Herbert’s death in 1933 the land and buildings were sold to the Government and leased by a group of doctors.

In 1965 when the Government served notice that it required the land, the doctors donated their assets to The Bowen Hospital Charitable Trust. The present site with its tranquil surroundings and easy accessibility from all directions was selected for the establishment of a modern, architecturally designed surgical hospital.

The hospital became Bowen Hospital Limited in 1999, a company jointly owned by the Bowen Charitable Trust and medical practitioners. In 2003, the hospital was sold to Wakefield Hospital Limited and is now a member of the Wakefield Health Group.