Cowra will soon say goodbye to a landmark that has served the community for generations, as staff and former employees prepare to farewell the Cowra District Hospital ahead of the opening of the new, state of the art facility.

A Farewell and Welcome Evening will be held at 6pm on Friday, 28 November 2025, at Club Cowra, inviting past and present hospital employees to gather, reminisce and celebrate decades of service and memories.

The event will include finger food, which is $20 per person, payable on the night.

There will be tours of both the old and new hospitals taking place the following day.

For Marie Peel, Nurse Unit Manager of the hospital’s operating theatres, the farewell brings mixed emotions.

“I guess it’s a mix of leaving the old hospital, I was born here, I’ve worked here for a long time,” she said.

“It’s exciting to go into a new building and the current hospital is not fit for contemporary health care, so we’re looking forward to it.

“There is a bit of sadness at leaving the old place with all the memories though.”

Ms Peel’s connection to Cowra Hospital spans decades.

She began her career as an enrolled nurse, later becoming a registered nurse, then a midwife, before stepping into her current role as nurse unit manager.

“I’ve come through the ranks,” she said.

“There’s been lots of good times.

“Back in the old days, when we had the three floors running fully staffed with patients on every level, it was very much a community.

“We were always having events, supporting teams and going on outings together.

“It’s a little different now, but there are so many good memories.”

For Ms Peel and many others, the hospital has been more than just a workplace, it’s been a second home and a symbol of community care.

“It is an icon,” she said.

“Driving into Cowra, it’s one of the first things you see.

“To think that it’ll be gone is sad.

“It’s been there for 45 years and there are so many memories in those walls.

“But we’re looking forward to new beginnings in the new hospital.”

She said the farewell event will be an important opportunity for staff across generations to reconnect and reflect on their shared experiences.

“We’re bringing together everyone we can," she said.

“Nurses who worked there when the hospital first started, retired employees and current staff,” she said.

“It’s about mixing the old with the new, getting everyone back together to reminisce, share memories and have the chance to say goodbye to such an important part of our community.”

Ms Peel said events like this help ensure the hospital’s legacy and the stories of those who worked there are remembered as Cowra enters a new chapter in its healthcare history.

“It’s a mix of sadness and excitement,” she said.

“We’re closing one door and opening another.”