Victoria’s Central biotechnology precinct incorporates the historical Parkville precinct, the Austin Biomedical Alliance, and the St Vincent’s Hospital Eastern Hill precinct, as well as the Western Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

The Central Precinct, incorporating Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) and its northern edge, is home to a number of established institutions which deliver high levels of health, social and economic benefits to Victoria and Australia.

In particular, Victoria’s Parkville precinct has long been recognised within Australia and overseas as a hub of excellence in healthcare, research and education. Parkville’s history is entwined with health, research and education. The University of Melbourne, home to one of Victoria’s three medical schools, was established there during the 1850s and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Australia’s oldest and largest medical research institute, was founded in 1915.

Within the Central precinct, a number of key research facilities are conveniently located within or near major tertiary hospitals which provides the opportunity for a ‘laboratory bench to hospital bed’ (translational research) approach to medical research. In addition, the relationships between the University of Melbourne, RMIT and Swinburne Universities, the major teaching hospitals and the research institutes in the precinct provide the basis for further developing, housing and trialling cutting edge technologies and treatments that flow from international and interstate developments. The new AU$1 billion Parkville Comprehensive Cancer Centre is currently under development in the precinct with construction due for completion in 2015.