qatb

The Committee’s first representative on the State Executive Committee was Mr J. Crawford MLA. On 29 January, at an interview with Mr Magnus, General Manager of the Mining Company, it was agreed to take over the control of the Ambulance Corps and an Honorary Centre was established at the mine works. Mr Magnus appointed three members of the company’s staff to assist the Committee in dealing with matters relating to the Honorary Centre. A piece of land facing Central Street, was leased to the Brigade at a nominal rental. In March 1913, a wagon of ‘the most up-to-date principle for ease and comfort’ was ordered from an Ipswich coach builder at a cost of £92. In April, the tender of Mr T.T. Cornes was accepted for the erection of a new ambulance building at the corner of Bedsor and Central Streets at a cost of £429 exclusive of hardwood; the hardwood was being purchased from the Company at cost price. The plant in 1913 consisted of one horse (Bryce), a wagon fitted with rubber tires, poles and shafts, a convertible stretcher, one set of single harnesses, one complete Ashford litter, and a collapsible stretcher. The plant at the mine Honorary Centre consisted of one litter complete, one special litter truck, one mining stretcher, and eight collapsible stretchers. The Mount Morgan Centre was responsible for opening Centres at Banana, Springsure, Wowan, Baralaba and Theodore. The financial year 1927-1928 was a catastrophic one for the Centre principally due to the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company going into liquidation. As well as the consequent loss of employment to hundreds of wage earners and a reduction in business activity generally throughout the town and district, a fire on 27 January 1928 destroyed practically the whole of the Centre building stock with the exception of the ambulance vehicles. The Committee later purchased the buildings and land for a figure which was highly satisfactory. These premises were occupied until the shift into the present premises. Source: www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/docs/history/Mount-Morgan.pdf

"READY ALWAYS" — THE WARWICK AMBULANCE By "CORBIE DHU". IN the 34 years that have elapsed since the center was established, the staff has attended 36,041 calls and has traveled 312,305½ miles in the performance of its duty." Behind this brief extract from the last annual report of the Warwick Centre of the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade lies a story of men whose one aim has been, and is, to uphold to the letter their exacting motto, "Ready Always." Side by side with the story of the bearers is a tale of unremitting effort by the brigade's committee to maintain its station as one of the best equipped and most efficient in the State. In this ideal, it has been accorded the willing support of town and country residents, on whose generosity depends the financial soundness of the brigade. Source: Warwick Daily News, 31 Oct 1936 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177308697

In January 1917, in response to a request from the residents of Wowan and district H. Wanchap (Chairperson), G.F. Smith (Hon Treasurer) and Superintendent T.W. Dufill of the Mount Morgan Centre attended a public meeting in Wowan, and it was unanimously decided to open an Honorary Centre in the town. Honorary Bearer James Arneil was placed in charge and the Mount Morgan Committee decided to place a horse and wagon there for service. The residents soon felt the usefulness of the Brigade in their midst, and it was decided in October 1917 to create a Sub-Centre at Wowan with a permanent Officer. Bearer W.G. Nash of Mount Morgan was appointed Officer-in-Charge with the rank of Senior Bearer. In the 1918 floods, water was a foot deep in the tent. In the same year, the pneumonic influenza epidemic swept through the district. Mrs Nash was a fully qualified Nursing Sister and was placed in charge of the emergency hospital which was established in the public hall. Patients were cared for there until they could be moved the 32 miles to the Mount Morgan Hospital. The humpy-like structure that served the ambulance for 12 months was replaced by a two-story wooden building that provided accommodation upstairs with the ground section being devoted entirely to Ambulance Services. By 1919, the Sub-Centre was named Dawson Valley Sub-Centre and in that year the Mount Morgan Committee decided to open another Sub-Centre at Banana with Senior Bearer Alfred Mearing in charge. Banana Centre gained self-government on 1 April 1921. Source: www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/docs/history/Wowan.pdf