qatb

Wynnum Ambulance Station is a heritage-listed museum and former ambulance station at 33 Tingal Road, Wynnum, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1926 to 1927. It is also known as the Queensland Ambulance Museum and the QATB Station. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 26 March 1999.[1] It is open by appointment. The City Ambulance Transport Brigade (CATB) was formed at a meeting of concerned citizens in September 1892 following the unsatisfactory management of an accident at a horse racing meeting. It was established that the principal object of the Brigade was to render first aid to the wounded and transport the sick and injured to hospital. Headquarters were established in the Courier Building (cnr Queen and Edward Streets, Brisbane). This was the first ambulance service in the world to employ paid staff.[1] Public use of the ambulance service steadily increased and voluntary subscriptions proved insufficient to meet associated outlays. In 1895 the CATB secured supplementary funding with the Queensland State Government agreeing to provide a 1:1 subsidy against subscriptions.[1] The first purpose-built ambulance building for Queensland was constructed in 1897 in Wharf Street, Brisbane. This building established the precedent for subsequent ambulance station designs. The design incorporated a two-storeyed building housing plant and staff facilities at ground level and a residence on the upper level. Large ground floor openings with bi-fold doors allowed ready access directly to the street for quick exit of horse and sulky. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynnum_Ambulance_Station

Ambulance services commenced in Ipswich on 4 November 1901, when the Brisbane Centre Committee opened a Sub-Centre there. Deputy Superintendent W.C. Tomkins was placed in charge and he was assisted by Bearer W. Armstrong and seven Honorary Bearers. The weekly wages paid to Officers Tomkins and Armstrong were £2,10s and £1,16s respectively. The Ambulance premises were situated in Down Street and the plant consisted of two Ashford litters (one kindly lent by the Ipswich Hospital Committee) and one collapsible stretcher. In 1902 a horse and sulky were added to the plant. As a consequence of increased demands made upon the Brigade, premises that had met the requirements of the staff in the past were now considered to be too small. In 1910 the Committee purchased new premises at the corner of Down and Flint Streets at a very satisfactory price. The premises were renovated and enlarged to make a comfortable and convenient Centre. The new premises were further renovated in 1911 and a plant room measuring 40 feet long by 24 feet wide was added. In that year the Committee purchased a four-wheeled wagon fitted with rubber tires for country calls and attending accidents at the various local mines. In expounding upon the value of this wagon the Chairperson in his annual report stated, ‘it is fitted with a hood, roller blinds at the sides (which can be drawn during wet weather), thoroughly ventilated, poles and shafts for one or two horses, is capable of carrying two patients on stretchers, or seven persons in sitting positions on movable seats’. In 1927 the Ipswich Committee decided to close this SubCentre and it was confident that a better service could be given from Ipswich seeing that the roads were very good. The Sub-Centre was re-opened in 1969 as an Ambulance Station and new premises were erected. Source: www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/docs/history/Ipswich.pdf

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