qatb

Ambulance operations were conducted from a small shop in Flinders Street opposite the Palace Hotel. These premises were leased for a term of six months. Superintendent King moved into the building on 4 January 1901. One of the honorary members was put on paid duty for a period of eleven days at six shillings per day to assist. Being unable to procure locally an assistant holding a first aid certificate, it was decided that the Brisbane Centre be requested to send up a qualified officer for appointment to the permanent staff. Honorary Bearer T.W. McIntyre proceeded to Townsville on the ‘S.S. Peregrine’ on 5 January 1901. He was to meet his own expenses and commence duty in Townsville at a salary of eight shillings per day. In July 1901, the Committee purchased a property suitable for Brigade requirements at the corner of Sturt and Stanley Streets for the sum of £1,250 and a further £100 was expended in building a plant room and stable. By 1904, the work had increased to such an extent as to make more room absolutely necessary to enable the Brigade to function efficiently. On 12 July of that year, the Committee resolved to build a Centre that would meet the requirements of the town for Ambulance work for many years. Tenders were invited for the erection of a new brick Centre building on the site of the existing quarters. The successful tenderer was Mr S.A. Anderson, the contract price being £2,059. The foundation stone was laid on 28 September by Mr J. Johnson, the first life member of the Brigade in Townsville, in the presence of 100 people. Source: www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/docs/history/Townsville.pdf

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

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