Ambulance Building, Charters Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ambulance Building |
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Ambulance Building, Charters Towers, 2015
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| Location | 157 Gill Street, Charters Towers City, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900-1914 Early 20th century |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Walter Hunt |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Ambulance Building (former) | |
| Type | state heritage |
| Designated | 4 December 2015 |
| Reference no. | 650009 |
| Type | Health and care services: Ambulance station |
| Theme | Providing health and welfare services: Providing health services |
| Builders | Arthur Reid & James Walker |
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The Ambulance Building in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia, is a special old building that used to be an ambulance station. Today, it's a museum! It's located at 157 Gill Street in Charters Towers City. This building was designed by Walter Hunt and built in 1903 by Arthur Reid and James Walker. It's so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 December 2015.
Contents
A Look Back: The Ambulance Building's Story
This two-storey brick building, built in 1903, is very important. It was the second building made especially for an ambulance service in Queensland, and it's the oldest one still standing! It shows how ambulance services started in towns across Queensland in the early 1900s. It's also a great example of buildings from that time and has a strong connection to the Queensland Ambulance Service (which used to be called the QATB).
Charters Towers: A Gold Rush Town
Charters Towers became a town after gold was found there in December 1871. Soon, it was a busy goldfield. By August 1872, about 3,000 people lived there! In the 1880s, Charters Towers grew even more, becoming Queensland's best goldfield. A railway line built in 1882 helped the town by making it cheaper to bring in supplies. In 1889, the famous Brilliant Reef was found, which made the goldfield even richer.
Charters Towers produced more gold than any other place in Queensland between 1880 and 1913. It was even the third largest gold-producing area in Australia! Around 1900, Charters Towers was Queensland's second-largest city, with about 26,500 people. People even called it "the World" because it was so big and busy.
Why Ambulance Services Were Needed
Working in the gold mines was very dangerous. Many miners were injured or got sick. Between 1890 and 1901, more miners were hurt or died in Charters Towers than in other places. Miners often suffered from broken bones, bruises, and lung problems from the dust. They also got diseases like typhoid because of poor hygiene. Before ambulance services, sick or injured people had to find their own way to the doctor or hospital, which could make their injuries worse.
Starting an Ambulance Service
In 1900, people in Charters Towers decided they needed an ambulance service. The City Ambulance Transport Brigade (CATB) from Brisbane helped them. Their goal was to give first aid and take sick or injured people to the hospital.
Ambulance services were already starting in other parts of the world.
- In the United States, the first hospital-based ambulance service began before 1865.
- Britain started its first hospital ambulance in 1867.
- The Red Cross formed in Europe in 1870.
- St John's Ambulance Association started in England in 1877.
In Australia, Sydney had its first ambulance group in 1881.
In October 1900, a meeting was held in Charters Towers to discuss starting an ambulance brigade. They needed two paid officers and 20-30 volunteers. They also needed equipment like stretchers. The community would help pay for it, with some money from the government. As a result, the Charters Towers Ambulance Brigade was formed.
The First Regional Ambulance Centre
The Charters Towers Ambulance Brigade started working in December 1900. It was the first regional ambulance centre in Queensland! It first operated from the fire station, then moved to a house. In 1902, the CATB became the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade (QATB) because it was growing across the state. Many towns, especially gold mining towns like Charters Towers, Ravenswood, and Gympie, were among the first to get ambulance services.
Building a Permanent Home
By December 1901, the Charters Towers Ambulance Brigade Committee knew they needed their own building. They wanted to buy land and build a new station for about £1200. They bought land on Gill Street, which was a great spot. It was between the city centre and the railway station, close to the hospital, and near the main gold mines.
Some people thought the new building would be too expensive and take money away from hospital fundraising. But fundraising continued, with sports days and musical shows.
Local architect Walter Hunt designed the building. He was a well-known architect who also designed other buildings in Charters Towers, like the Swimming Baths and the Newspaper Building. Arthur Reid built the station, with James Walker doing the brickwork.
On 29 March 1903, a special ceremony took place. About 1500 people watched as the foundation stone for the Ambulance Building was laid. Less than three months later, on 13 June 1903, the building officially opened. The land, building, and everything inside cost £2600.
The building was described as having a large room on the ground floor for the ambulance cart and stretchers. The doors could even open by electricity! Upstairs, there was a big meeting room, bathrooms, and six bedrooms for the staff. The committee believed the strong brick building would last a very long time.
A 1905 photo shows the building had a grand, symmetrical front with classical designs. It had special decorations like the QATB logo (a Maltese cross with Q, A, T, B around it) and the word "AMBULANCE." There was a large opening on the ground floor for the horse-drawn ambulance to go in and out. The superintendent lived in a timber house behind the station.
The Charters Towers Ambulance Building was similar to the main ambulance station in Brisbane, which also had two floors: one for vehicles and staff, and one for living quarters.
Ambulance Work Continues
The first year was very busy for the Charters Towers Ambulance Centre. In 1901, they helped with 1165 cases, showing how much the service was needed.
Gold mining in Queensland slowed down in the early 1900s. In Charters Towers, mining stopped almost completely by 1917. The city's population dropped, and many homes were moved. However, Charters Towers remained an important town, and the ambulance service continued to be vital.
Even as the town changed, the ambulance brigade's work did not decrease. In fact, it grew! In 1915, they got a new motor car for trips to rural areas. By 1918, the QATB switched from horse-drawn ambulances to motorised ones. This meant the Charters Towers Ambulance Brigade could help more people over longer distances.
Changes to the Building Over Time
The Ambulance Building changed over the years to help with its work.
- In 1916, a special ceiling was added to the first floor.
- In 1946, the top floor was made into a home for the Superintendent. This helped save money on maintenance. The building then had a standard layout: vehicle space, a casualty room, a meeting room, and a sleeping room for staff on the ground floor, and living quarters upstairs.
- Later, one of the doors was covered, a new septic system was installed, and a partition was added to create more space for staff.
- After 1956, the main entrance for vehicles was widened to fit motor vehicles, but its height was lowered. An awning was also added.
In the 1980s, the QATB bought more land next to the building to expand. In 1995, a new, modern ambulance building was built next to the old one. The old Ambulance Building was then changed to connect to the new station.
In 2003, the building was prepared to become a museum. The awning was removed, and the front of the building was rebuilt to look more like it did in 1903.
Today, the Ambulance Building still stands out on Gill Street. It now houses a museum with old ambulance vehicles, uniforms, and log books that show the cases ambulance officers handled long ago.
Images for kids
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A wide view of the Ambulance Building and its surroundings in 2015.
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A side and rear view of the Ambulance Building in 2015.
