Australian Inland Mission Hospital, Birdsville Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Australian Inland Mission Hospital
Australian Inland Mission Hospital, 2007
Location	Adelaide Street, Birdsville, Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1940s–1960s (post-World War II)
Built	1952–1953

Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Australian Inland Mission Hospital (former)
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	17 July 2008
Reference no.	602635
Significant period	1953–2005
Significant components	hospital
Builders	Ben Hargreaves

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The Australian Inland Mission Hospital is a special old hospital building in Birdsville. It's located on Adelaide Street in Queensland, Australia. This building was put together between 1952 and 1953 by a builder named Ben Hargreaves. It's now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's an important part of history.

A Hospital for the Outback

The Australian Inland Mission (AIM) Hospital in Birdsville was built to help people living in remote parts of Australia. It was a single-storey building made from prefabricated steel. This means parts of it were made in a factory and then put together on site.

Early Days in Birdsville

Birdsville is a small town in Queensland, very far from big cities.
It started in the 1870s as a place for cattle drovers.
The town was officially surveyed in 1885.
It became a key spot for police and border customs.
Most early buildings were made of local sandstone.
The population reached 220 people in 1895.

The First AIM Hospital

In 1923, the Presbyterian Church's Australian Inland Mission (AIM) opened a nursing home in Birdsville.
It was in an old hotel building called the Royal Hotel.
This was the first AIM nursing home in Queensland.
The AIM was started by Rev. Dr. John Flynn.
He wanted to create a "mantle of safety" for people in the outback.
This included a flying doctor and air ambulance service.

The Amazing Pedal Radio

To make the flying doctor service work, people needed to communicate quickly.
In 1929, Alfred Traeger invented the pedal radio.
This radio was powered by pedals, like a bicycle.
One of the first pedal radios was installed at the Birdsville AIM Hostel.
This invention changed how people in the outback talked to each other.
It connected remote stations to the new Aerial Medical Service.
This service later became the famous Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Building a New Hospital

By 1930, the old hotel building needed a lot of repairs.
The AIM decided to build a new, special hospital.
It took several years to get everything ready.
In 1937, land was bought for the new hospital.
Dr. Flynn chose a prefabricated building.
It was designed for the hot, dry conditions of the outback.
The new hospital opened in December 1937.
A separate ward for Aboriginal patients was added later.

Fire and Rebuilding

On November 10, 1951, the hospital was destroyed by a fire.
It was thought to have started from a kerosene refrigerator.
Only the Aboriginal ward was saved.
Luckily, no one died in the fire.
Medical supplies were flown in quickly by the Flying Doctor Service.
Local people and others across Australia helped raise money.
The Queensland government also gave money to help rebuild.
They needed £10,000, which was a lot of money back then!

A Community Effort

In February 1952, a new prefabricated steel building was ordered.
It came from the Sidney Williams factory in Sydney.
The building materials traveled over 2,000 miles by road to Birdsville.
The Queensland Governor, John Lavarack, even visited to help set the first corner post in June 1952.
Ben Hargreaves, who built the 1937 hospital, came out of retirement to build this one.
He made much of the furniture from North Queensland silky oak.
The new hospital cost £15,000 to build.

The Grand Opening

The new hospital opened on August 5, 1953.
It was a huge event for the whole area.
There was a two-day race meeting and a dance.
It brought the biggest crowd Birdsville had ever seen.
A reporter from Brisbane and the ABC were there.
The ABC called it "the miracle at Birdsville."
A movie called Diamantina Drama was even made about the events.

How the Hospital Worked

The hospital had a large central room for community gatherings.
It also had a dispensary, two wards (for men and women), and a wireless room.
The wireless room had the radio for communications and a library.
There was a kitchen, pantry, bathrooms, and rooms for the nurses.
Over time, other buildings were added.
These included a laundry, a power house, and "Old Timers' cottages."
These cottages were built in 1963 for elderly bushmen to live in.
One cottage was named after Grace Francis, an early AIM nurse.

Changes Over Time

In the 1970s, the AIM joined with other church missions.
They became part of the Uniting Church in Australia Frontier Services.
Frontier Services ran the Birdsville AIM Hospital from 1977 to 2005.
In 2005, the hospital closed after 53 years of service.
The Diamantina Shire Council built a new clinic nearby.
The old AIM Hospital is now a historical display for visitors.

What the Hospital Looks Like

The former Australian Inland Mission Hospital is at the eastern end of Adelaide Street. The site includes the main hospital building and the former Aboriginal ward. There are also water tanks and a shed.

The Main Hospital Building

It faces north-west and has a gabled hip roof.
Enclosed verandahs are on three sides.
It's built with a steel frame and corrugated iron walls.
The floors are concrete, often covered with linoleum.
The building was designed for the hot outback.
Ceilings are low and well-insulated.
Air vents in the roof help keep it cool.
There's a cool storage cellar under the kitchen.
It has tanks for both rainwater and town water.
A communications aerial is on the roof.

Inside the Hospital

You enter through a covered walkway to the front verandah.
French doors lead into a central chapel room.
There are two wards for patients.
A kitchen and pantry are on the right side.
Double doors lead from the kitchen to the large central pavilion.
Nurses' quarters and a lounge are at the eastern end.
Some verandahs were enclosed to add bathrooms and cupboards.

The Aboriginal Ward

This building is behind the main hospital.
It's also made of corrugated iron with a steel frame and a gabled roof.
It has an open verandah, two wards, and an enclosed rear verandah.
The windows have hinged corrugated iron shutters.

Why It's a Heritage Site

The former Australian Inland Mission Hospital was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2008. This means it's a very important historical place.

Showing Queensland's History

This hospital shows how important the AIM was to inland Queensland.
It was the first AIM hospital in Queensland, opened in 1923.
It helped provide a "mantle of safety" for people in remote areas.
The fact that it was rebuilt after the fire shows how vital it was.

A Rare Example

The Birdsville hospital is a rare example of an AIM hospital.
Only two of the original AIM hospitals in Queensland still exist today.

A Special Type of Building

It shows the main features of an AIM hospital.
It had wards, a dispensary, kitchen, bathrooms, and nurse quarters.
It also had an Aboriginal ward and accommodation for "Old Timers."
The building is a great example of a prefabricated building by Sidney Williams & Co.
These buildings were perfect for the outback because they were easy to transport and build.

Important to the Community

This hospital was essential for the people of Birdsville and the surrounding areas.
People from all over Australia helped raise money to rebuild it.
Its opening in 1953 was a huge community event.
It served as a health facility for 52 years, helping many people.

Connected to Important People and Groups

The hospital has a special connection to the Presbyterian Church's Australian Inland Mission.
This mission was founded by Rev. Dr. John Flynn.
The hospital worked with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
It provided medical care to remote Queensland communities for over 50 years.

Australian Inland Mission Hospital, Birdsville facts for kids

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