Old Isisford District Hospital facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Isisford District Hospital
Isisford Hospital - entrance from North, 2014
Location	6 St Agnes Street, Isisford, Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia
Built	1892–1960
Architect	Queensland Department of Public Works
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Isisford District Hospital (former)
Type	state heritage
Designated	9 September 2014
Reference no.	602837
Type	Health and care services: Hospital-public
Theme	Providing health and welfare services: Providing health services
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The Old Isisford District Hospital is a historic building in Isisford, Australia. It used to be a public hospital. The Queensland Department of Public Works designed it, and it was built between 1914 and 1918. This important building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 September 2014. It shows how hospitals in Queensland changed over time.

A Look Back: The Hospital's Story

The former Isisford District Hospital is a group of timber buildings with corrugated iron roofs. It is located in central western Queensland. The hospital first opened in 1892. More buildings were added between 1902 and 1961. It worked as a hospital until 1970 and then as a clinic until 2011. It is a great example of a local hospital. It shows how hospitals changed as community needs, health ideas, and laws about hospitals developed.

Early Days of Isisford

People explored the Isisford area in the 1840s and 1850s. Farmers settled there from the mid-1860s. In 1874, William and James Whitman started a settlement called "Whittown." More farms along the Barcoo River brought workers, animal herders, and teamsters. This helped Whittown grow as a service center. In 1878, the town was mapped out and renamed "Isis Ford."

During the 1880s, the area continued to grow. More wool was produced, bringing many sheep shearers to the district. A railway line from Rockhampton made transport easier. It reached Jericho in 1885 and Barcaldine in 1886.

Building the Hospital

By 1887, people realized Isisford needed a hospital and a doctor. In 1891, a temporary hospital committee was formed. They quickly raised £400 and were promised £800 more. In October 1891, a permanent hospital committee was chosen. By April 1892, they met the rules of the Hospitals' Act 1862. This meant they could get money from the government.

They asked for land to build the hospital. A special hospital area was set aside. By September 1892, the committee had £1000, and building began. In October 1892, they looked for a head nurse (matron) and a ward assistant. By February 1893, the hospital was treating patients.

Hospital Design and Health Ideas

The Isisford District Hospital was built on a hill south of the town. This followed common ideas for hospitals in the late 1800s. It had several buildings connected together. This was known as the "pavilion plan." It meant separate buildings (pavilions) to allow for lots of light and fresh air.

Like other small Queensland hospitals, its wards and rooms had wide verandahs. Kitchen, bathroom, and toilet areas were in separate blocks. Hospital designs were influenced by the "miasmatic theory of disease." This old idea suggested that bad air caused sickness. So, good airflow and cleanliness were thought to stop diseases from spreading.

An ideal hospital site was on high ground with plenty of space. It was usually on the edge of town. A high spot helped catch breezes, bringing fresh air into the wards. A large hospital area, far from the town, was believed to reduce bad smells. Hospital lands were often much larger than needed, with the main buildings taking up only a small part.

Running the Hospital

The hospital committee, with community support, ran the Isisford District Hospital for 52 years. Money came from community members, shearers, donations, and events like concerts.

Isisford and its area grew in the 30 years after the hospital opened. In 1901, Isisford had 270 people. This grew to 356 in 1907 and peaked at 388 in 1921. More farmers moved to the Isisford area between 1902 and 1926. Good weather also helped, leading to 20 years of growth.

Hospital Expansions

This growth led to new additions at the hospital. A morgue (a place to keep bodies) was added by September 1903. In 1908, plans were made for a female ward. In May 1913, another building was put up. We don't know its exact purpose from reports. But in October 1913, rooms for the matron and nurses were being furnished. A 1927 newspaper article mentioned that nurses' quarters had been added earlier.

Big changes to hospital management happened when the Labor Party came to power in Queensland in 1915. They governed for a long time. In April 1916, newspapers reported that the Queensland Government planned to take over the Isisford District Hospital. A new committee was chosen, including two government representatives. However, the committee still raised money and donations. The government helped with money for buildings and upkeep.

Challenges and New Buildings

During World War I, the hospital committee found it hard to keep a doctor. They thought providing a home for the doctor would help. So, in 1918, the committee raised money for a doctor's house. The Queensland Government helped pay for it. It was built by early 1921.

Soon after, the local newspaper, the Western Champion, praised the hospital: "If there is one institution in Isisford of which the town and district people may feel proud it is the hospital. The fine block of buildings is erected on an elevated central position, and a beautiful breeze appears to always prevail around the spacious verandahs. It is over 30 years since the Isisford Hospital was founded - certainly in a small way at first, but the buildings have been gradually added to and improved until now the hospital is worthy of a place in much larger towns... The hospital in Isisford appears altogether too large and well-appointed for the size of the town, but still in years to come it may be too inadequate. There are male and female wards, in addition to private wards... operating theatre... dispensary.... The nurses and matron's private rooms are very snug. The northern verandah is well-curtained, and here the nurses have a very comfortable open-air sleeping apartment.... Separating the staff's apartments from the wards is a wide lounge, running the whole length of the building.... The kitchen is commodious and well equipped, and all the doors and windows are gauzed. There is ample verandah space - a most commendable provision on the part of the designers of the building. There is also a lock ward - a separate building, not long erected at a cost of £400 ... and arrangements are well forward for the erection of a maternity ward and also an infectious diseases ward. The hospital water supply is well provided for ... by means of several large tanks, while a "hospital" cow supplies all the milk that is necessary. The building is lighted throughout with acetylene gas.... A very fine new residence (which adjoins the hospital) has just been erected and furnished at a cost of about £1700 for the doctor."

Maternity Ward and Modernization

The next big change came after Queensland's Maternity Act 1922. This law aimed to reduce infant deaths and improve mothers' health. It created a network of free maternity hospitals across Queensland. These were funded by the "Motherhood, Child Welfare and Hospital Fund." This fund got money from the state-run lottery, the Golden Casket, started in 1920.

The law wanted to lower death rates for mothers and babies. It also aimed to increase birth rates and encourage people to settle in outback areas. It also taught mothers how to care for children. By 1940, almost all women in Queensland could use a government-built maternity hospital. No other state had such a wide network.

Remote towns like Isisford were given priority for maternity wards. Isisford District Hospital received a standard five-bed maternity ward. It was designed by the Department of Public Works. It was built in 1923-24 and opened in January 1925. The maternity ward had a labor room, a sterilizing room, a duty room, and two two-bed wards. These opened onto a verandah. A covered walkway connected it to the main hospital building. It cost about £1600 with furniture. The Isisford District Hospital Committee had to pay for its upkeep.

In 1927, The Longreach Leader newspaper described the hospital's growth: "The original hospital building is now used for two female wards and a kitchen. Additions since opening have been nurses' quarters, two female wards, operating theatre, isolation ward, maternity ward and doctor's residence. The institution is equipped with electric lighting and Xray plant. Staff comprise a medical officer, matron, two nurses and the domestic staff namely yardsman, cook, housemaid and laundress. There are four general wards - public and private ward for males and two similar wards for females."

More health laws in the 1920s and 1930s changed hospital services. The Hospitals Act 1923 set up a new way to manage hospitals through district boards.

However, in the 1930s, the Isisford District Hospital still relied on its committee's fundraising. This showed how important the hospital was to the area. The committee made improvements, like changing the maternity ward in 1933 for better airflow. In 1935, running water was added after the council's weir (a small dam) was finished.

Post-War Changes and Decline

After World War II, hospital funding and operations changed a lot in Australia. Queensland's Health Act Amendment Act 1944 gave the Queensland Government full control of the hospital system. Local councils no longer had to pay for hospital upkeep. Their say on hospital boards was reduced. Isisford Hospital came under the control of the Blackall Hospitals Board.

Finding enough staff became a problem again after the war. The community raised money to help. There was no doctor at Isisford Hospital from December 1945 to May 1946. When the remaining medical staff quit due to overwork, the hospital temporarily closed. This led the committee to complain to Queensland Premier Ned Hanlon in May 1946. They were concerned about the lack of staff.

At the same time, public meetings were held. Isisford started the Isisford Hospital Benefit Fund in June 1946. This was a voluntary list for people to donate money. It aimed to pay nurses an extra £5 per month. This was to make up for the higher cost of living in the isolated area. With this bonus, the Matron returned, and two highly qualified nurses and an assistant nurse were hired. The extra £5 helped keep a full nursing staff. However, it was still hard to get and keep doctors through the government system.

After World War II, Isisford's population grew. The town's services improved due to good seasons and high wool prices. But the 1956 shearers' strike caused many shearers to leave the town.

From 1948 into the 1950s, the hospital was expanded. This included a kitchen, an operating theatre, and an extension to one of the 1892 buildings. The Blackall Hospitals Board approved plans to update the Isisford Hospital. They also approved an X-ray machine for Isisford.

Morgue, 2014

In early 1956, a windstorm damaged the Isisford morgue. The Blackall Hospital Board suggested building a new morgue. In the same year, the 1892 ward building was removed. By 1958, a new operating theatre with a terrazzo (a type of floor with stone chips) floor was finished. Brisbane architects Fulton & Collin designed it. The hospital was updated and added to in the 1950s and 1960s. This included a kitchen and laundry.

The 1960s and 1970s were a time of decline for Isisford. The last full-time doctor left in 1959. By 1961, the population dropped to 293. It kept falling, especially after the 1965 drought, reaching 169 in 1971. This led to fewer services. For example, in 1979, the Isisford Post Office became an unofficial post office.

On 14 September 1970, the Queensland Cabinet decided that Isisford Hospital would become an Outpatients' Centre. It would have a few holding beds and a dental clinic. At that time, the hospital had: a general section with private and public wards; a maternity section with a public ward, private rooms, and a labor ward; an outpatient department; an operating theatre; an X-ray department; a dental clinic; a kitchen and dining room; a laundry; a boiler house; a morgue; storerooms; and staff living areas. The public ward and nursery in the maternity ward were used by the Matron as her bedroom and sitting room. The private rooms became a Dental Clinic because maternity cases were sent to Blackall Hospital. Later, the doctor's residence was removed.

In 1996, a study of historic buildings found the Isisford Hospital Maternity Ward to be very important. It was mostly unchanged. The 1909 pavilion ward was also seen as a significant ward from the 1900s.

In the 2000s, services to the region were further reduced. The Jericho-Yaraka railway line closed. A sealed road from Blackall to Windorah replaced it. Queensland Rail stopped trains on the Yaraka line in November 2006. Isisford's population was 262, similar to the 1960s and 1970s.

The Isisford Clinic, located in the former hospital, closed in 2011. A new Isisford Primary Health Clinic opened nearby. In 2014, the future use of the old hospital was still unknown.

As of 2014, the former Isisford District Hospital still has parts from its earliest days. It also shows how it grew over 70 years. Part of the original hospital is at the center of its design. The 1909 pavilion ward is still complete and is now rare. Out of 78 pavilion hospitals and wards identified in a 1996 survey, this ward is one of fewer than 21 still standing. The 1924 maternity ward is one of only about 13 standard plan maternity wards left. These were built between 1923 and 1936. Most existing standard maternity wards have been changed a lot. But the Isisford Maternity Ward remains one of the most complete.

What the Hospital Looks Like

The former Isisford Hospital is on a raised spot at the corner of St Agnes and St Helena Streets in Isisford. It is a large group of low, single-story timber buildings. They have corrugated iron roofs and are connected by verandahs and covered walkways. The buildings include: the 1892 building; the 1909 pavilion female ward; the 1924 maternity ward; the 1950s operating theatre; the 1950s morgue; and the 1961 kitchen wing. Old trees around the hospital include a Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus), a Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus Macrophylla), and a Eucalyptus tree.

The 1892 building is under a gabled roof. It sits between the 1909 pavilion ward to the west and the 1950s operating theatre to the southeast. Its timber frame is covered inside with chamferboards (slanted timber boards). The rest of the building is covered with weatherboards (overlapping timber boards) or flat sheets. Its western end was extended under the 1909 ward verandah. Rooms were changed to make an outpatients clinic. The eastern end is covered by interior walls. The ceilings are lined with flat sheets. Floors have vinyl, and the original doors and windows have been replaced. The southern verandah, which connects the buildings, is enclosed with lattice (a criss-cross pattern). The northern verandah has been enclosed to form a waiting room and pharmacy. You can enter the building from the north using a concrete ramp.

Verandahs enclosed with lattice, 2014

The 1909 pavilion female ward is a long, rectangular building with a hipped roof. It has wide verandahs all around, mostly enclosed with lattice. It has an exposed timber frame. Inside, the walls are covered with wide, v-jointed tongue-and-groove boards (boards that fit together). It has a coved (curved) pressed metal ceiling and polished timber floor. It is one room wide. It still has its original doors and windows: a pair of French doors (double doors) with a fanlight (a window above) at each end, and four along each side. A nurses' station is in the middle, separating the two ward rooms. It sticks out onto the western verandah, opposite the entrance. This area has flat sheet linings. It has doors and viewing windows into the wards, and a pair of doors to the eastern verandah. A second set of stairs is on the southern verandah, next to the bathroom. These facilities in the southwest corner were updated in the 1950s. They have laminate panels and terrazzo floors. A similar 1950s kitchen addition and two staff rooms are on the northern verandah.

The 1924 maternity ward is a standard five-bed design. It does not have a separate septic ward. It has a hipped corrugated iron roof with vented gablets (small vents in the roof). It is connected to the north end of the 1909 female ward by a short covered walkway. The main entrance is on the eastern verandah. Secondary stairs are on the western verandah. V-jointed tongue-and-groove boards cover the outside walls (sheltered by verandahs) and inside walls and ceilings. The original doors and windows are mostly still there. However, the original casement windows (windows that open outwards) have been replaced with sliding aluminum windows. Floors have vinyl.

Only small changes have been made. These include: the former duty room now has kitchen cabinets; openings were made in the north and south walls of the former sterilizing room; the wall between the single bed wards was removed; wall vents between the single and two-bed ward rooms were covered; the northwest verandah was enclosed; and lattice screens and vertical louvres (slanted slats) were added to verandahs.

Later buildings on the site are from the 1950s. They have low-pitched corrugated iron roofs and wide eaves (the part of the roof that hangs over the walls). The operating theatre is attached to the southern end of the 1909 pavilion ward. It is covered in weatherboards. It has an entrance hall, operating theatre, and extra space. It has flat sheet linings and terrazzo floors.

Next to and east of the theatre wing is the 1960s kitchen. It is attached to the southeastern end of the 1892 building's verandah. This building is covered in weatherboards. It holds a kitchen, dining room, and living quarters. You can reach these from an open verandah to the east and a lattice-enclosed verandah to the west. The roof of this wing extends north beyond the 1892 wing. It covers the former emergency room of the outpatients clinic, forming a verandah along its north and eastern sides. The 1950s morgue is a small, separate building. It is covered in weatherboards and sits on a concrete slab. It is located west of the 1909 ward.

The hospital is set within large grounds. Big, established trees surround the hospital complex. These include a Kurrajong tree north of the 1892 building. A Moreton Bay Fig tree and a Eucalyptus tree are west of the 1909 ward.

Why This Place is Important

Old Isisford District Hospital was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 September 2014. This means it is important for several reasons:

Showing Queensland's History

The former Isisford District Hospital (1892-1970) shows how hospital and medical services developed for rural communities in Queensland. The original 1892 building, 1909 female ward, 1924 maternity ward, 1950s morgue, operating theatre, and 1961 kitchen extension all show this. They were built because the community grew, health practices changed, and government rules about hospitals developed.

The former maternity ward (1924) is important. It shows how maternity services grew in Queensland because of the Maternity Act 1922. This building, in an isolated western town, also shows how far-reaching the 1922 policy was.

Rare and Special Features

The former Isisford District Hospital maternity ward is a rare and complete example of a standard maternity ward designed by the Department of Public Works. This design was once common. Out of 71 maternity wards built in Queensland, it is one of the two most complete ones still existing.

The 1909 pavilion ward is also a rare and complete example of a pavilion ward from the 1900s. This design was also once common.

Key Characteristics of a District Hospital

The former Isisford District Hospital shows the main features of a district hospital in Queensland. It is on a large, elevated site away from the town center. The hospital includes wards, an operating theatre, a maternity ward, a sterilizing room, a dispensary (where medicines are prepared), a morgue, staff living areas, a kitchen, and laundry facilities.

The Maternity Ward shows the main features of a standard five-bed maternity ward. This design was built because of the Maternity Act 1922. These features include the labor ward, sterilizing room, duty room (nursery), two single-bed wards, one two-bed ward, and an extra wing connected by verandahs.

Images for kids

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  Isisford Hospital - entrance from North, 2014

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  Morgue, 2014

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  Verandahs enclosed with lattice, 2014