Tuxworth Fullwood House facts for kids
Tuxworth Fullwood House is a special old building in Tennant Creek, a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. This building has a long history! During World War II, it was a hospital for soldiers, called the No. 55 Australian Camp Hospital. After the war, it became the Tennant Creek Hospital Outpatients Department, where people could go for medical check-ups and minor treatments. It was the very first building in Tennant Creek made of bricks and is one of the few military buildings from that time still standing in the Barkly region.
Building a Wartime Hospital
Tuxworth Fullwood House was built in 1942, right in the middle of World War II. It was first planned for the Commonwealth Department of Health, but it quickly became a hospital for the Australian Army. It was known as the 55 Army Camp Hospital. A famous architect from the Northern Territory, Beni Burnett, designed the building. This was his first time designing a building for a very dry, desert-like area.
From Hospital to Museum
After the war ended in June 1945, the building stopped being a military hospital. It then became the Tennant Creek Hospital Outpatients Department. People were a bit upset because the Army took away many important staff and most of the medical tools when they left. Even so, the building served the town as a hospital department until 1978.
Later, the building changed again and became a museum! It started holding old records and items about Tennant Creek's history. This included an old police cell from the 1930s and a large steam engine. Eventually, the building was named Tuxworth Fullwood House. This name honors two important people: Hilda Tuxworth and Bill Fullwood.
Protecting a Piece of History
Tuxworth Fullwood House is considered a very important historical site. It was officially added to the Northern Territory Heritage Register on October 25, 1995. It was also listed on another important list called the Register of the National Estate, which no longer exists, after 1980. Today, the building is looked after by the National Trust of Australia (Northern Territory). It was carefully fixed up and restored in 2009 to keep it in good condition for future generations.
