Underground Hospital, Mount Isa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Underground Hospital, Mount Isa |
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Entrance to the Underground Hospital, 2013
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| Location | Camooweal Street, Mornington, City of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1939–1945 (World War II) |
| Built | March 1942 – April 1942 |
| Architect | Edward J Ryan |
| Official name: Former Underground Hospital, Mount Isa | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological) |
| Designated | 24 June 1999 |
| Reference no. | 601102 |
| Significant period | 1942 (fabric) 1940s–1960s (historical) |
| Significant components | objects (movable) – health/care services, other – health/care services: component, adit |
| Builders | Mount Isa Mines |
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The Underground Hospital in Mount Isa, Queensland, is a special old building. It used to be a hospital, built completely underground! Miners from Mount Isa Mines helped build it very quickly in 1942. Dr. Edward J. Ryan designed this unique hospital. It's now a heritage site, recognized for its history since 1999.
Contents
Why Was the Underground Hospital Built?
During World War II, in March and April 1942, something amazing was built in Mount Isa. This was the Underground Hospital. It was located on the grounds of the Mount Isa District Hospital. Miners from Mount Isa Mines volunteered their time to build it. Dr. Edward Joseph Ryan, who was the hospital's superintendent, designed it. Wally Onton, an underground foreman at Mount Isa Mines, helped supervise the building work.
The Threat of War
The war in the Pacific reached Australia in early 1942. Cities like Darwin were bombed by Japanese planes. Other towns in Western Australia and Queensland, like Townsville, were also attacked. Even Port Moresby in New Guinea was bombed.
People in Mount Isa felt very worried. There wasn't much military protection left in northern Australia. The Mount Isa Copper Mine was very important. It had valuable copper, lead, zinc, and silver. People thought the Japanese might want to attack or invade Mount Isa to get these resources.
A Plan to Protect the Hospital
Because of this fear, Dr. Edward Ryan decided to protect the Mount Isa District Hospital. He contacted Vic Mann, the Mine Superintendent at Mount Isa Mines. The company agreed to help. They offered equipment and the help of Wally Onton to supervise the project. The miners volunteered their time to dig and build the underground hospital.
Building the Underground Hospital
The miners worked quickly, mostly over two weeks. They drilled, blasted, and cleared out the rock. The fitting-out took a few more weeks. By March and April 1942, about 100 metres (330 feet) of tunnels were dug.
How It Was Built
The hospital had three parallel tunnels dug into the hillside. These tunnels were connected by a crosscut tunnel. This made a large underground shelter shaped like an "E". A vertical shaft went up to the hillside above. This shaft helped with air circulation and was also an emergency exit with a ladder.
The tunnels were supported with timber, just like a mine. The hospital was then fitted out with everything needed. It had wards for men, women, and mothers with children. There was even a surgical theatre and a delivery room.
Inside the Hospital
The finished underground hospital was about 100 metres (330 feet) from the main hospital building. A gravel path led to it. The three entrances had locked timber gates. Inside, the tunnels were framed with round native timber or sawn Oregon timber. The ceiling was made of sawn hardwood planks. Some walls were lined with gidyea logs. The floor was bare earth.
The hospital had electric lights and a telephone. For safety during air raids, there were buckets of water and sand, stirrup pumps, and shovels. Dr. Ryan kept the hospital ready with linen, medical equipment, and medicines. Once a week, they had air raid drills. Nurses and orderlies would move less-seriously ill patients to the underground hospital.
After the War
Mount Isa never actually had any air raids. Soon, it became clear that the attacks on northern towns were not leading to a full invasion. After big battles like the Battle of the Coral Sea and Battle of Midway, Japan's naval power was weakened. The threat of invasion disappeared.
Later Uses and Closure
Even though air raid drills stopped, the underground hospital was still used. Nurses sometimes slept there on hot nights. Over time, it became a storage room for old hospital equipment and files. After the war, children sometimes played in the tunnels. Medical equipment and supplies were still inside.
The shelter was finally closed in the 1960s. Rubble from building a new hospital wing was used to fill the three entrances. The ventilation shaft was also filled in.
Reopening and Fires
For about ten years, the underground hospital stayed closed. But in 1977, one of the filled entrances collapsed. Then, in 1988, the main entrance collapsed again. Each time an entrance opened, people in the community discussed what to do with the site. In 1992, the main entrance collapsed again. There was a lot of interest in World War II sites at that time.
The entrance was closed again, but reopened in 1994. While its future was being discussed, a fire broke out in the southern tunnel on August 27, 1994. Firefighters used foam to put out the fire. Later, burnt timber was removed.
After the fire, the hospital administration put a locked steel mesh trapdoor over the collapsed entrance. This kept the entrance open but secure. In late 1995, a public meeting showed that the community wanted to save and develop the underground hospital.
Conservation Efforts
In 1996, a committee was formed to manage the hospital's future. They planned how to conserve it. Sadly, vandals started a second fire on October 26, 1997, causing more damage.
Plans are now in place to clear the hospital's interior. Young people from Green Corps and volunteers will help. They will work with the Environmental Protection Agency. All old items found will be recorded and stored at the North West Queensland Museum. Mount Isa Mines engineers will help re-timber the interior.
What the Underground Hospital Looks Like Today
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The underground hospital covers an area about 20 metres (66 feet) square. It is in the southeastern part of the Mount Isa Base Hospital grounds.
The Tunnels
The hospital has three main tunnels that run east-west. They were dug by drilling and blasting. You can still see drill holes near the middle entrance and in the middle and south tunnels. The rock inside is a hard, light-coloured shale. The roof and walls seem to be in good condition. Engineers have said the tunnels are sound.
- The middle tunnel is about 13.8 metres (45 feet) long and 2.7 metres (9 feet) wide.
- The south tunnel is about 14.5 metres (48 feet) long and 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) wide.
- The north tunnel is the shortest at 10 metres (33 feet) long, but the widest at 3 metres (10 feet).
- The east tunnel connects the three. It is 20.4 metres (67 feet) long and 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) wide.
- The total floor area is about 188 square metres (2,020 sq ft).
A ventilation shaft is located where the crosscut and north tunnel meet. It's about one metre square. It goes up a few metres but is blocked by stone and timber. Tree roots also block the view.
Timber Supports
The inside of the hospital was supported with timber, just like a mine.
- The north tunnel had strong supports made of sawn Oregon (Douglas fir) posts and hardwood planks.
- The rest of the hospital used lighter supports made of round native hardwood logs.
- In 1997, much of the original timber was missing. Some of the remaining timber had termite damage and dry rot. The dry rot got worse after the 1997 fire because of all the water and foam used.
What's Left Inside
Not much of the original furniture or medical equipment remains. Things like operating theatre equipment, beds, and cupboards are gone. Before the fires, there was some benching, timber shelving, and light fittings. There were also many post-war items like files, X-ray plates, and an autoclave (a machine for sterilizing medical tools). It's believed these files and X-ray plates helped fuel the 1997 fire.
In the south tunnel, some 1940s light shades and bed tables were found. There were also two recesses (small alcoves) in the north and south tunnels. These might have been used as cupboards after WWII.
Items on the Floor
The floor of the underground hospital is covered with earth, fallen stone, ash, timber, furniture pieces, and electrical equipment. Many pharmaceutical bottles and ampoules (small sealed glass capsules) are also visible. Most bottles are empty, but some still contain liquids and powders. Some samples found by firefighters in 1994 included ampoules labeled sodium glycophosphate, sulphur powder, and saline solution.
Why the Underground Hospital is Important
The former Underground Hospital was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on June 24, 1999. It is important for several reasons:
- Showing Queensland's History: It shows how Queensland prepared for the threat of Japanese invasion during World War II. Miners from Mount Isa Mines built it very quickly.
- Unique in Australia: This underground hospital is thought to be the only one of its kind in Australia.
- Learning About the Past: It can teach us a lot about medical care and nursing in the 1940s. It also shows how people in Mount Isa improvised during wartime.
- A Great Example: It's a good example of a civilian defense structure built during wartime. It also shows the skill and speed of Mount Isa miners using mid-20th century mining technology.
- Community Connection: The Underground Hospital is very important to the local community. Many groups are working to save it, including the Mount Isa Hospital Board, the City Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Queensland Museum.
Images for kids
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Entrance to the Underground Hospital, 2013
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Tunnel in underground Hospital, 2013
