Bingara Hospital

Research by Eleanor Higgins indicates that a committee was formed in 1889 to raise funds for a cottage hospital.  The nearest hospital was at Warialda and Dr Lane serviced the town. A hospital site was dedicated by the Lands Department on 11 June 1889 and the Tamworth Observer, 20 July 1889 reported that plans were being prepared for a hospital.  The hospital was opened on 26 December 1889.  Built of timber, it had Dr Nagel as medical officer, Mrs Blake the first matron and her husband the wards-man.  By 1905, an extension had also been built on the hospital and the trustees were: John Byrnes, H.R. Munro, John T. Bridger and H.H. Miller.

Dr John W. Hart and the hospital committee had formed a building committee and prepared plans by 1909.  Several attempts were made to obtain a large grant to build a new hospital and on 4 March 1911 a grant of ₤500 was received from the government, followed by a similar grant on 15 May 1911.  At the same time, the Under Secretary of Lands advised that a survey had been authorised of reserve extensions to the hospital site.  Additions to the hospital site were dedicated on 24 April 1912.

In 1912 the Chief Secretary, Hon. F. Flowers MLA visited Bingara and a special grant of ₤2000 was given.  The hospital committee commissioned architect J.W. Scobie of Maitland, to prepare plans.  The committee built a new hospital with an operating theatre.  E.W. Anderson and W.H. Rogers were the contractors and the brickwork was completed under the supervision of Mr York of Barraba.  Mr McKechnie of Barraba also supervised the timber construction.  Tom Steel of Bingara made the bricks on the slopes near All Nations Hill.  Mr Jenkins milled the cypress logs at his sawmill fourteen miles from Bingara on the Keera Road, across the Gwydir River.  Dr Hart was serving overseas when the hospital opened in 1915.  

Once the new hospital was completed in March 1915, the old building was turned into living quarters for the staff and it served in this capacity until new nurses’ quarters were completed in October 1939.  It was in November 1936 that the Minister for Health visited Bingara and promised to send a government architect to prepare plans for new nurses’ quarters.  In November 1936 the Hospital Board called tenders for the sinking and bricking a well at the Bingara Hospital. 

Following a public meeting, a Ladies Auxiliary was formed in December 1934 and then continued to support the hospital.

At the Hospital Celebrations held in May 1937, over ₤1600 was raised for construction of the new quarters.  At a special meeting of the Hospital Board held on Thursday 21 October 1937 the plans were discussed and following some alterations forwarded them to the Hospital Commission for finalising.  But in February 1938 the Board of Directors expressed concern about the lack of action.

The Hospital Commission initially agreed to construct nurse’s quarters at a cost of ₤1600 provided the hospital contribute half of the cost.  In all, the community raised over ₤1623 and the commission decided to subsidise the extra money raised locally and designed a building to cost ₤3200.  Mrs Wilson Bull, winner of the Queen Competition created to raise money for the project, opened the nurses’ quarters on Saturday 2 December 1938.  It is interesting to note that the 1940 Hospital Annual Report states that the nurses’ quarters were not taken over until October 1939 and the delay in completion of the building was of great concern to the Board. 

In the 1930s the Hospital Board had hoped to construct a maternity ward but this did not eventuate until 1957.  At the time, their attention was turned to the construction of Nurses’ Quarters.

The Bingara District Hospital Annual Report published in the ‘Heritage Week’ supplement in the Bingara Advocate, 25 April 1990 revealed the extent of community support for the hospital involving: wood days; donations of milk and meat; wheat drives; race days; race balls; district dances and individual donations of goods and money.

The memorial wing at the hospital was dedicated to Dr Hollinshead.  Originally it was the maternity wing but now is mostly used for aged care.  Frank Hollinshead was born at Waratah, Newcastle on 14 March 1918 to Wallace Frank Hollinshead and Elsie (nee Mathieson).  After attending the University of Sydney where he graduated in the 1940s, he took up an internship at Newcastle Hospital and was a resident doctor there for several years.  He completed locums at Maitland and Moree for short periods and in 1946 purchased a medical practice from Dr Haggar of Bingara.  For the next 38 years, he served Bingara.

The Hon. J.B. Simpson MLA, Minister without Portfolio, opened the Maternity Wing in the presence of about 200 people at the hospital, on 1 June 1957.  The Bingara Branch of the Country Women’s Association had donated ₤1350 towards the cost of ₤22,000.  A bronze plaque was to be erected to commemorate their efforts.

Other improvements included the replacement of open fires by oil heaters about 1965 and the installation of air conditioning in the 1980s; a new administration block in 1965 followed by an outpatient’s clinic in 1968; a Casualty Department in 1980 and an Activity Centre in 1986.

Photograph 50: Bingara District Hospital, Blake & Wilson 2006