AGY-6804 | Gulgong District Hospital

Full description

In July 1871, it was reported that the inhabitants of the Gulgong goldfield proposed to establish a public hospital there. (1) By early September that year, a contract for the erection of the hospital had been signed and work was in progress. (2) The construction proceeded rapidly and, on 16 October 1871, the hospital received its first patient. (3)

The Appropriation Act of 1872 listed certain amounts 'in aid of the erection of Gulgong Hospital' on the condition that equal or greater amounts be raised by private contributions. One of the amounts was also subject to the Government having the right of admission of patients. (4)

In October 1873, the Hospitals Acts 11 Vic No. 59 (1848) and 13 Vic No. 20 (1849) were applied by proclamation to the 'Hospital at Gulgong'. (5) In 1898, the Public Hospitals Act consolidated previous Acts relating to public hospitals, listing Gulgong on its Second Schedule. (6)

By the late 1890s, there were moves for the erection of a new hospital (7) and, in its Annual Report for 1900, the committee reported that a contract had been let for its construction. (8) The facility was to be built on a new site and have accommodation for 16 patients, ten males and six females (9). On 18 May 1901, the foundation stone was laid (10) and by early the following year the works were substantially complete. (11)

In 1929, the hospital was listed on the Second Schedule of the new Public Hospitals Act as 'The Gulgong District Hospital'. (12) Second Schedule hospitals were those which derived their corporate being by incorporation in terms of the authority contained in the Act. They were governed by Boards of directors appointed by the Government. (13)

In its first Annual Report following its establishment by the Public Hospitals Act 1929, the Hospitals Commission of NSW, in developing a scheme of classification to 'fit the conditions prevailing in the State', classified Gulgong as a District B country Acute hospital. District B hospitals were those with a daily average of 10 to 20 occupied beds, diagnostic X-ray laboratory facilities, a training school for nurses and maternity accommodation. (14)

For the year ending 30 June 1930, the Hospitals Commission reported that Gulgong had a bed capacity of 27 and that it had treated 381 in-patients, had 39 out-patient attendances and that 3 babies had been born. (15)

In January 1959, the hospital was recognised by the Nurses' Registration Board as a training school for Assistants in Nursing (later known as Nursing Aides). (16) This recognition was withdrawn in November 1978. (17)

On 29 August 2010, the Greater Western Area Health Service was forced to vacate the hospital. This followed a WorkCover inspection in March which identified serious safety concerns, primarily associated with the presence of asbestos. (18) At the same time it was announced that the Gulgong community would receive a HealthOne facility - which would co-locate GP services, primary care nursing services, community nursing, child and family health services, allied health services and pathology services - and that the Government would pursue funding for a Multipurpose Service (MPS). (19)

Endnotes
1. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 1 July 1871, p.20 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164374294 (accessed 1 June 2016).
2. Australian Town and Country Journal, 2 September 1871, p.6 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70468691 (accessed 1 June 2016).
3. Sydney Morning Herald, 17 October 1871, p.5 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13246661 (accessed 1 June 2016).
4. Appropriation Act of 1872 (36 Vic. No.3), Section III. Colonial Secretary - Charitable Institutions, items 156, 183 and 185.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.250, 28 October 1873, p.2989.
6. Public Hospitals Act 1898 (Act No.16, 1898), Section 3(a), Second Schedule.
7. Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 28 January 1899, p.196 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165230619 (accessed 1 June 2016); Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 14 February 1899, p.2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156359165 (accessed 1 June 2016).
8. 'Annual Report of the Hospital' in Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 31 January 1901, p.12 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156182518 (accessed 1 June 2016).
9. 'Laying the Foundation Stone' in Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 23 May 1901, p.10 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156182776/16235577 (accessed 1 June 2016).
10. Loc. cit.
11. 'Gulgong Hospital' in Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 6 February 1902, p.15 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/157692214 (accessed 1 June 2016); 'Hospital Committee Meeting' in Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 10 July 1902, p.13 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/157698385 (accessed 1 June 2016).
12. Public Hospitals Act 1929 (Act No.8, 1929), s.4, Second Schedule.
13. Report of the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1965, p.15 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1965-66, p.29.
14. Annual Report of the Hospitals Commission for the year ended 30 June 1930, pp.6,9 in Parliamentary Papers 1930-31-32 Vol.1, p.629.
15. Annual Reports of the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales for the years ended 30th June 1932 and 30th June 1933, p.24 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1934-35 Vol.1, p.545.
16. NSW Government Gazette No.3, 9 January 1959, p.54.
17. NSW Government Gazette No.154, 10 November 1978, p.4608.
18. Greater Western Area Health Service Media Release: 'HealthOne Announced For Gulgong' https://wnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/index.php?select1=Media&option=Archive&option2=1129 (accessed 1 June 2016).
19. Loc. cit.