AGY-4919 | Civil Ambulance and Transport Brigade of New South Wales

Full description

The Civil Ambulance and Transport Brigade is the first recognised ambulance service in New South Wales. The Brigade's motto was "For Love and Life". The Ambulance Service of New South Wales considers the Brigade to be its direct forebear. (1)

The Brigade was a dedicated community based organisation with its first ambulance station operated from a borrowed police station in Railway Square, Sydney. Initially staff consisted of two permanent officers. Patients were transported on hand-held stretchers and hand litters. In 1899 the Brigade used its first horse-drawn ambulance and its first motor vehicle in 1912.

The Civil Ambulance and Transport Brigade and the St John Ambulance Brigade (formed in June 1901) operated concurrently as rivals until 1904. At that time an amalgamation of the two Brigades occurred, on economic grounds. The Civil Ambulance and Transport Brigade registered a change of name to Civil Ambulance & Transport Corps. This represented the Brigade becoming a Corps of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

This new amalgamated body faced rivalry from other ambulance services until the Ambulance Transport Service Act (No. 50) 1919 was enacted. The Act was to bring the organisation and control of ambulance services in New South Wales under the Ministry for Public Health.

The element of community donation and involvement in the administration of the ambulance service remained under the conditions of the Act.


Endnote
1. Ambulance Service of New South Wales Website, images.

References:
Ambulance Service of New South Wales Website.
St John Ambulance Brigade Website.
Brian Nelson, A Pictorial History of Australian Ambulances since 1880. [self-published?]. 1987.