In 2015 the next Mudgee District Hospital was announced and it was noted that the current one has been serving the community for 60 years. But here is a look at the old, old Mudgee Hospital that was used for over 80 years (1874 to 1955).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Establishment
On February 20, 1874, two acres of land fronting Nicholson Street was dedicated to the establishment of a new hospital, to replace the former 12-bed hospital located on the south west corner of Mortimer and Perry streets which was often at or over capacity [sometimes at 14].
This followed the formation of a committee to lobby the government for a bigger hospital to help Mudgee cope as its population swelled during the Gold Rush years.
In late 1874 the new 30-bed hospital was built at an estimated cost of £3000.
It was designed by Sir Edmund Blacket, whose other works include the St Andrew's Cathedral and University of Sydney, and constructed by Silas Warner.
The Western Post newspaper recorded that the official opening included a procession from what is now Robertson Park along Market and Lewis streets, by groups such as the Masons and Cadets (all in full regalia), along with a band and the mayor, council aldermen and various dignitaries. The public also joined on horseback and foot, with a number of carriages for the ladies.
Further land was added over the years this was still on the outskirts of town at the time and the isolation block was later added to the eastern side of the grounds.
A short detour on the bridge
On a side note, one of the reasons it's hard to picture the old hospital is that the H.O Bensley Bridge over the railway line completely changed the whole area.
For a start, it bisected Nicholson Street and the section where the building was located was removed and is now part of the hospital grounds.
Opened in the early 1970s the bridge - which replaced a level crossing - was of immediate benefit to the current hospital.
Hospital Board chairman of the time, Mr E.J Wright, mentioned it at the opening of the the Lynda Doughan School of Nursing in 1972.
With the advent of the new overhead bridge an achievement of tremendous importance to the hospital Council has closed the road fronting the hospital cottage, he said.
The board is hopeful of extending our grounds to the railway add to the environment of the lecture block so that our nurses can enjoy the surroundings whether in study or relaxation.
A hospital stay in the old days
The archives of the Mudgee Historical Society provide a glimpse into what a stay in the old hospital entailed
For starters, the building was only a short distance from the railway and wouldve been subjected to the noise of the shunting of steam engines.
Straw beds were used early on and some patients complained that inferior straw was used.
One of the handymans daily jobs was to pump sufficient water for use by the hospital.
It wasnt until 1889 some 15 years after opening that it was lit by gas and in 1893 a tender was accepted to upgrade the operating theatre, notably the addition of a lantern light.
The new-beaut replacement
Former Hospital Board chairman, Mr E.J Wright, said that the old hospital was finally rased to the ground on completion of our magnificent present structure.
The 1870s era facility served the community until the opening of its replacement in October of 1955.
At 96 beds [at the time] the then new hospital had over three times the capacity of its 19th century predecessor.
This article was produced from the Mudgee Guardian/The Weekly archives and with thanks to the Mudgee Historical Society. It is the third of four installments on the history of the local hospital with the next taking a look at the current Mudgee Hospital.