Wondai MEG
The
Wondai MEG idea started in September 2003 and was consolidated
in early 2004 with the agreement of the historical committee.
The Hospital
The most impressive
display of objects in the Wondai Heritage Museum that used
electricity came from the old Wondai Hospital . The hospital
collection includes a Clements electric breast pump, sterilising
units and operating theatre objects. The hospital objects
are not very old. Nevertheless, the objects represent a part
of the history of health in Wondai and the electrical objects
illustrate the 'new' technology, which was introduced to the
hospital when reticulation of the electricity supply allowed
for a more reliable service. However, in the event of an electrical
'black-out', the Wondai Hospital started up its in-house supplementary
generator. The MEG members plan to gather stories from people
about the hospital equipment and its use to help with the
interpretation of the collection. In time, this will enrich
the museum visitor experience.
The History
When the new Wondai
Hospital was built in 1985, the Wondai Shire Council purchased
the Operating Theatre Complex, which is now part of the Wondai
Heritage Museum . The hospital equipment on display at the
museum was supplied by the South Burnett Hospitals Board.
The majority of the objects used electricity.
The Wondai MEG submitted
the following historical information about the hospital, which
was compiled from a publication for the Nanango Centenary
and South Burnett Historical Committee by J.E. Murphy and
E.W. Easton, M.A. in 1950. The title of the publication is
Wilderness to Wealth: 1859 to 1950 in the Shires of Nanango,
Kingaroy, Wondai, Murgon, Kilkivan and a portion of Rosalie
Shire.
The Wondai Hospital
was opened in 1915 by Sir Hamilton Gould-Adams.
Its first Medical Officer
was Dr.McQueen and Matron Atherton was its first Matron.
They were assisted
by one Nurse and a Probationer in the 14-bed hospital, which
catered for the sick from the areas of Murgon, Proston, Greenview,
Chelmsford, Tingoora, Home Creek, Goomeri, Mondure, Wooroolin,
Hivesville, Cloyna, Wheatlands, Brigooda, Kinleymore, Moffatdale,
Silverleaf, Durong and Windera.
In its earliest days,
the "Weavers", a body of motivated and enthusiastic
ladies, offered their help. Later, in 1959, the Wondai Hospital
Auxiliary was formed with Mr.Frank Kemp as President.
Mrs Jess Keates then
took over and held the position until her death in 1998.
Over the years the Auxiliary purchased equipment for the Hospital
and the Weinholt Nursing Home, and also many items to make
the patients more comfortable during their stay.
The Wondai Branch of
the Red Cross was formed in 1938 with Mrs.M.McLIhatton as
inaugural President, a position she held for 8 years. The
longest serving President was Jess Keates who held the position
for 29 years and whose dedication and enthusiasm was responsible
for the building of a Rest Room in the hospital grounds. The
Red Cross operated the Blood Donor Service in Wondai until
the late 1900s, giving Wondai the title of the best "bloody"
town in the Southern Hemisphere by the Courier Mail.
The Objects
Wondai MEG and QEM
would be interested in hearing about similar collections in
museums, or from anyone that may be able to help with the
dating and history of the equipment shown in the attached
photographs.
Switch-On Ceremony
On the wall in the
foyer of the museum is a framed copy of a page from a local
newspaper with the story of the 'Switch-On Ceremony' in the
town of Wondai.
Undoubtedly, the article
provides evidence of the economic and social history of the
town, provides an insight into its local government structure
and reveals the impact that the introduction of a reticulated
supply of electricity had on the local community. When Wondai's
reaction is compared to celebrations for similar events in
other small communities in Queensland , contrasts and similarities
are revealed.
Old Generator
Another object of interest
related to electricity generation is an old generator from
nearby Proston. The Wondai Historical Society retrieved the
generator from its Proston site and saved it from being destroyed.
However, little was known about the origin and use of the
object. Subsequently, it was stored in a shed within the grounds
of the museum. Plans to preserve the generator and do more
research into its background ownership and use were slow to
start, due to limited human and financial resources. With
the establishment of the MEG and the initial reassessment
of the museum's collection related to energy, which is a necessary
requirement for each MEG to be successful, there was a renewed
interest in the generator. The Brisbane firm, Gilbert Electrical
Engineers, formerly of Elizabeth Street manufactured the 220
volt generator.
More will be added
as we uncover additional information, so watch this space!
QEM
Contribution
As with each MEG, our
Director, Jan, sets out to provide the new group with some
of the information in the QEM collection related to the energy
history of that community. The Annual Report for 1939 of the
State Electricity Commission of Queensland (SECQ) mentioned
that the town of Wondai had received its electricity supply
for a number of years in bulk from the local sawmill. However,
it was noted that the residents of the town and the parties
involved in the agreement had expressed dissatisfaction. A
new agreement was arranged and an electricity supply was provided
from the powerhouse at Kingaroy.
The transmission line
from Kingaroy to Wondai was designed specifically to take
into account a planned irrigation scheme for the surrounding
districts. The plans had a direct impact on the design and
the location of the transmission lines. The SECQ noted that
depending on the progress of the scheme, it would probably
be necessary to 'construct a tie-line between Wondai and Murgon',
which would link the Kingaroy Powerhouse with the Murgon Powerhouse.
More information will be added soon!
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