A good percentage of our local residents would have visited our Tamworth Base Hospital at some time during their life, either as a visitor, or as a patient, not to mention the many that are employed there.
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This includes myself, recently a brief (impatient) patient, after a Bush Cricket leg injury.
The origins of our 1884 hospital pictured here came after two early previous public hospitals that served those in need.
The first of these was in the 1840's in West Tamworth, initiated by the Australian Agricultural Company on their Peel's River Estate. Under their charter they were required to provide health care for their workforce.
This initiated the building of a 10-bed slab-sided bark-roof hospital, with early doctors employed by the Company over time being Drs Stacey, Rogers, Jay, McIntosh, Haigh and Jenkins.
Qualified English nurse Sarah Willis also served as the Hospital Matron.
With population increasing, eventually the Benevolent Society (Australia's oldest charity body) laid a foundation stone in 1855 for a new hospital in Peel Street, opposite the now old Skatepark.
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This brick building opened in 1856, with three small wards and a larger room serving as our town hospital until the current hospital site opened up in 1884.
Building on the Johnston/Dean Street site commenced in 1883 under the plan of architect J.W.Pender, with the much celebrated opening taking place in October, 1884.
This was 20 years before the first motor vehicle came to Tamworth, as we see the horse-drawn vehicle outside the main entrance in the photo.
After a Mortuary and Fever Ward were deleted from the original plan, the final construction cost was 4 071 pounds.
At the Official Opening the Mayor James Piper handed the front door key to the Chairman of the Building Committee, Nathan Cohen, who in turn handed it to Member of Parliament and Hospital President John Gill, who completed the Opening.
The amenity was known as Tamworth District Hospital until 1935, when the name was changed to Tamworth Base Hospital.
Our steadfast institution survived many particular medical challenges over the years, including Spanish Flu, diphtheria, whooping cough, typhoid, etc, now also dealing with COVID 19.
Over the years Tamworth has also been served by a number of private hospitals, including one at Calala House (now Tamworth Historical Society's Calala Cottage), operating for over a decade from the mid 1930's.
Our current highly-valued Tamworth Base Hospital is one of the largest in NSW servicing Regional communities.
It has grown significantly over the years, with major additions opening in December, 2015. We should never take it for granted.
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