General News
14 August, 2024
The first 100 years of healthcare in Dimboola
In the years prior to 1885, the township Dimboola (which was formerly called Nine Creeks) served the interests of those who began taking up holdings in the 1870s.
The health of such pioneers was jeopardised by their isolation.
When assistance from distantly-based doctors was unavailable, settlers relied on home remedies, homeopathic cures, patent medicines and food fortune.
The opening of district hospitals at Horsham in 1874 and Nhill in 1882 provided additional services.
By 1877 the Local Board of Health of the Lowan Shire Council engaged Dr Balfour Wilkie as Dimboola’s first resident doctor.
He was succeeded by Dr Joseph Augustus Hayden in 1879.
From 1885, the healthcare in Dimboola by medical practitioners, the nursing profession, and the staff who worked as cooks and cleaners, can be traced with the establishment of private hospitals and then the Dimboola District Hospital.
This is best told chronologically:
1885: Formation of the Shire of Dimboola, and the establishment of the Local Board of Health. Dr J. A. Hayden was appointed medical officer in June and held that office until 1887.
1886, April: Dr Wilson commenced practise at his residence, “The Manse”, in Wimmera Street.
1887, August: Dr Hayden sold his practice to Dr Hora, who was appointed Health Officer.
1887: Typhoid was prevalent in Dimboola due to some households allowing water to became stagnate around their homes and properties.
1888: Departure and subsequent death of Dr Hora. Dr William Chisholm Ross assumed duties as Health Officer.
1889: Dr Chisholm Ross purchased John Chadwick’s chemist business, retaining Chadwick to dispense for him.
Other chemists to have worked in Dimboola prior to this time included H. E. D’Albites, and Chinese herbalists and doctors such as King Lee, Ling Chong, and Ah Loo Dan.
1893: Typhoid was once-again prevalent. School teachers, police and householders were directed to report all cases to the Shire’s Board of Health.
1897: The cases of typhoid were reported at the Village Settlement near Dimboola at a Shire meeting.
Councillor Sallmann alluded to the filthy state of the river at Dimboola and the need to obtain pure water from Wartook.
1903, October: Dimboola Banner reported the death of Dr William Chisholm Ross. Dr James McBain Ross became the Health Officer for the Shire of Dimboola.
1905 (approximately): Dr James Ivy-Ingham set up practice, with his surgery and house on the corner of Church and Lochiel Street. He also procured land for a hospital in Lochiel Street.
1912: Dr Samuel Phillips arrived and operated out of the private hospital called Lalloween, which was supervised by Nurse Fox and located at 130 Lloyd Street.
1916, June 7: Death of Dorothea Hirth, the Matron of Dr Ingham’s hospital, from meningitis, in spite of the use of anti-meningitic serum obtained from the Health Department.
1919: District health is adversely affected by the influenza pandemic. An emergency hospital was established at the Dimboola Recreation Reserve where a pavilion was cleared, supplied with electricity, and eleven beds were installed.
To allay panic, Dr Phillips posted a bulletin at the Dimboola Banner office detailing patients’ names and their condition.
Dr Phillips left Dimboola in this year. In his place came Dr Samuel Germon who established a practice in Lloyd Street.
1921: Dr James McBain Ross established a practice in Victoria Street and utilised Lalloween Hospital
1924: Dr J. McBain Ross departed, and Dr Frederic Bouvier commenced practice at the Victoria Street residence, and used the facilities of Lalloween.
1927: Dr Germon departed, and Dr S. Phillips returned.
1930: Dr S. Phillips departed, and Dr Elgin Gustav “Dal” Dahlenburg commenced practicing in Dimboola.
1930/31: Dr Dahlenburg closed down Lalloween due to outbreak of infectious disease.
1931: Dr Dahlenburg purchased the property owned by Dr Ingham, and opened the private hospital Airlie, where the first Matron was Sister McWilliams.
In the same year, Dr Bouvier opened Lister Private Hospital in Park Street.
The Dimboola Banner of March 30 1931 reported “Sister E. Dodd is pleased to announce that Lister Private Hospital is now open for the reception of patients.
“This is a new brick hospital (private) built by Dr Bouvier, by Mr Bernard the well-known hospital builder and contractor, and embodies all the latest features in hospital construction, making it one of the most up-to-date private hospitals in the Wimmera, and one of the most modern facilities outside of Melbourne.
“Sister Dodd is fortunate in obtaining the services of Sister J. O’Brien on the nursing staff.
“None other than fully trained nurses will be retained on the nursing staff. Nursing fee will be of a moderate nature.”
This building is still being used as a home.
Later, Sister Sophie Mibus took over as Matron.
1939, March: Dr Dahlenburg moved to Nhill to establish practice.
1939, May: Twelve local residents met and formed Airlie Hospital Proprietary Limited. Three of them, Messrs W. N. Muntz, H. E. Taylor and T. G. Clements, went to Lorne and persuaded Dr Alister Hinchley to come to Dimboola.
1939, June: Dr Hinchley commenced practice in Dimboola. He did not wish to purchase Airlie, and urged business leaders to consider some form of community hospital.
1941: A former staff member recalled “Airlie had two three-bed wards, one two-bed ward, and one six-bed midwifery ward, four single sleep outs, a theatre, labour ward, sterilising room, kitchen, kitchen pantry, nursery, and pan room.
“It was not severed, and open fireplaces were keep going 24 hours a day during winter. Hot water was provided by a wood stove in the pantry kitchen.
“Sterile stock such as theatre linen was boiled in a copper in the laundry, and dried in an oven in the pantry kitchen.
“There was usually one major theatre day per week. Often Dr Mark O’Brien from Jeparit acted as anaesthetist. Major surgery included hysterectomies, nephrectomies, and amputations.
“Infected wounds were rare. Patients received complete bed care - such as 10 days for an appendectomy.”
1943, November: A committee was formed to establish a Bush Nursing Hospital at Dimboola. The names on the committee were H. E. Taylor, Mrs M. Anderson and J. F. Stubbs, C. F. A. Dealing, Mr. G. A. Halsall, Mrs E. Jackman, Cr W. J. Howland Messrs R. Walsgott, Thomas Pitt and A. Schulz.
It was decided to take over Airlie Private Hospital. The committee moved that a building fund be established to receive donations for the building of a future hospital.
1944, March: Lister Hospital closed, and Dr and Mrs Bouvier and Sister Mibus were given a farewell.
1944: Formation of the Dimboola Ladies Hospital Auxiliary, and the Dimboola East Hospital Auxiliary.
1946: The Victorian Bush Nursing Hospital Association found that several of its hospitals, including Dimboola, needed capital works.
Consequently, Dimboola sought the assistance of the Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission, which agreed to provide the necessary funds in conjunction with local collection.
1947: The local hospital came under the aegis of the Victorian Hospital and Charities. The Dimboola Committee had £5202-10 in the building fund.
1948: The Bush Nursing Hospital was sewered and nurses still used the bathroom. The cooperation between the staff was wonderful - there was no such thing as overtime.
Patients also helped with stock - cotton wool swabs were made by hand from rolls of cotton wool before being sterilised.
Nothing was disposable. Everything had to be cleaned and re-sterilised.
1949: By this year, the Dimboola Ladies Auxiliary had completely equipped the hospital with stainless steel articles costing £200, and the Dimboola East Auxiliary had provided eight rubber mattresses costing £16.10 each.
The Auxiliaries had also provided a vacuum cleaner, bedspreads, cutlery and crockery.
1951: Dr W. Richards began practice to work with Dr Hinchley, and departed around 1953.
1953: Dr W. J. Pryor took over the practice of Dr W. Richards.
1953, May: The committee made their first move towards building a new hospital.
1953, June: The Hospital Building Appeal opened, and 15 farmers donate £4225.
1953, July: The Appeal reached £15,650. Treasury officials visited and argued that a 34-bed hospital would be too large, recommending 24 beds.
1953, October: The Appeal reached £22,000.
1954, February: Committee president H. E. Taylor received confirmation from the Hospital and Charities Commission that a 20-bed facility, with provision for extension, would be built as soon as possible.
1954, April: Dimboola had a visit from the Minister of Health, who gave a definite assurance that a 20-bed hospital would be built without delay.
1954, July: The committee received a grant of £1600 towards the purchase of land costing £2200 on the corner of Anderson, Lloyd and Acacia Streets.
1954, August: Matron M. Shaw was appointed.
1954, November: The Appeal had £36,205 in hand.
1955, September: The plans for the new hospital were submitted to the Government and approved.
The architect favoured brick, and a diagonal sitting of the building across the land at the corner of Anderson and Lloyd Street.
1957, late: Tenders were called for the erection of the hospital.
1958, January: Eleven tender applications received.
1958, February: The tender from A. V. Jennings Construction Propriety Limited for £119,589 was accepted and approved by the Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission.
1958, April: The foundation slab was poured.
1958, August: A committee is formed to raise funds for the cost of furnishings for the new hospital.
1958, October: Mr H. E. Taylor, who had become the first Life Governor of the Dimboola and District Hospital in 1957, is presented with his certificate.
Mrs M. Anderson and Mr J. B. Henstridge are also appointed Life Governors.
1958, November: Jennings Construction Company handed over the new building to the Hospital Committee president Mr G. Westendorf.
£6416 was raised to furnish the hospital.
1959, December 18: The first patients are moved into the new hospital.
1959, December 23: The first baby is born there - Jennifer Boehm.
1960, June: The newly-formed ambulance committee meet to draw up a roster for 14 voluntary drivers.
If sufficient members could be enrolled for a yearly fee of £1, Dimboola would have a full-time ambulance officer.
1960, July: The official opening of the hospital was performed by Dr. Lindell V.H.C.C.
1971: The Alister Hinchley Wing for long-term aged care residents was built.
1972, March: The new wing was officially opened.
1985: A century of health care was celebrated at the hospital, with staff dressing in period costume.
I could go on and on naming doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, hotel services staff, and the many volunteers who have contributed to the health and wellbeing of the residents of this fantastic town named Dimboola.
- RHONDA HUF