Proserpine Ambulance

March 30 1925 was a significant date in the history of the Proserpine Ambulance. On this day, a meeting was held at which Superintendent of the Mackay Ambulance, Mr Culverhouse, announced that the Mackay Centre had decided to make Proserpine an Honorary Centre. This marked a turning point for the town and its district after years of efforts to establish a much-needed service.

Fourteen years earlier, an ambulance centre was established in Proserpine by Mr W Morse, Superintendent of the Mackay Ambulance Brigade towards the end of November 1911. The first meeting was held in December with President Mr W Waite; Vice-President Mr F H Cross; Secretary Mr J Nancarrow and Treasurer Mr R Taggart.

It was twelve months before the first annual meeting was held (February 1913). At this meeting, Mackay Centre announced that it was prepared to advance £60 for the erection of a casualty room and a place to keep the litter (a stretcher used to carry injured or sick patients).

All seemed to be progressing very well so the Mackay Centre was approached to supply a sulky with rubber tyres. However, by April 1913, the ambulance was defunct and funds were transferred to the Proserpine Hospital to be given to the ambulance should it become active again. This would be another twelve years!

When the honorary centre was finally announced, a provisional committee was formed with Mr W Worthington as Chairman and Mr T Treacy as honorary bearer. Local chemist, Mr Harkness, offered to lend his car for brigade transport. Tom Treacy had been a bearer in World War One and recognised the need for a first aid post in the town. He had an Ashford litter at the mill and was always available for those needing attention.

There was division in the town as to the need for an ambulance centre. Some were sceptical because of the previous failed attempts; some felt the town was already keeping a hospital with doctor and staff; others pointed out that with 100 cars in the district any one of the owners would be prepared to help and then there was the concern about an amateur instead of a doctor attending a case. There was also opposition to the committee with the suggestion that certain people wanted to make themselves important. But thanks to the efforts of Tom Treacy, the townspeople came to realise the need for an ambulance centre.

The committee worked hard and by May 30 there were 98 subscribers. The government was approached about purchasing land and a quarter of an acre belonging to the mill, facing Main Street was made available. In October, it was announced that a car, an Overland, would be purchased and a temporary shed erected to house it.

In April 1926, Mill Manager, Mr Murray Gibson, officially opened the building and the centre progressed despite opposition to committee members by some of the public. The volume of work eventually necessitated erection of a two-storey building in Chapman Street on land donated by Mr Jupp. This was opened in mid 1931.

The ambulance continued as a sub-centre until January 1934 when it was taken over by a local committee as a full centre responsible for the area from Mikoolu in the south to Longford Creek in the north and embraced all the islands and west to the Clarke Range. Over the years, committee members worked tirelessly to maintain this service in the district.

Fast forward to January 28 1998 and a new centre was opened on land adjacent to the building that had served the district for 66 years.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum

‍