THE OLD Macksville District Memorial Hospital predates the current hospital and still sits in the grounds of Macksville Public School.
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Before it was taken over by the Health Commission, it was a private hospital owned by Sister O'Brien. It had about 24 beds, an operating theatre and a labour ward. In addition it had an office, kitchen, back and front verandas and two bathrooms.
Kerosene lamps were used at night and the toilets were outside. Laundry was all done with a 'copper' which is a metal tub heated underneath, and a hand-pump washing machine. Cooking was done on a wood burning stove. It was closed in 1958.
Newspaper reports, starting as early as 1917, have the Macksville and Nambucca Chamber of Commerce calling for the building of a hospital and the motion eventually passed was: "That this meeting is of the opinion that the worthiest memorial to our soldiers would be the establishment of a Nambucca District Hospital after the conclusion of the war and ... steps be taken to bring the matter under the attention of the whole of the people of the river."
The project relied on subscriptions from the public and initially started with a bank account of just 20 pounds. Early subscribers, at 25 pounds each, were AH Hall, W Coonan, A McKay and M Wallace.
John Hendrick (Harry) Wall (1857-1925) was a native of Finland and a sailor. He spent the latter part of his life in Macksville. Little is known of his early life but in Macksville he lived as a bachelor in one of four cottages he owned in McKay St.
When Harry sadly took his own life in Sydney in 1925 at the age of 68, it was found he had bequeathed his estate of property and cash for the purpose of building a hospital at Macksville. The will required the funds to be used within five years or they would be defaulted in favour of the Children's Hospital at Camperdown.
A rushed public meeting secured the funds just short of the expiry date in 1930. The bequest was valued at 1800 pounds.
The building of the hospital was finally undertaken in 1957 and photos show the labour required included the local population. The new hospital proudly boasted of its state of the art facilities.
The opening ceremony was on December 6 1958 by the Minister for Health for NSW, William Frances Sheahan. The president of the Nambucca Shire, Councillor CH Piggott, welcomed all the dignitaries on behalf of the shire and they were treated to music from the Macksville Town Band and afternoon tea by the Hospital Auxiliary.
When the hospital officially opened it was called the Nambucca District Hospital with the planned inclusion of 'Memorial' omitted. From the outset, the hospital location was supposedly confused as being at Nambucca Heads, with deliveries being sent there as well as visitors going to the wrong station. It was soon changed to the Macksville District Hospital.
Locals also called it "the hospital on the hill" due to its location.
Martin Ballangarry, a current member of Nambucca Council recalls: "When the hospital opened in 1958 the Indigenous people were very happy. We were ecstatic that the hospital was for all of the population and increased access to important medical services for the Gumbaynggirr people. My family and their community raised funds for the hospital before and after the opening."
Mayor Rhonda Hoban also offers a tribute to the hospital: "In a small semi-rural community a hospital is more than a place that promotes health, provides employment and heals the sick and injured. From the cradle to the grave our hospital serves the community through the most joyful occasions in our lives, the maintenance of our health and our inevitable sad losses. The history of the hospital from its first days is a testament to the hard work of the community and staff. From the first person who said, 'We need a hospital here!', to the myriad committees, fundraisers and community leaders who have responded, the Macksville District Hospital is the legacy of them all."
This article was sourced from the archives of the Nambucca Headland Museum and the Macksville District Hospital.
