Boolaroo - Teralba District Ambulance

Major coup for the people of Lake Macquarie!

On Saturday 22 April, 1922 Councillor T. C. Frith was handed the gold key to open the newly built Boolaroo and Teralba District Ambulance Transport Station, the first station north of the Sydney Metropolitan area.

After many residents of Boolaroo and surrounding districts succumbed to the influenza epidemic in 1919, a committee was formed the following year to raise funds for the building of an ambulance station in the area. Although the community was deeply indebted to the Sulphide Corporation for their generosity in making available their voluntary ambulance service, they felt that much time was lost in seeking treatment. The community needed a prompt and speedy ambulance transport service.

By January 1921 enough funds had been raised to purchase land in Boolaroo to house the station plus the installation of one motor ambulance The ambulance was temporarily housed at the Sulphide Corporation, pending construction of the station. The ambulance service was supported financially by local collieries and the Sulphide Corporation, as well as subscriptions from the local community and regular contributions from colliery workers of threepence per week. The service was to be offered free of charge and convey patients from the district to Wallsend or Newcastle Hospitals.

The station, on opening, was a single storied brick construction built at a cost of £1120. The layout consisted of a garage, with enough space to accommodate two motor ambulance vehicles, a drill room and a casualty room. The architect was Mr E. Tingle. A residence for the superintendent was built later, adjacent to the station. Alterations were made in 1926 to allow for the increasing fleet. At the annual meeting of the Subscribers's Board in 1926, Mr T. C. Frith, President, reported that "during the twelve months ended June 20,1926, the brigade handled 2270 cases, comprising 520 accidents, 850 transports, and 900 minor cases. The cars travelled 14,785 miles, and the hours worked by the honorary staff totalled 1780" (Newcastle Morning Herald, 15 September 1926)

Life membership, by order of the New South Wales Tranport 8ervice Board, was bestowed upon Messrs T. C. Frith, D. Ace, H. A. Evans, D. Sneddon, G. Durie, for services rendered to the brigade in August 1926.

By 1949 the station had a total of five ambulances in the fleet. Twenty four hour service commenced in 1951 and no parking zones in the immediate area was implemented in 1952. This made access in and out of the base safer and easier for ambulance vehicles after drivers had expressed concerns. The station moved to new premises in 1954, just a few doors up from the existing one.

Reference

1913 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 17 October, p. 4. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137024373

1920 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 6 February, p. 5. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139428838

1920 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 14 April, p. 5. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139423409

1920 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 31 July, p. 5. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138830872

1920 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 8 September, p. 3. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140090162

1921 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 7 January, p. 5. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140029831

1922 'BOOLAROO AMBULANCE.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 24 April, p. 4. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140997467

1926 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 15 September, p. 9. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135163592

1936 'SUCCESSFUL YEAR', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 9 September, p. 15. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140500669

1936 'OFFICERS ELECTED', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 16 September, p. 8. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140509028

1937 'LAKE AMBULANCE', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 8 September, p. 9. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134943424

1948 'Suburban and District Lake Ambulance Petrol Short', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 12 February, p. 3. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134319795

1948 '"ENOUGH AMBULANCE RESCUE EQUIPMENT"', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 11 March, p. 3. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134338988

1950 'Sirens for Lake Ambulances', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 15 August, p. 3. , viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135300045

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