Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Soc. Inc.

24/04/2026

This ANZAC Day, the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Soc. Inc. acknowledges the military service of all staff, both past and present, of Maryborough's Hospitals.

Today, we particularly wish to honour WW2 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Nurse Edna May Armstrong. Edna was born near Gayndah in1912. Edna attended the Maryborough Girls Grammar School for a time and later undertook general nurse training at the Maryborough Hospital from 1933 to 1937, where she stayed on staff as Sister until early 1938. Edna then went on to undertake her Midwifery certificate at Brisbane's Royal Women’s Hospital after leaving Maryborough.

In January 1942, Edna enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS) and was posted to quite a number of RAAF hospitals and various medical posts throughout Australia including Richmond, with a short posting at Concord Military Hospital, Laverton, Sale, Amberly, Southport, and Sandgate plus a short stint at Greenslopes Military Hospital. Her longest posting was in WA – a year in fact at Kalgoorlie – a recollection by her indicated that it was a 32-bed hospital, and the patients were mainly the wounded from New Guinea and on one occasion a Japanese POW. She slept at the hospital, had meals in the Officer's Mess which was on the opposite side of the base to the hospital, and driven back to the hospital each evening. This quote may be one that many who have done time in the military may relate to: 'I used to think that everyone had forgotten that we existed' – it obviously was a long 12 months.
Edna’s service with the RAAFNS ended in June 1946.

Lest we forget

(Photo:Edna Armstrong,1942. Source: NAA)

07/04/2026

In the Maryborough Hospital grounds toward the eastern side facing Walker St is a two-storey building that was once the hospital's Medical Superintendent's residence. It was built in 1936-37 to meet a need for an additional doctor's residence as at the time the only doctor's residence in use was the 1928 built house occupied by the then Medical Superintendent (now used as the WB Hospitals Museum).

The house was designed by Maryborough architect, who was also the hospital's architect at the time, P.O.E Hawkes. Hawkes was instructed by the Hospital's Board to draw up plans and specifications for a two storey building as shown in the Australian Home Beautiful Journal, December 1st 1934. This edition of the Australian Home Beautiful Journal contained some the prize winning entries from a recent architectural competition run by the magazine and certainly provided the inspiration for the final building plan.

By late September 1937 the new doctor's residence had been built. Described at the time as an imposing structure and a decided acquisition to the hospital grounds. Of two storeys, it was built on the modern lines of the time, the living quarters on the ground floor, with sleeping accommodation on the upper storey. Entrance was gained to the bottom storey by way of a porch. From the stair hall, entrance was made to the lounge, which opened on to a verandah at the back, and also into the dining room. Other rooms on the ground floor were a maid's room, kitchen and pantry, and toilet. On the top floor was three bed rooms, dressing room, bathroom, toilet and servery, and a solarium at the front of the building to provide ample space for 'enjoyment of the night air in the summer time'. The outer walls were finished in traventene style, and white plaster boards on the inner walls and ceiling, Luskan tiles were used for the roof. The builder was Constructions Pty Ltd, Brisbane, the cost approximately £2,500 (around $304,000 today).

Over time some modifications occurred including closing in the verandahs at the back of the upper and ground floors and adding a garage on the right side. In the 1990s when no longer used as the medical superintendent's residence, the inside was modified to accommodate several single medical officers.

Photo from the 1940s shows a view of the house half side-on from Walker St, the house to the right in the background is the 1928 built doctor's residence now the WB Hospitals Museum. Source: WB Hospitals Museum Soc. Inc.

17/02/2026

170 years ago, on this day, the 18th February 1856, a meeting was held in Maryborough to discuss the possibility of commencing a hospital in the town. This eventually led to a succession of small rented cottages as a hospital, then a newly built hospital in Lennox St in 1864, this was the first purpose built hospital north of Brisbane, later in 1887 a new hospital was built in Walker St. This site is still operational today.
Attached is a copy of the minutes from that meeting that were published in the Empire newspaper, 10th March 1856, p.4. The WBHM is fortunate to have the original of the minutes of that meeting from 170 years ago in our collection.
A visit to the museum can provide you with more of our hospital's history, we love to see visitors and to share this history.

11/01/2026

We will be opening the museum this Thursday 15th January at 9 a.m. to 12 noon after the Christmas and New Year holiday period .
Pop along and learn about our local public hospital's history and check out the 'old' medical equipment at the same time.
We love sharing history and look forward to seeing you.

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19/12/2025

Maryborough Hospital Christmas menu from 1940. This is one of several menus in the Museum's collection dating from 1928 to 1952.
The Museum will be closed from 18th December reopening on the 15th January 2026.
More than happy to open for visitors during this time - contact Marilyn 0416213479 or Colleen 41223093 to arrange a suitable date and time.
Have a nice Christmas and be safe.

10/11/2025

This Armistice Day, the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Soc. Inc. acknowledges the military service of all staff, both past and present, of Maryborough's Hospitals.

Today, we particularly wish to honour Field Evans Smith who was a Dispenser at the Maryborough General Hospital (as it was known then) for approx 5 years when he resigned in 1893 to open own Pharmacy business on the cnr Ellena and Adelaide Streets, Maryborough. Later he served on the Hospital's Management Committee prior to and after war service and was President at the time of enlistment in 1916.
F.E. Smith was a founding member of the Maryborough Ambulance Transport Brigade in 1897. He was the MATB Superintendent from 1897-1915 and had allowed the service to operate from rooms at his chemist shop until a purpose built Ambulance Headquarters was built in Adelaide St in 1915.
He was also a member of the Ambulance Corps, Wide Bay Regiment, QDF.
WW1 saw Smith enlist in the Australian Army Medical Corps, AIF from May 1916 – January 1917 where he was Dispenser on Hospital Transport Ships.

Lest We Forget

(Photo: F.E. Smith, MATB Superintendent, 1901, source Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Soc. Inc.)

29/09/2025

The museum had a pop up display at the Mary Poppins Festival yesterday. Lots of people visited our display and we had a great time chatting with many. Thanks to Marilyn, Colleen, Deb and Helen who helped with the display.

25/09/2025

Last Thursday we had a visit from a a wonderful group of ladies from the Chirpy Plus Hervey Bay/Maryborough group. Two of the group were past nurses so a few memories were sparked during the visit. A fun informative time was held by all. As always, group visits are welcome as we enjoy sharing our hospitals' history.

19/09/2025

The Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Soc Inc held their AGM on Tuesday, 16th September, during which the officers for the next year were elected:
President - Marilyn Jensen
Vice President - Deb Carroll
Secretary - Cathy Baker
Treasurer - Colleen Pitt.
Congratulations to all.

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06/09/2025

A wonderful group of 20 happy Probus Club members from Burpengary visited our museum on Thursday. After looking around the museum and learning about our local hospitals' history as well as marvelling at the old medical equipment and old surgical instruments, many look advantage of a 'good sit down' on our verandah.
Thanks everyone. We hope to see you again.

04/08/2025

The majority of early photographs of the Maryborough Hospital in Walker St show a large ornate triple lamp standing high above a four sided drinking fountain in the front of the central building. It was known as the Sim Memorial and was erected in memory of William Sim.
Sim and his family settled in Maryborough in 1863 in order to establish with Pettigrew a saw milling business at Dundathu on the Mary River. Sadly Sim was killed by a log in Tin Can Bay in November 1873. Sim's association with the Maryborough Hospital (MH) then in Lennox St commenced soon after settling in Maryborough when he became a subscriber and a member of the MH Management Committee. In early 1873, Sim was elected President of the MH Management Committee, a position he held at the time of his death.
Funds were raised for a memorial to Sim, but unfortunately nothing eventuated until 1886.
At this time a new hospital was being built in Walker St and Wiliam Sim's son, William Simpson Sim, was a member of the MH Management Committee. The Sim family presented the funds raised to the hospital for the er****on of a memorial and furnishing a ward in the new hospital. By mid/late July 1887, the Memorial Lamp in the front of the new hospital was erected.
The lamp for the Sim Memorial had a drinking fountain attached. It was made of cast iron, mounted on a concrete foundation and was over 20 feet (just over 6 metres) high. The lamp was lighted by three globes, the drinking fountain, one on each of the four sides of the lower section had drinking cups mounted on a chain The lamp pole and with the lamps were painted white with the lower section painted in contrasting colours highlighting the ornate features. The letters 'SIM' were painted on at least two sides of the lamp pole base above the drinking fountain. The Sim memorial fund with a Government endowment by this time was £280 (around $44,000 today). The lamp with water and gas supplied cost £130 (around $21,000 today). The balance of the Memorial funds were put toward fitting out and furnishing a ward in the new hospital which became known as the Sim Ward. In 1888, a marble plaque was erected in the Sim Ward and is now in the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum collection.
Over successive years the Sim Memorial Lamp and Drinking Fountain remained a feature of the Maryborough Hospital as it was located directly in front of the central building and was surrounded by gardens.
Unfortunately, after several decades and certainly by 1940, one has to wonder if the memory of William Sim Snr and reason for the lamp at the front of the hospital had been lost to time. Photographs in 1941 show the drinking fountain part of the lamp as unpainted.
Sadly the lamp and drinking fountain is no longer a feature at the front of the hospital. When exactly it was removed is uncertain. What is known is that the land at the front of the hospital and eastern wing was cleared and levelled in preparation for the building of a new Administration block and Outpatient Department in late 1940s. Was the Memorial removed then? If so what became of it? Does anyone know?

27/06/2025

100 years ago today (28th June), Maryborough lost a popular medical practitioner who died at the age of 48 years. That person was Dr Henry Lee Garde known as Lee Garde. Lee initially arrived in Maryborough as an infant when his Irish parents (Dr Thomas William Garde Jnr and Jane Henrietta nee Lee) spent a short time here in 1877 before settling in Toowoomba. Lee gained the medical degree of Bachelor of Medicine, Master of Surgery (BM, ChM) from the University of Sydney in 1901. From 1901 – 1903, he was a Resident Surgeon, later Medical Superintendent at the Toowoomba Hospital. In July 1903, Lee Garde was appointed as locum Resident Surgeon for Dr Henry Croker Garde (Lee's half uncle) at the Maryborough Hospital and later in February 1904 appointed Resident Surgeon when H.C Garde resigned. Lee held this position until April 1911 and had an active involvement in the management of the 1904 and 1905 Plague outbreaks treated at the hospital. At this time in history the hospital doctor was also allowed to have a private practice within a certain radius of the Post Office and Lee had built up a 'good following'. After leaving the Maryborough Hospital he initially ran his surgery from next to the St Mary's Hospital (later St Stephens Hospital) in John St and from 1914 from rooms in his newly built house across the road from the same hospital. He was Visiting Surgeon to the Lady Musgrave Hospital for a time and had major involvement with ownership with the St Mary's Hospital and St Margaret's Hospital.
Dr Lee Garde was the Municipal Health Officer,1915-1917 and a Member Municipal Council from 1919 - 1923 during which time he was a Member of the Municipal Health Committee and had major involvement with the Council's management of the 1919 flu pandemic in Maryborough.
Lee was involved with many of Maryborough's organisations and had held office in many of them, some included - Maryborough and Wide Bay Club, Maryborough Jockey Club, the School of Arts, Maryborough Technical College, Wide Bay Rowing Club, Wallaroo Football Club, Maryborough Sailing and Motor Boat Club, where there had been a Lee Garde trophy at one time, Tennis, Motoring, and Shooting. It seems that his biggest sporting interest was golf and Lee was member of Golf Club for many years. In fact after his death, the Dr Lee Garde memorial trophy commenced in 1926 to be contested for 10 years. The final winner from 1937, Dr Bendeicht, re gifted the trophy to be played on for another 5 years.
Dr H. Lee Garde was married to Margaret Crombie in 1904 and they had 3 children.
The photo is of Dr H. Lee Garde, date unknown.