Back in 2005, one of the members of the Goldfields Family History Society who worked at the Kalgoorlie Hospital, told us that all of the original admission registers from the very first days of the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital were still stored in their records storage. We asked if we could view the records and when this was granted we realised what a wonderful source of family and local history they were. The amount of details in the earlier records was just amazing.
As sickness and accidents show no favorites, the records where a unique cross section of the population of the town at the time. As the years progressed, you could see the advent of the water pipeline in 1903 and the difference it made to the admissions for conditions such as Dysentery and Typhoid.
The next set was to make an application to the Dept of Health. We emphasised the importance to the town of these records, and requested permission to photo copy them and in time to index and make them available to everyone. The Dept granted us permission to copy the records in full up to 1945 (due to privacy laws). The only down side was that it had to be done on site, and no books were allowed to leave the building. A huge photo copier was lugged up three flights of stairs along with a large supply of A3 paper, and we set to work with the first book. It took 6 years to complete the project and this is the result, 32 A3 Lever arch files. (see right). This was only the copying and it took several years more to transcribe the first books into an index.
Some entries, on the very first page of the first register, are as follows:
QUINLAN Jeremiah, married 48yrs, Roman Catholic, Occ: Miner, Admitted 1 Dec 1896, Cause: Pneumonia, Discharged 12 Dec 1896, – Cured- ,Remarks- Friend Frank O’Malley, Great Boulder Perseverance.
DOYLE Patrick, married, 44yrs, Roman Catholic, Occ Miner, Admitted 1 Dec 1896, Cause: Dysentery, Discharged 20 Jan 1896 – Cured- Remarks: Mrs Doyle, 4 Raglan Street, South Melbourne.
WORKMAN John, Single, 30yrs, Presbyterian, Occ: Admitted 13 Dec 1896, Cause:- poisoned wound, Discharged- 6 Jan 1897 – Cured- Remarks: Father, Shine, Co Antrim, Ireland.
EADE Stella, married, 29yrs, Anglican, Admitted: 3 Dec 1896, Cause: Hysteria, On 7th Jan 1897 she left against doctors order, Address: Brownhill GM.
TIGHE Joseph, Single, 30yrs, Roman Catholic, Admitted 21 Dec 1896, Cause: Burns, Occ: Labourer, Died 19 Dec 1906, Stepfather, W G C Ryves Kalgoorlie.
McRAE John, Single, 29yrs, Presbyterian, Admitted 2 Jan 1897, Cause: Concussion, Occ: Cyclist, Discharged 13 Feb 1897, Cured, Address Shenton Street, Menzies.
HAHN Kate, Married, 31yrs, Roman Catholic, Admitted 11 Dec 1896, Cause:- Endometriosis, Discharged 29 Dec 1896, Sister Mrs Mahr, Lake Road Boulder, Brother; P H Priestley, Parkside SA
DAYKIN Henry, married, 47yrs, Protestant, Admitted: 4 Dec 1896, Cause: Fractured leg, Occ: Miner, Discharged 21 Jan 1897, Cured, Wife, Honeysuckle Street, Bendigo, VIC
BALDOCK John Duncan, 15yrs, Anglican, Admitted: 23 Dec 1896, Cause: Typhoid, Discharged: 27 Jan 1897, – Cured – Father: T B Baldock, South Kalgoorlie GM
The first page has 37 entries. Of these only five are women (there could be more, as some only have an initials) and 18 of the ’cause for admission’ are Typhoid. At the end of each entry is a ‘Remarks’ column. This is where details of ‘Next of Kin’ or even a friend, or just an address. This is so that payment for the stay in hospital could be recovered. It also shows that most of the married men had left their wives back in the Eastern States.
Only just this year, a friend located an admission book ,which pre dates these records and is from Dec 1894 to May 1896. There must have been another book to cover June 1896 to Nov 1896, which may turn up one day I hope.
The first book in the series is Book 30 and is now on the Outback Family History web site at the following Page:
Kalgoorlie Hospital Admission records from 1 Dec 1896 to 1 Jun1900.
The full record has the following information:-
Surname, First name, Marital Status, Age, Religion, Disease, Date of Admission, Date of Discharge, Date of death or number of days in hospital, Occupation, State when discharged, Next of kin and remarks.
The full entry for any person on the list can be requested by emailing research@outbackfamilyhistory.com.au
Moya Sharp
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Love all the work done by so many, very much appreciated with my family research, “Silverthorne” is my interest. Just want to say thanks.
Hi Moya, amazing work! What a great source of information. Well done all involved, much appreciated.
Thank you Moya how do you find time to do all you do . ????
Hi Phyllys I do seem to fit it all in some how.
Incredible work
Thankyou
Would love to read the entire volumes.
What an amazing job you do – and the accessibility to your work is admirable.
Congratulations, Moya and crew and many thanks for your efforts. Best Wishes!
Thank you Doreen
I am always amazed at how often South Australian members of my very extended family tree pop up in these posts. So an excellent resource for South Aussies with or without family links to the goldfields. Your work is greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.
This is very helpful for me. My Grandparents lived in Bulong in 1890’s and Boulder for several years as well. Thank you!
You are doing a great service. Patients and dedication. Now i have a little request of my own. My grandparents on my fathers side all came from Boulder. His mother Hanora Shea was berried in the bolder cemetary in 1908 I think.They were hotel keepers.
Dear Jacqueline Im presuming that Shea was Honora’s maiden name. I have the following burials in the Boulder Cemetery:-
KNOX Honora Josephine Age 32 Buried 21 October 1910 Roman Catholic Grave 301M Father – Mark Shea Mother – Catherine Purcell
She has a child buried with her:-
KNOX Thomas Patrick 11 months 08 February 1911 Roman Catholic Grave 301M Father – Thomas Knox Mother – Honora Shea
It looks like the hotel they had was the Federal hotel:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204847328?searchTerm=Knox%20Hotel&searchLimits=l-state=Western+Australia|||l-decade=191
Thank you for your dedication! Much appreciated.