The next file is now released: File 36 from 16th March 1914 to 30 Jan 1916 – SEARCH
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 area. We asked the hospital 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 detail in the earlier records was just amazing.
As sickness and accidents show no favorites, the records, we knew, were a unique cross-section of the population of the town at any given time. As the years progressed, you could see the effects of 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 thing we did was to make an application to the Dept of Health for permission to access these records and make them available to family and local historians. We emphasised the importance to the town of these records, and requested permission to photocopy them and in time index them.
After some months the Department granted us permission to copy the records in full up to 1945 (due to privacy laws). The only downside was, that it had to be done on-site, and no ledgers were allowed to leave the building. A huge photocopier was lugged up three flights of stairs along with a large supply of A3 paper, and we set to work with the first book. Each single record spanned over 2 x A3 paper. It took 6 years to complete the project and this is the result (see image), 32 x A3 Lever arch files. This was only the copying and it took several years more to transcribe the first books into an index.
Over the years I have been most fortunate in the help of various volunteers who have helped transcribe these records into a searchable index.
The following will give you some idea of the type of information included.
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 orders, 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
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 many of the married men had left their wives back in the Eastern States or in Perth.
The full record may have the following information. Some are very detailed and other very brief. I think it depends on who was keeping the records at the time.
Surname, First name, Marital Status, Age, Religion, Disease, Date of Admission, Date of Discharge, Date of death or number of days in the hospital, Occupation, State when discharged, Next of kin, and remarks.
The full entry for any person on the list can be requested by email: research@outbackfamilyhistory.com.au
This next file may be viewed at File 36 from 16th March 1914 to 30 Jan 1916 –
All the previous hospital records from 1894 can be viewed at – Kalgoorlie Hospital Records
For those of you who may be interested there is an excellent book on the history of the hospital and staff up to 1986.
The Tremendous Years of the KRH 1894-1986 by Elva Breeze – published by Anne Petz – It is available from your local library and from The EG Historical Soc.
The Tremendous Years of KRH 1894-1986 by Elva Breeze
Moya Sharp
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