1

COFFS HARBOUR:

FIRST PLACE IN THE WORLD

TO HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH

CARE

Transcribed by Mr Geoffrey Watt for the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum

September 2016

2

INTRODUCTION

In 1913, a commentator wrote that “things have changed more in the last thirty years

than they have since the time of Jesus”.

He was referring to technological change, but also to social change.

Australia was the first country in the world to give the democratic franchise to women,

in 1902.*

Given the reactionary nature of “the establishment’, the “first” is always of great

significance. The First breaks the mould.

“White” Australians, amongst themselves, were a notably egalitarian bunch.

And Coffs Harbour, the most egalitarian place in Australia, was thus a natural place for

the birth of universal health care.

Remarkable.

Part I is a history of Coffs Harbour Hospital, written in 1970 by George England. This

history provides a background to the 1928 Hospital Contribution Scheme which made Coffs

Harbour the first place in the world to have universal health care.

Part II details this Coffs Harbour Hospital Contribution Scheme.

Another mould broken.

*(New Zealand granted women the right to vote in 1893, but they could only vote for men.

This is not democracy, as the citizens of Hong Kong are discovering in 2016, where, sure,

you can vote, and here are the Communist Party candidates from which you must choose.)

______________________________________________________

Part I – A History of Coffs Harbour Hospital 3

Part II – The Coffs Harbour Hospital Contribution Scheme 23

Bibliography 29

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PART I

A HISTORY OF COFFS HARBOUR

HOSPITAL

by

George England

President of

Coffs Harbour

Historical Society

This article was originally published in the Coffs Harbour Advocate on

February 18, 20, 23 & 25, 1970.

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Coffs Harbour Advocate, Wednesday, February 18, 1970, p. 5

Sixty years of work, agitation for improved medical

facilities

The opening of the new hospital in Coffs Harbour at the weekend saw the

culmination of an effort spanning more than 60 years to secure better medical facilities

in the district.

The story of the struggles and growth of the hospital services is an interesting one.

Pioneering life was rough and dangerous, not only from the many injuries of a

serious nature in the working of farms and the timber industry, but also from the many

sicknesses which today are prevented by innoculation and vaccinations.

Scarlet fever, scarletina, enteric, diphtheria and typhoid fevers were ever present and

necessitated the closest medical attention which could only be found in hospital under the

supervision of trained staffs.

Broken limbs and other physical injuries were of necessity treated at home or in the case

of those who dwelt in tents or bark huts away from neighbours, it was sometimes possible to

find a bed for them in a private home or in the local hotel.

The Coffs Harbour district looked to Bellingen for its doctor in the 1880’s and in the

period from 1887 to 1889 a number of local settlers contributed to a fund to subsidise a

doctor in Bellingen to the extent of £75 a year as a basis to retain him in the area.

At one stage he gave a messenger, who went to Bellingen to ask the doctor’s advice for a

friend who was too seriously injured to make the journey himself, a soothing lotion for the

injury which had been stitched up with cotton thread sterilised in boiling water.

Through a misunderstanding, the doctor did not follow up the treatment, as expected, by a

visit and the Bellinger newspaper, “North Coast Times”, indicated that “if he ever showed his

nose in Coffs Harbour he would be tarred and feathered.”

The patient survived, although he did not enjoy the threads being withdrawn when his

wound healed.

It was the practice of the doctors not to charge for the travelling from Bellingen to the

limits of the area up to 25 miles away. They merely charged the usual fee of six shillings and

eight pence and were satisfied to ride the 50 miles for no further charge.

One of the strangest “doctors” was “Dr.” Hicks, who had no qualifications except what he

had learned as a chemist’s assistant for one year.

Charged for wash Some of the cases he treated in the absence of a qualified medico were remarkable and the

famous Dr. Casement, of Kempsey, referred to him as “the most competent untrained medical

practical practitioner” he had ever known.

Being unqualified he could not charge for treatment or the prescriptions he made, so he

used to wash the patient and make a charge for that.

A public hospital was opened in Bellingen in 1905 and many of the patients came

from this area.

Peter Moller, our first selector, spent eleven months there before his death in 1906.

The journey over the rough unmetalled road made the sufferings of a patient increase and

many preferred to stay in their homes rather than face the trip to Bellingen Hospital.

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Coffs Harbour folk held a ball each year in aid of the Bellingen Hospital and sums up to

five pounds were sent over to help the funds of the Bellingen committee. This would seem an

insignificant amount in today’s money, but in the early years of this century it was more than

three weeks’ wages. Say $120 in our money.

Maternity cases were treated in the family homes by untrained, but experienced,

midwives. Overall, they had a good record of delivering babies without losses.

“Granny” Earl delivered more than fifty without loss. Mrs. Jordan had an equally good

record. Indeed, the number of losses of babies at birth seemed remarkably low considering

the primitive conditions under which many were born.

In March 1908, Nurse Frost advertised “she would be ready to attend ladies in

accouchement cases with accommodation and every attention guaranteed.”

The following week, Nurse Frost disposed of her private hospital, “Cosy Camp,” in

Gordon Street to the newly arrived Dr. Cook, who at once decided to transfer it to his new

location at the corner of Edinburgh and Camperdown Streets.

A nurse Badke then advertised to inform the ladies of Coffs Harbour and country districts

that she has “opened a lying-in home for accouchement cases where they would receive every

care and attention. Cases also attended at patients’ homes. Terms moderate.”

Chemist Blackall had removed his pharmacy from a site near the Cricketers Arms Hotel to

more central and enlarged premises near the crossroads. Nurse Jones advertised that she was

the only qualified nurse by examination and could be consulted at Blackall’s Pharmacy.

Nurse Jones (certified) also advertised that she could provide accommodation for

accouchement cases.

Nurse Frost countered in her next advertisement that she was also qualified and was a

member of the A.T.N. Association.

With accouchement cases provided for, there was little interest in hospitals until May,

1909, when a popular young man, Fred Skinner, a timber man from Moonee, had his leg

crushed.

Medical help was sought from Grafton and the young man was placed in a sulky to

undertake the 40 mile journey over rough roads toward Grafton.

Although a doctor met him half-way and administered drugs to alleviate the excruciating

pain he was suffering, he succumbed before he reached hospital.

The loss of this 26-year-old man shocked the people of the district especially when it was

realised that, had there been a hospital in Coffs Harbour, his life could have been saved.

Our leading citizens took stock of the situation. Coffs was the centre of a large district and

could support a hospital of its own. The government had earmarked a site for a hospital and

all that was needed was some organised efforts to raise the money needed to qualify for

assistance from the Treasury.

The Press gave support to the idea and when a public meeting was called there was a

crowded hall to hear the proposals put forward.

Representatives came from the outlying districts, although this involved a long journey on

horseback for most of the men who came.

Fund raising A committee was formed on September 10, 1909, and steps were begun to raise money for

the project and £22 was soon raised. Then the project lagged. The “Advocate” prodded the

public conscience and the efforts were renewed.

It was a period of suggestions for raising funds. Mr Humby showed lantern slides and

raised a couple of pounds. It was suggested that all donations be accredited against future

expenses the donor might incur in the hospital. Another idea was that farmers be asked to

donate a day’s cream towards the funds.

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Bullock drivers were asked to donate one log drawn to the local mills which would pay its

value to the funds. In order to encourage the teamsters to give an extra big log, a prize was

offered for the largest log donated.

Within a year, £100 had been passed, but there was a long haul to reach the thousand

pounds the district was asked to provide before the government would provide the balance.

It was decided in 1910 that a collector be appointed and allowed 20 percent of the money

collected as payment for his services. He collected £13 in the first week.

An active committee consisting of well-known citizens, P. J. Macnamara, E. C. Roberts,

P. Crook, W. Seccombe, O. Cartan, A. E. Long, G. Schwinghammer, Capt. Tuson and W.

Moore began to organise functions and funds rose to £323 by the end of 1911.

The “Advocate” kept the cause of the hospital before the public at every opportunity. A

purse containing 2/- was found and for weeks the “Advocate” played the insignificant sum up

before urging that it be paid into the hospital fund.

Private hospital In the meantime, Dr. Cook had rebuilt the old home brought from J. J. Bull and provided

the most up-to-date and best equipped hospital on the North Coast. Its four wards were

spacious and well-ventilated.

Dr. Cook was a graduate of London and Dublin Universities, both highly esteemed for

producing the best physicians and surgeons.

Although this was a private hospital, an offer was made to the Police Department to take

emergency cases where it was not possible to take them to Bellingen. Destitute cases on the

request of the police officers could be taken in as well.

The workers for the public hospital were not put off by the presence of the Killara Private

Hospital and for the next five or six years every little country hall, as well as the local school

of arts, was the venue for socials, concerts and hospital balls, formal, fancy dress and

juvenile.

Promise of New Hospital if £1000 raised by People Fetes were organised and raffles almost without number were offered to the public and

met with a generous response.

Most of the prizes were donated and included such worthwhile prizes as a suit of clothes, a

saddle, a rifle, a cow and calf, a set of harness and a set of cutlery.

By 1912, teamsters were invited to use their bullocks for an afternoon to haul the trees

felled on the site into a heap where they could be burnt easily. With the land cleared and

fenced, cows were taken in on agistment for sixpence a week and a few shillings was raised

weekly. This became too difficult to supervise so the grass rights were let by tender.

Money boxes in hotels and on shop counters brought in regular amounts of small change

which helped the funds to reach the halfway mark by the end of 1912.

By 1913, the committee became confident of reaching the goal of £1000 and began to

make enquiries about the drawing of plans and the costs of running a hospital of the kind they

had in mind.

Charles Finch, the local chemist, made investigations and estimated it would cost £650 to

operate the hospital each year and to cover the wages of a matron, two nurses and two

servants, a wardsman, light and fuel, drugs, dressings and victualling the patients. This

worked out at about £60 for each bed a year.

It was necessary for the Minister to visit the grounds before plans could be drawn and all

necessary information obtained regarding monies held and monies spent on clearing the land.

The great day almost came but wet weather and the condition of the roads prevented his

visit.

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Eventually, Mr. Flowers arrived and was entertained at a smoke concert to which “all

citizens were invited to come and show their respects to the gentleman who has always

shown special interest in Coffs Harbour Hospital.”

Mr. Flowers explained his offer. Simply it was: That residents had to raise £1000 towards

the erection and equipping of the hospital and the government would do the rest.

Breakwater In the meantime, workers on the breakwater and railway construction were arriving and a

bush nurses’ hospital was set up at the jetty in a large canvas building near where the public

works offices are now located. Four beds were available for workmen injured on the

construction work then going on in the district.

Dr Jones, of the Board of Health, met the committee and inspected the site with the view

to locating the new buildings. He was favourably impressed with the grounds and ordered the

plans to be modified by the architects to suit the site.

While here, he also inspected the bush nurses’ hospital of four beds with further beds

available if needed. It was spotlessly clean and he complimented the two nurses, Mrs. Love

and Mrs. Doolan.

Plans were now made to raise the remainder of the money at a four-day fete and a

procession to the Fitzroy sports ground where sports would be held on the Wednesday half

holiday followed by a bazaar each night for the rest of the week at the School of Arts.

The outlying districts were given the right to organise stalls and a prize was given for the

best stocked stall all day.

A ladies’ committee worked well and was responsible for the organising of the bazaar.

They wrote by hand more than 700 letters asking for donations. Many of these were sent to

farmers in the empty cream cans being returned from the butter factory.

By August, 1913, the £1000 mark was passed and the authorities were promptly advised.

More was to come as a number of raffles had not been finalised. The prizes were

substantial and the proceeds from the sale of tickets was all profit as the trophies, a sewing

machine, a d/b shotgun, a gold watch, a saddle, a pair of vases, a twentypound sulky, a five

guinea suit and an oil painting had all been donated.

Another source of income was the annual Easter fishing trip when Captain Colvin, of the

“S.S. Fitzroy,” took fishermen out to the recognised snapper reefs.

These trips raised about £10 generally.

The Jockey Club, which then operated on a course about the present site of the hangar at

the aerodrome, held several race meetings and donated the proceeds to the hospital, while the

ladies conducted a luncheon booth and raised useful sums.

Enthusiasm The enthusiasm of the people of the district for the hospital probably exceeded that for any

other effort made in the town.

The district in later years also gave generously to the many funds organised for the relief

of our allies and our servicemen during World War I, and became widely known for the

raising of funds for the war effort.

A problem arose in the minds of the committee: would the money spent on the erecting of

fences and clearing the land be credited to the £1000 demanded by the Government?

This sum amounted to more than £150 and the reduction of that amount from the target

would be a serious blow to the hard-working committee.

However, they need not have worried, for after several weeks an answer came to their

enquiry saying that the amounts spent on the grounds would be credited to the amount raised

to build the hospital, which was expected to cost £2000.

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The council co-operated by clearing the bush on Brelsford (now Boambee) street and with

the whole area exposed to the public view and access made by clearing the track along

Victoria street, the hospital site was visited by many of the public and a greater interest than

ever was centred on the hospital project.

At the end of 1914, the committee was still working hard to induce the government to

build the hospital. With the coming of the war late in the year, the minister in charge of these

services began to hedge as it was not clear just how the war effort would affect public

finances.

During 1914, a group of new committeemen put forward other schemes. One group

proposed that the hospital should be built on the crown of the ridge along which Victoria

street runs and the street be re-designed to run along the southern side of the ridge. The

Department of Lands refused to re-design the area so after considerable delay the original

scheme was to be followed.

Still another delay took place when some-one asked that the area now occupied by the

Catholic Church and convent be made the site.

After much bickering and waste of time this proposal was ruled out. It seems strange that

the present site, which was Crown land and as such would cost the hospital committee

nothing, should be passed over for a small piece of private land which would have to be

bought.

In the first half of 1915, the town’s efforts seemed to be concentrated on the war effort and

the sudden expansion of business caused by the arrival of several hundred families and many

single men seeking employment on the breakwater and railway construction works.

There was a building boom in shops and new houses and in particular “wooden shacks,”

deplored by the editor of the “Advocate.”

In June, a sharp letter to the Press chided the hospital committee, which had now been in

existence for six years and had completed the necessary fund raising almost two years before,

for not making faster progress towards the actual construction of the hospital.

The writer pointed out that the land had been dedicated as a site for a hospital; the site had

been cleared and prepared; and he urged haste as the large number of workers coming to the

town would need greater facilities than offered in the bush nurses tent hospital at the jetty.

After six years of fund raising and agitation, two wings of the hospital were erected. But,

this was only a start.

In Friday’s Advocate, we will resume the story where the fund raising committee

refused to hand over the £1000 it had raised after the buildings were described as

“absolutely unsuitable.”

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Coffs Harbour Advocate, Friday, February 20, 1970, p.6

(Part II of our story by Mr. George England, President of the Coffs Harbour Historical

Society.)

New hospital did not satisfy the nursing staff

The two wings of the original Coffs Harbour hospital, built in 1915, cost £2215. But,

they were barely completed when complaints were made that the buildings were

“absolutely unsuitable.”

The people of Coffs Harbour and district, in six years of fund raising, had gathered

the £1000 required by the Government as their share of the cost.

But, they would not hand over their £1000, despite the insistence of the Chief

Secretary.

They were promised an up-to-date hospital costing up to £5000, they said.

The present buildings were a waste of money unless other buildings were erected and

accommodation was enlarged.

Nurses refused to take charge of the hospital in its existing state.

The local member of parliament, George Briner, MLA, interviewed Minister for Health,

Mr. Flowers, who then granted an additional £2000 to build a covered-way between the

kitchen and ward (to cost £150), verandah screens to provide for 12 beds (£250), an operating

theatre (£500), nurses’ quarters (£500), a laundry beneath the kitchen (£200), morgue (£100)

and other facilities to cost £300.

The local committee still suspected the departmental officers and their promises, and

clung tightly to the locally raised money and proposed to use it to provide furnishings.

The Minister agreed to allow this proposal and the committee was delighted to be able to

have some say in the spending of the money raised.

This £1000 was a tremendous effort from a small and not over-affluent group of people,

very few of whom received more than a couple of pounds a week in wages.

The fund-raising did not falter and the annual Hospital Ball, for which single tickets were

3/6, double 5/- with dancing to the music of piano and violins, a tasty supper, provided from

gifts of poultry and other food-stuffs provided mainly by the out-of-town supporters of the

hospital, was a huge success, both socially and financially.

Minister embarrassed over finance A month or so later came a bitter blow. There were no funds available to carry out the work promised and for the next few months

the embarrassed Mr. Flowers sought a way out.

As a time saver, he proposed to call tenders and thus carry the actual construction work

over into the next financial period when the money would be available.

Just before Christmas, designs were submitted to the committee and when they had

approved of them, tenders were called.

The plans showed one ward of six beds (for women patients) and a surrounding verandah

ward nearly 12 feet wide to provide accommodation for men.

The ventilation of the wards was splendid, for fanlights above the level of the verandah

roof delivered outside air into the wards without causing a draught on the patients.

10

No provision had been made for a supply of water, so four tanks to catch roof water were

placed at convenient positions. In all, only two thousand gallons could be held at any one

time, so the staff was faced with a perpetual direction to save water.

The six beds in the female ward, along with equipment in the kitchen and necessary

nursing accommodation, took up £750 of the money collected. The goods were purchased on

behalf of the committee by the officers of the Department and a cheque was sent for the

amount.

About this time, a squabble broke out among the committee.

It seems the chairman, P J. Macnamara, had taken the government architect and some of

the committeemen around the town to look at alternative sites. The meeting was stormy as

those left out of the inspection felt aggrieved and said so.

It later seemed that the actual arrangements had been made by the Secretary of the

Chamber of Commerce (P. J. Mcnamara) at the direction of the Minister.

Feeling in the town became bitter. Some keen supporters threatened to withdraw all

support. There seems to have been some pressure on the part of estate agents to sell land on

which to build a hospital, but the Government Architect refused to consider anything but

Crown Land. He had come to inspect other sites in response to a request from the Chamber of

Commerce.

The secretary of the committee went to Sydney and after a long interview with the

Minister brought back the information that the government would build a 12-bed ward. The

authorities were concerned with the additional costs caused by building on a sloping site and

again sought to have Victoria Street realigned to allow the hospital to be sited on the top of

the ridge.

Moving into 1916, we find the committee widely divided and this ill-feeling became

obvious in public meetings in the town where these members came together.

The “Advocate” complained about the disorderly nature of public meetings in the town.

The committee refused to send its £1000 to the Department of Health. The Department

reminded the committee of its promises and the committee in return reminded the

Department of its promises.

No progress was made and the local committee asked for a responsible officer to be sent

to sort out the problems.

The Under-Secretary demanded the £1000 raised locally. George Briner, the local member

inspected the building and found it lacking in the most necessary accommodation. There was

no operating theatre, no separate women’s ward or isolation ward.

The building was quite unsuitable for the requirements of the district. Promises made by

the Minister had been lavish, but the building was a mere shell. The nurses quarters were

isolated with no sheltered passages to the hospital.

Doctor Wood emphasised that it was necessary to have an operating theatre and an

isolation ward, reported the local member.

In the meantime, it was decided to remove certain dead trees which were a threat to the

building and could be a menace in the event of fire.

A serious outbreak of typhoid and enteric fever occurred in the district and the

patients were moved to Grafton where there were facilities for isolation and medical

treatment.

Unsanitary camps of railway workers and poor hygiene on farms were attributed as the

causes of the outbreaks. Diphtheria was also wide-spread in the district.

The contractor for the construction of the initial portion was now asking for payment after

a delay of over twelve months. The Treasury paid its £2215 and now asked for the money

raised locally with greater emphasis.

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George Briner was not inclined to recommend this to the committee as a substantial

portion of the promise made by Mr. Flowers had not been carried out.

Soon afterward, the hospital differences were settled and by August, 1916, a portion of the

hospital building had been furnished, but was not yet in operation.

There was now a greater demand for hospital services. The arrival of the navvies brought

a number of gentlemen who did not work but were always well dressed and left a trail of

bruised and battered victims behind them.

The two-up school at Boambee Beach yielded a rich haul of broken jaws and bruised faces

when a double-headed penny was discovered.

Drunks were rolled over and their pockets rifled. If resistance was offered the villains of

the piece did not hesitate to use the boot.

The outcome was that there was a demand for greater hospital services than the bush

nurses’ hospital could provide. Some of the foreigners among the navvies frequently resorted

to knives to solve their quarrels and, when they became friends after a brawl, medical

attention was badly needed.

Dept. nagged into action Near the end of 1916 plans were submitted for a laundry block (£238), morgue

(£194), operating block (£438) and nurses’ quarters (£584).

But, the proposed morgue was too close to the nurses’ quarters and there were not enough

rooms for the nurses.

For Christmas, there was a welcome message from the Minister saying plans would be

ready within a week and the method of carrying them out would be decided. The cost of

installing electric light was being considered. He urged the local committee to go ahead with

preparations for furnishings in order that the two operations might proceed concurrently.

Right through 1916, George Briner had kept up a constant appeal on behalf of the local

hospital and it may be said that he “nagged” the officers of the department into action.

1917 opened with a message that the necessary working plans had been completed. The

new buildings were to cost £1900 and work would proceed as soon as possible.

The local committee agreed to go ahead with furnishings. The department suggested petrol

lighting. Dr. Wood, who had given much valuable assistance to the hospital committee,

enlisted and was given a rousing farewell.

Late in 1917 the hospital was opened. There are no records of the occasion except a

number of photographs which indicate a large gathering was in attendance, the day was fine

and all went well.

With completion of the hospital, the years of hard work and frustration were not

over. Funds still had to be raised for the running of the hospital; the building was soon

considered too small when male patients had to occupy the verandah and were not

sufficiently protected from the weather. The story, telling of these incidents will be

resumed in Monday’s Advocate.

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12

13

Coffs Harbour Advocate, Monday, February 23, 1970, p. 7

(Part III of our story by Mr. George England, president of the Coffs Harbour Historical

Society)

PATIENTS EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER

The fight by local residents to get additions to the original two wings of the old

hospital took two years, embracing a deputation to Sydney and constant “nagging” by

George Briner, the local MLA.

But, even then the facilities were primitive. The male ward was used for women

patients and the men had to be accommodated on the wide verandahs.

To this time, the committee in its long and often frustrating period of fund raising

and planning had met on 103 occasions.

There was much still to be done.

The running of the hospital would require several hundreds of pounds each year to keep it

functioning and this money had to be organised. Collection boxes were sent out to willing

collectors in the outlying districts.

A set of rules for the fund raising activities and general running of the hospital were

sought.

Those of Grafton, drawn up in 1861, were considered “too ancient”, so it was decided to

ask for a copy of the constitution of the Bellingen hospital as these were of a more recent date

(1905).

All contributors to the hospital fund since 1909 were to be Life Members. The future

committees were to be elected by members who contributed 10 shillings each year. There

were then seven life members and 86 yearly members.

By the first week in 1918, some six patients had been treated. The secretary, A. E. Long,

opened “a parcel containing a mask, a container of ether and a set of gruesome looking tools”

which evoked much interest among those present.

Committee On January 19, 1918, the committee elected under the new set of rules met for the first

time and spent some time considering the situation. The present building was built for males

only, but it became necessary to admit females to the main portion of the ward and put the

men out on to the verandah, where they were not sufficiently protected from the weather.

Another wing was urgently necessary.

Although there were 112 subscribers, only 72 voted to elect the new committee which

comprised W. N. Small (farmer/surveyor, of Upper Orara), H. E. Hindmarsh, Walter Moore

(bank manager, City Bank of Sydney), W. G. McLeod, W. H. Secomb (Orara), W. J. Martin

(possibly Coramba), John Cochrane (Karangi), A. L. Walsh (shipping agent), Thos. King

(Bonville), W. T. Perry (storekeeper), H. F. Barnes and R. H. Rennie (carpenter).

This was a good representative group of the leading men of the town and district.

A. E. Long, who had given outstanding service in securing the new hospital, was

appointed secretary at £1 a week.

A few weeks later, a technicality caused some confusion when the Chief Secretary ruled

that it was illegal for a man to sit on the committee if his firm supplied goods to the

institution.

14

W. Gordon loaned a cow for a year. W. Best donated two horses to be raffled on the

condition that he received half the proceeds. The offer was accepted as it was considered that

the hospital would benefit by about £5 from the raffle.

Mr W. T. Perry suggested that a payment of one shilling a week by residents would cover

the cost of family treatment and give the hospital a working fund of £5 a week from every

100 contributors.

By March 1918, the daily average was 8.2 patients.

To assist the committee, many residents of the district grew a few extra vegetables in their

gardens and each week donated them to the hospital.

The vexed problem of members of the committee tendering for the supply of groceries and

other supplies was overcome by a ruling from the Minister for Health, which allowed these

tenders if a majority vote agreed to accept the tender.

This matter had embarrassed the chairman, Mr. Perry, who had tendered for the supply of

goods from his store in ignorance of the former ban on such officers making tenders.

It also saved the hospital some embarrassment for without the tenders of Perry’s store

there would have been little competition among the other possible suppliers.

Egg day One of the annual gifts was the schools’ collection of eggs for the hospital.

For some reason all schools collected for Hospital Egg Day at the same time, with the

result that enough eggs were collected to last for at least six months.

To make matters worse, some children sought to impress their school mates by collecting

as many eggs as they could. They were not all fresh.

The result was not in the best interests of the hospital and the staff often dreaded the day

when more than 100 dozen eggs were dumped on the doorstep as a gesture of goodwill.

Some patients found difficulty in paying the fees. One woman who could not pay her

outstanding fees did laundry work and cleaning at the usual rate of pay to cut out the amount

she owed.

The committee of laymen pondered over the account of drugs which totalled £20 and

asked the doctor a number of questions about them. Doubtless they felt, as guardians of the

hospital purse, they had to query every item submitted by qualified men.

Money was urgently needed so the ladies of the town and outlying areas organised a

bazaar which became an annual event for many years.

District centres responded to requests for financial assistance. Coramba raised £29 at a

sports meeting, while Nana Glen organised sports and a ball which netted £93. If we multiply

these amounts by five we would get some idea of their present values.

About mid-1918 proposals were submitted for a female ward, an isolation ward and a

covered way from the ward to the kitchen and operating theatre.

The ratio of male patients to female was 14 to three. Most of the men came from the

construction gangs on railway or harbour works.

Late in 1918, pneumonic influenza broke out in NSW. Only a couple of cases occurred in

Coffs Harbour, but the hospital was not called upon to handle them as they were isolated

where they were found.

The Fitzroy Hotel on one occasion was roped off and yellow flags placed at the entrances

to warn away possible contacts with the patients within.

The Spanish ’flu menace was so serious that people wore face masks when in contact with

other people in shops and in the street.

By August the daily average dropped to 3.6.

The appeal for funds was responded to by the outlying districts at the following rates:

Coramba £93, Orara £76, Bucca £42, Bonville £12, Coffs Harbour £299, a total of £524.

15

Near the end of the year, £800 was earmarked for an isolation ward by the

Department of Health, but several years were to pass before it was erected.

For several more years there was only a single ward and verandah being used for male and

female patients, but the costs of maintaining the institution had increased rapidly until the

annual expense rose to £1600 in 1921.

The matron’s salary had increased from about £80 to £140 and that of trained nurses had

risen to £90.

In 1921 several groups of workers whose contributions could be collected by their

employers agreed to contribute six pence a week. For this regular contribution the workers

and their families received free treatment.

Mill workers, and later, navvies contributed to this scheme.

The hospital women’s auxiliary made a number of cushions, which they hired to patrons at

the Jetty Picture hall where the seats were hard, for sixpence each. This returned a regular

income for several years.

In 1922 the “sixpence a week scheme” was deducted from the wages of the railway

workers and divided between the local hospital and the hospital at Grafton.

This did not work out as planned, as Grafton received half the money collected while

Coffs Harbour received all the patients.

Poor planning Plans were prepared for a maternity ward at the hospital, but the town had to wait

for nearly 40 years to see this section of the hospital erected.

With a regular and guaranteed income from the workers’ pay cheques, the committee was

able to meet financial commitments, but could not extend facilities or build another ward.

By 1923 the effects of poor planning earlier began to become apparent.

The uncapped piers of blackbutt timber had been found by white ants and many of them

had to be removed and replaced at considerable cost.

The initial lighting equipment was hopelessly bad and beyond improvement and had

become a matter of great urgency “lest it fail in a critical period when an operation was in

progress or urgent treatment was being given in a ward”.

The committee had earmarked a substantial sum from the funds collected for the

installation of electric light.

The committee realised the need for the hospital to be visited 50 to 60 times a year, but

found it impracticable to do so.

So that the supervision would not be neglected they elected a sub-Committee of three for

terms of three months and expected the affairs of the hospital to be kept under close

supervision and reports made at every monthly meeting.

The urgency for a female ward continued to crop up, but as the government was unwilling

to provide funds, the committee had to make the best of the poor facilities it had.

Costs continued to rise. The cost per patient per week rose from £3/17/6 in 1918 to £4/8/8

in 1922. Many patients could not pay the full 9/6 a day, but were able to contribute 6/- and

government funds made up the balance.

In order to keep the state of the hospitals finances before the public, it was decided to send

a copy of the annual report to every householder.

It was also decided to appoint a medical officer who should carry out all medical and

surgical work of the hospital and to provide all the assistance needed to carry out these

duties. The salary was £240.

With the increase of town population to 1420, the demands on the available beds increased

so much that several stretchers were purchased for emergency cases.

Infectious diseases were still being contracted, but without an isolation ward it was

necessary to send them either to Grafton or to Bellingen.

16

This was a serious matter when patients in a fever were sent in open vehicles over rough

roads with the prospect of becoming bogged several times, in cold or wet conditions, for a

trip of several hours duration.

Building of the isolation ward, so long promised, and so badly needed was started in July,

1923. The Department of Health paid two thirds of the cost. An Honour Board was to be

unveiled at the opening of the new ward.

Dr. Tunks resigned as medical officer although he carried on while the matter was being

settled. He claimed the right to make charges on patients for operations and special medical

attention.

Under existing arrangements, a patient could go into the hospital, pay two guineas a week

and expect the specialised services of a doctor and surgeon without further charges.

There were many patients who could well afford to pay for the operations without any

hardship and Dr. Tunks suggested that his retainer as medical officer be reduced from £250 to

£100 a year and that he have the right to charge for operations in beds set aside as private.

These patients would pay for nursing and special medical services, such as operations.

He suggested that admission to public beds be decided on the circumstances of the patient

and declined to continue as medical officer at £250 unless he had the right to make charges

for private services.

The squabble dragged on with Dr. Tunks continuing under protest.

The committee sought another doctor. Several were interested, but when they came

and examined the conditions, they withdrew their applications.

Two doctors applied to be placed on the honorary list with the right to charge for

operations and specialised treatment of patients under a private agreement with their patients.

The Committee finally found that they had to agree to his terms and allow him to make

charges on patients occupying private beds.

By the end of 1923, the isolation ward was in regular use and patients themselves were no

longer exposed to the risk of getting chills while in a fevered condition.

Charles Vost was elected president and no man worked for the hospital with greater

devotion.

Memorial fund Some years later, after he passed away, a memorial fund was established and about £150

contributed by the appreciative public.

While discussing the proposed memorial someone pointed out that the hospital was short

of blankets and sheets.

It was then resolved that, for the time being, the money should be spent on these

necessities.

So, within a few months, Charlie Vost’s splendid work was forgotten and no mark of

appreciation remained to remind future generations that the town and district hospital owed a

tremendous amount to a man whose devotion and hard work kept the hospital on a sound

footing when good leadership and good public relations were important.

The population of the town was now approaching the 2500 mark and the need for facilities

became more demanding than ever. The struggle to provide for patients in a single ward with

men on the verandah continued with little prospect of immediate solution.

The “sixpenny scheme” as it was called, was extended to mill workers on the Eastern

Dorrigo and the hospital was assured of additional regular income.

However, the railway workers had moved on and this source of contribution to the

“sixpenny scheme” now fell away.

Some of the stores arranged for their staffs to contribute to the fund and deducted the

sixpence from the wages packet each week.

17

The summer of 1924 brought an outbreak of infectious diseases and the isolation ward

was taxed fully to cope with cases of enteric fever and diphtheria, tuberculosis, measles, and

influenza.

A new plan for raising finances was now brought into operation. The area served by the

hospital was divided into sections with a community of interest and allotted a quota which it

was felt could be reached without hardship.

There was an urgent need for £950 to pay for the new 10,000 – gallon water storage tank

and other improvements.

Water shortages had been the bugbear of the past seven years when the 2000 gallons

collected from the roof proved to be quite inadequate for the needs of the bathrooms, wards

and kitchen.

The number of patients for the year had now grown to 120.

A teamster donated a log to be cut up into poles for a tennis court, which was built facing

Victoria Street to give recreation to the staff and for use to raise funds for the hospital

auxiliary.

The quota scheme took on immediately. The different zones took great pride in achieving

their quota and then raising a little extra as a bonus.

Crossmaglen, under the guidance of Matt Singleton, vied with Upper Orara in being the

first to hand in its quota.

The type of patient changed. A few years before, many drunks, badly bruised in combat,

needed treatment.

The editor of the “Advocate” commented:

“Years ago no gentleman was thoroughly dressed without a black eye. There were about

six fights every Saturday.”

Hospital needs increased, but funds raised locally were not sufficient to enable

expansion. Even the present-day problem of difficulty in collecting fees existed. A call

had to be made for volunteers when the nursing staff was struck by a mosquito-borne

fever and an outbreak of an infectious tropical disease threatened closure of the school.

The story of highlights of hospital history will be resumed on Wednesday.

_______________________________________

18

Coffs Harbour Advocate, Wednesday, February 25, 1970, p. 4

(This is the concluding part of our story on the history of the hospital by Mr. George

England, President of the Coffs Harbour Historical Society)

Hospital faces the trials of dengue fever, white ants and the age

old problem of extracting finance from the public.

The hospital tennis court was soon in operation and the first tournament raised £24,

which more than covered the cost. It was later abandoned, probably because the court

faced the wrong way.

Moving on to 1927, we find that the same poor conditions pertained at the hospital as

the locally-raised funds were not enough to give a surplus for expansion.

In order to economise, the matron appealed for old sheets to make bandages.

The Government did subsidise the funds from local pockets, but there was a poor response

in the payment of fees, even though they were only two guineas a week. (Multiply this

amount by about five for a present day value of $21.)

An outbreak of dengue fever in 1927 paralysed the town’s work force and so disorganised

services that only a small work force was available. The hospital was overcrowded and some

of the small band of nurses fell victims of the mosquito-borne fever.

Volunteers came to the rescue and after a couple of months the disease vanished as

suddenly as it had struck.

The inadequacy of the hospital to cope with such a situation gave a greater impetus to the

demand for further extensions to the existing wards.

The outbreak of dengue (unfortunately solicitor Gillies, who collected and saved the

“Advocate” of the period went down with the disease and omitted to collect the papers for the

period of his illness so that we have only personal recollections for the visitation) struck hard

at the school population and teaching staff.

With only a dozen or so children and a young woman assistant left, the headmaster wired

for permission to close the school.

Back came a telegram directing him to “carry on with the female assistant”.

He was a highly respectable gentleman and the young lady had a strict upbringing behind

her, so there was no carrying on as the telegram directed.

Some stocktaking by the Committee in 1928 revealed that out of a population of 3000 in

the district served by the hospital, only 200 thought it worthwhile to pay ten shillings to

become members of the local group running the institution.

Few paid Of the 120 patients of the previous year, only 30 paid the full three guineas, another 30

paid £116 for varying periods in hospital and 60 paid nothing at all.

The committee was becoming dispirited with the apathy that existed towards the hospital

in the town and the fact that income from outside sources had dropped from more than £1000

for the year a few years before to a mere £150.

The cost of maintaining a bed was now 10/6 a day, but only nine shillings could be

charged and when half the patients paid nothing at all, the administrators felt the task was fast

becoming hopeless.

Statically-minded committeemen showed that if everyone in the area served by the

hospital paid a mere two pence per week, or sixpence from each family, the hospital could

make ends meet.

19

To add to the worries of the committee, the hospital cows went dry and they were faced

with the expense of buying milk at a far greater cost than grazing their own cows in the

grounds and having them milked by the wardsman.

An appeal for support of the “sixpenny scheme” was made and a collector appointed. For

the first month he collected more than £100 and handed in a list of those who refused to give

support so that the committee could give their cases special attention should they ever need

hospital treatment and not make any attempt to pay for it.

On breadline “The hospital is financially on the breadline. The buildings need a coat of paint and the

Government subsidy decreases as local contributions drop”, was reported in June, 1928, but

the committee realised the needs of the district were not being fulfilled and proposed building

a maternity ward when finances permitted.

This decision followed the deaths of several young mothers at the private hospital at the

Jetty following an infection.

The Department of Health closed the private hospital and there was only a small private

hospital where the Holroyd Rest Home now stands.

It was not able to cope with the increased demand for a maternity ward and so the public

hospital committee felt it should make some steps to relieve the situation.

A small private home was converted into a maternity hospital by a private person in

Elizabeth Street, a few doors south of the larger Sunnyside Private Hospital which opened

later.

Interest in the “sixpenny scheme” was stimulated by court action against several former

patients who had ignored requests for payment of fees.

The accommodation was fully taxed. All 14 beds were occupied and new wards were

urgently required, but the same response, “No funds available” came to every request.

At one meeting, the secretary presented accounts for £48 and much time was spent sorting

them out as there was only £6 left in the overdraft account.

In the midst of the dilemma the white ants struck again, this time aided by rot, so that

money had to be spent on replacing the damaged piers and eradicating for the second time the

invasion of the destructive ants.

Figures for 1928 showed that the number of patients has risen to 274 and the costs for staff

had risen to £1006.

But the sixpenny plan was now working well and with an assured income and a working

knowledge of the hospital gained over several years’ experience, the committee could look

ahead with a greater degree of confidence.

A “beautiful home” for the matron and nurses was built for £850 and the hospital funds

showed a surplus of £519 over expenses. The success of the scheme was reported to the

Minister, who a few weeks later, when opening a new hospital elsewhere urged the local

committeemen to use the scheme, but gave the credit for its development to another hospital.

The secretary earned his £52 per year in the next few months, as requests flowed in from

almost every hospital in the State and even from other states asking how the scheme operated.

(See Appendix Part B, p. 24.)

Flushed with finances, the committee decided to go ahead with the construction of a ward

to provide accommodation for male patients. Ten beds were proposed and it was also decided

to consider details of a new steriliser and a septic sanitary system.

In the latter case, the supply of water was the prime consideration as the hospital still

depended upon the supply collected from the roof and stored in tanks.

The town supply of electricity was not particularly reliable and in emergencies such as

operations, the supply could not be relied upon so there was some consideration to setting up

an independent supply from the hospital’s own generator.

20

About this time, a new type of patient emerged in the form of those who did not belong to

the hospital fund, but handed in sixpence when admitted in the expectation of receiving

treatment as a member.

Publication of the story was good publicity for the scheme and helped maintain the

interest of the few who were inclined to let their subscriptions slide.

The end of the white ant invasion came when the piers were painted with boiling tar, a

treatment somewhat reminiscent of that meted out by pirates of long ago.

Perhaps conscience-stricken for the neglect of the main street leading to the hospital, the

Dorrigo Shire Council made a gift of several loads of fine metal screenings to spread on the

paths around the hospital so that staff and patients could have access with dry shoes.

Statisticians were again at work and the president, Mr R. G. Jackson, showed that there

were 1500 homes in the district and if all paid sixpence per head or one shilling per family,

the £2000 needed to operate the hospital would be covered and a surplus of £535 from the

total collected either by quarterly or half-yearly subscriptions.

The important factor was to pay regularly and to assist contributors. A Mr. J. Marsh was

appointed to collect the fees at regular intervals.

It was shown that he could visit 50 homes in a day so the whole area could be covered in

about three months each year. These fees paid the hospital costs for all the family under 14

years of age.

With an annual subsidy of about £800 and a surplus from the “Jackson Scheme,” plans for

a brighter future lay ahead.

Mr Jackson has received credit for the scheme but there were several committeemen who

contributed to the formation of details and of these Mr Fogarty was probably the most

prominent.

At this point the source of information closes as the collection of early “Advocates” made

by Mr Gillies and carefully saved by Mr Bray comes to an end.

Two Wards We do know that the hospital was extended to two wards shortly afterwards and later still

another building was erected to house the nursing staff, but it was not until 1946 that the

nurses ceased to carry hot water from the kitchen up along a long ramp to the wards where it

was used to wash patients and for general usage.

Quite recently, I spoke with Mrs. Williams, of Sawtell, who was a nurse at the hospital

about 1922.

She described the long heavy haul of two buckets of water from the kitchen for a distance

of a couple of chains.

This run was done 20 or more times each day and was looked upon as one of the drudges

of nursing life at the hospital.

There was a roof over the elevated walk, but the sides were open to the winds which blow

with regularity on the hill so that in wet weather nurses were invariably drenched as they

struggled along with the heavy buckets.

An interesting facet on the thinking of some members of the committee was expressed in

1945 when it was suggested that hot water from a pressure heater be reticulated to all points

where needed in the hospital.

One bearded farmer from a few miles out retorted that the work the nurses were called

upon to do in carrying hot water was nothing, nothing at all.

In fact, his missus had been carrying water from the house kitchen some two hundred

yards to the dairy for more than 20 years, she made no complaint about hard work!

A private ward was built somewhere in the forties and more recently an intermediate ward

was built to provide an expansion of accommodation for public ward patients when the

intermediate ward patients were removed to the intermediate ward beds.

21

During World War II several thousand troops and air force members were in the town and

the sick from their ranks were treated at the local hospital.

The most exciting day came when an American tanker was torpedoed a few miles off the

coast and many rescued seamen suffering injuries and burns were brought to the hospital for

treatment.

All patients about to return home were sent away at once and VAD nurses called as well

as former nurses in the town who were asked to help out.

Those men who were not seriously injured were sent to the High School hall where there

was a stock of emergency equipment and some 50-odd were bedded down on the floor while

senior girls, led by domestic science teachers, organised cups of tea and coffee.

Local doctors worked all day and into the night treating those who needed surgical

attention. Finally a team of US army doctors arrived by plane and took over the patients until

a hospital train arrived later that night and evacuated the seamen to an army hospital near

Sydney.

The Historical Society has secured a small cowbell that was used for many years to warn

visitors that visiting hours had ended. There is a story behind its presence at the hospital.

Warning bell An Indian hawker used to run his horses in the paddock where the hospital shop now

stands and as the paddock was fairly extensive and for the most part covered with bush which

made it difficult for him to find his horse in the morning, he strapped a bell to its neck each

night.

The area was a bad one for mosquitoes and the poor horse spent most of the night

switching its tail or tossing its head. Every movement caused the bell to ring.

One of the patients, unable to sleep because of the incessant dinning, crept out of bed and

unbuckled the bell and bore it in triumph to the sister on duty.

In the absence of a better bell, it was used for many years as a warning bell to visitors.

Took over In the post-war period, the owners of a private hospital known as “Sunnyside” made an

application to increase the fees charged. The Hospitals Commission took over and

immediately fixed the fees at a rate higher than those refused by the Commission!

“Sunnyside” had long served as a maternity hospital and some 5500 babies were born

there. The most famous of these was Marjorie Jackson of Olympic sprinting fame.

By about 1963 a fine, new brick maternity ward was opened as fulfilment of the promise

made 40 years before by an enthusiastic, but moneyless committee.

During the war years the hospital committee made a deal with the Government hospital

authorities to raise the sum of £10,000 if the Government would build a new hospital to

replace the one which had long become outmoded.

Under the guidance of Bob Garratt, licensee of the Fitzroy Hotel, a drive was made for

funds and by the end of the war some £4000 were in hand.

In the post-war years the Christmas Carnivals were held in the main street, which was

closed to traffic at night and for the entire week a full night’s entertainment was provided by

displays of wood chopping at which several NSW and national axemen’s titles were decided.

A great range of gambling devices and stalls extracted money from willing pockets.

Within three years, the goal of £10,000 had been reached and the Hospitals Commission

was informed of the achievement and the promise to build a new hospital made by a

competent government representative referred to.

That was more than 20 years ago and the £10,000 raised has melted into a paltry sum with

the passing of years and the effects of inflationary costs.

22

Bob Garratt did not live to see the hospital that the Commission finally provided, but to

his memory we must pay a tribute for the leadership he gave to a band of willing workers and

the enthusiasm he inspired in the general public.

Admittedly, the people were in the mood for generous help following the end of a long

period of doubt at the outcome of the war and the restrictions they had endured during the last

four years before victory came.

Here was an objective that was constructive and under the guidance of Bob Garratt and his

fellows, there was a generous response.

The response made little impression in the final assessment because the cost of the

hospital rose to astronomic heights which made the £10,000 look puny, but at the time it was

a wonderful effort.

Necessities Down through the years there has been a band of workers busy providing some of the

necessities of the hospital that do not fall within the range of activities of the committee.

These workers have been a well-established body for many years mainly under the

guidance of Mrs “Nell” Thompson and a number of helpers who have grown old in the

service of patients, many of whom are not aware that the almost silent band of workers exists.

In some of the country districts, too, there are groups who still find satisfaction in

providing equipment and seemingly unimportant articles which the Hospitals Commission

does not provide.

In our modern way of life, some of the charitable feelings we had for the other fellow who

was unable to help himself have been lost.

Helping the hospital was once one of the means we had of expressing our feelings towards

our fellow men in distress.

Now the Government has taken over and the hospital is no longer a personal

responsibility, except for the Women’s Hospital Auxiliary members.

23

PART II

THE COFFS HARBOUR HOSPITAL

CONTRIBUTION SCHEME

SECTION A

Commentary

It is one thing to raise the necessary funds to build a hospital. It is another thing to fund

the weekly cost of running a hospital year after year.

Like other districts, Coffs Harbour wrestled with this problem of weekly funding.

Yearly subscriptions to become a “member” of the hospital (see p.12) didn’t provide

enough funds.

Weekly contribution schemes by particular groups of workers (see pp.14-15) didn’t

provide enough funds.

Fund-raising efforts, such as the quota-system described on p.16, still didn’t address

the constant nature of weekly-running costs.

The Coffs Harbour hospital committeemen then came up with a “sixpenny scheme”

where every household in the district paid six pence a week (p.18). (The scheme also became

known as the “Jackson Scheme” [p.19].) This cracked the funding puzzle.

It also made Coffs Harbour famous around the State and “and even other states” (p.18;

see also Appendix part B).

In 1967, George England told a group of interested listeners that “the Hospital Benefit

fund now in operation throughout the State originated in Coffs Hospital”. (See Appendix part

C.)

It is fair to say that Coffs Harbour is the birthplace of Medicare.

It is in fact possible to say that Coffs Harbour had the world’s first system of universal

health care. (Other parts of the world followed from the mid-1930’s.)

Why was Coffs Harbour the place to crack the puzzle?

There were “very few refusals” when the Coffs Harbour scheme began (see

Yeates/Coffs Harbour Volume I, p.187). A better way to express this is: Nearly every

household in the district could afford to pay one shilling a week on an ongoing basis.

There may not have been rich people in the district, but there were very few people in

poverty, either. And this can arguably be traced back to Coffs Harbour’s origins in the early

1880’s as a district without squatters. Lacking a river and lacking open grazing land, Coffs

Harbour attracted, instead, people of small means with a genuinely egalitarian outlook.

This outlook, in turn, led to a local economic system of steady incomes for all.

An 1883 meeting on the new Land Bill captures this special Coffs Harbour spirit. –See

Appendix part D.

________________________

24

SECTION B

The secretary of Coffs Harbour Hospital describes the “Jackson Scheme”, 1930

Coffs Harbour Advocate, June 17, 1930

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article185723244

FINANCING THE HOSPITAL

THE COFFS HARBOUR SCHEME

Coffs Harbour Hospital initiated the scheme for financing the hospital that is now

gaining State-wide application, and demonstrated the efficiency of it in rural districts. It has

made Coffs Harbour so prominent throughout the State that the secretary is becoming quite

used to explaining the scheme to other hospitals which write for particulars. These inquiries

have become so frequent that he has drafted out a terse and explicit explanation of the scheme

and the way it was launched here, which is typed in his office and sent to those asking for it.

It is as follows:–

“We have a scheme here which is proving a great success. For the payment of 6d per week

for an adult or in the case of a married man 1/ per week, we guarantee to give free treatment

should it be required. This does not include medical attention, the subscribers making their

own arrangements with the doctor. We have 1500 subscribers which means an income of

about £37 per week. On this we get Government subsidy. We employ a collector to collect

the subscriptions. This is a full-time position. We pay £4/10/ per week and 10 per cent. of all

money collected over £80 per month. When we started this scheme we forwarded a circular

to every house-holder in the district explaining the scheme and stating that our collector

would be calling at an early date. We also received much publicity through the Press. We

found that the people responded readily, and generally prefer this scheme to the old methods

of cadging. When the scheme was launched we promised not to hold any functions, etc., in

aid of the hospital, beyond the annual ball, and this we adhered to. We have found the scheme

a great success. We started off in debt and now we have £1200 at fixed deposit, have painted

the institution and are now building a new men’s ward, maternity ward, and installing a septic

sewerage system. For the 1/ per week paid by a family we treat husband, wife and children up

to the age of 18 years. I will be glad to give you any further information required at any

time.”

Occasionally, of course, one or two necessary amendments of figures have to be made.

Taree Hospital has adopted the scheme and appointed Mr. W. G. Hopper collector on a 10

per cent. basis.

________________________

25

SECTION C

George England gives the Jackson Scheme a 1967 perspective

Coffs Harbour Advocate, September 22, 1967

COFFS HARBOUR HAD THE FIRST HOSPITAL SCHEME

Members of the Coffs Harbour Branch of the United Hospitals Auxiliary were

intrigued to learn at their monthly meeting that Coffs Harbour was the first town in

New South Wales to have a hospital contribution scheme.

The branch was fortunate to have two guest speakers, Miss Judith Bowen and Mr. George

England, at the meeting.

Miss Bowen spoke on “Women in Aviation”.

There have been many illustrious women in this field and it was most interesting to learn

about them.

Any notions of being too old to enjoy such a thrilling pastime were dispelled when Miss

Bowen disclosed that the Duchess of Bedford began flying lessons when she was seventy.

Many thanks to Miss Bowen for such an interesting address. From the questions asked it

was obvious that aviation has a great appeal.

Mr. England spoke on the early days and origins of the Coffs Harbour hospital.

He said that the Hospitals Benefit Fund now in operation throughout the State originated

in Coffs Hospital.

In a tent The late Mr. Robert Jackson was secretary of such a scheme about 1928. As far back

as 1915 there was a similar fund, whereby the payment of sixpence weekly provided free

hospitalisation for railway and breakwater workers. In those early days the hospital

was a tented one at Coffs Harbour Jetty.

Mr. England is working on a complete history of the hospital to be released to coincide

with the opening of the promised new hospital. Let us hope that it will not be too long before

we are reading this account.

Members of the medical and nursing professions in those days would appear to have been

very colourful characters.

_______________________________

(This article is out of order on the Coffs Harbour Library’s microfilm of the Advocate,

appearing after October 4, 1967.)

26

SECTION D

Coffs Harbour selectors want a fair go for persons of small means.

Clarence and Richmond Examiner, 3 November, 1883

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62140968

Coff’s Harbour.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)

THE LAND QUESTION. – A public meeting was held at Mr Petersen’s, Coff’s Harbour, on

Tuesday, 23rd

October, when the new Land Bill was discussed from the free selectors point of

view. There was a large attendance, both rooms being well filled. Mr Newport was voted to

the chair, and opened the meeting with some practical remarks. The opinions expressed were

strongly condemnatory of the Bill. At the first blush the Bill seems to be a squatters measure,

but the squatters have so thoroughly secured the valuable portions of their runs that they

could afford to throw up the balance, and be independent of the Crown. That which affects

the squatters most seriously is the proposals to abolish preleases. Were that proposal struck

out of the Bill they would probably support the Government, as they would then secure their

preleases, and throw up their runs. If other districts should act with the same decision, and

speak out as plainly as the residents of Coff’s Harbour, our legislators would soon know how

the “cat jumps”, and then how brave and gallant they would be. I am only sorry I cannot send

you a verbatim report of the practical remarks on land reform, but the following resolutions

speak for themselves:– 1. Moved by Mr Shepherd, seconded by Mr Petersen. “That the new

Land Bill is wholly unsuitable to the settlement of a labouring population on the wastelands.”

2. Moved by Mr Wingfield, seconded by Mr Shepherd. “That the clause with reference to

fencing is obstructive and impracticable, and that the nature of improvements should be left

entirely to the discretion of the selector, as at present.” 3. Moved by Mr Emil Ploog, seconded

by Mr Wingfield. “That any new Land Bill should contain a provision for the immediate

abolition of interest.” 4. Moved by Mr J. Lee, and seconded by Mr R. Scott. “That all public

lands should be leased in small areas by auction sale, so that persons of small means may

have an opportunity of becoming Crown tenants.” 5. Moved by Mr T. Albert, seconded by

Mr Shepherd. “That applications for small holdings should have preference to, and take

precedence of, applications for large holdings.” 6. Moved by Mr J. Carroll, and seconded by

My T. Albert. “That any new Land Bill should provide for a progressive land tax on all

holdings over 640 acres.” 7. Moved by Mr Fuller, and seconded by Mr J. Erkkilo. “That the

conditions attached to non-residential selectors are arbitrary and obstructive, and negative the

value of the privilege.”

The sugar cane all along the coast looks splendid, and in no way hurt by last winter’s frost.

______________________________

27

SECTION E

The View from Sydney

Mr R. J. Love, appointed chairman of the newly formed N.S.W. Hospitals Commission

on November 1, 1929, was tasked with improving hospital funding.

On November 14, 1929, he outlined a radical plan where “everyone should contribute”.

(SMH 15/11/29. –See below.) He had made the leap from “certain groups of employees

paying sixpence a week” to “everyone in the district paying sixpence a week”. He couldn’t

have pulled this out of his head, because no-one in economically-stratified Sydney would be

able to comprehend such a scheme.

The Jackson Scheme had begun in April 1928, and was declared by locals to be “an

unqualified success” in January 1929. (See Yeates, p. 187.) It was surely this scheme that put

the “universal contribution” idea into Mr Love’s head.

There were other imperatives, such as Mr Love being seen by the Commission to have

thought up a new funding model. On April 14, 1930, Mr Love said Coffs Harbour had

successfully taken up his November 1929 funding suggestion, and now even had a surplus.

(SMH 15 April, 1930. See below.)

Mr Love wasn’t being frank.

It would have been this April 14, 1930 “singling out” of Coffs Harbour which led to

the flurry of enquiries to the Coffs Hospital secretary reported in the Advocate on June 17,

1930 (see Section B).

The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 November, 1929

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16601976

HOSPITALS.

System of Financing.

WEEKLY CONTRIBUTIONS.

MR. LOVE’S PROPOSALS.

A scheme for the financing of hospitals by a system of weekly subscriptions was

outlined by the chairman of the Hospitals Commission (Mr. R. J. Love) yesterday, when

addressing the committee of the Nepean District Hospital. He said that in certain industrial

districts, especially in the coal mining areas, a system of weekly contributions of sixpence

had been remarkably successful in financing the hospitals. The men in some of these areas

were jealous of the right to contribute in this manner, and no difficulty had been experienced

in collecting the money. He was preparing a scheme on similar lines for submission to the

commission. He welcomed criticism of the scheme, for he wanted to be certain that it would

be successful before it was introduced.

All the hospitals which had tried out the scheme had limited its application to the

ordinary wage-earner, but his proposals provided that everyone should contribute. These

contributors would receive value for the money if they became patients of a hospital.

28

The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 April, 1930

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16666258

FINANCING HOSPITALS

SYSTEMATIC CONTRIBUTION SCHEME.

The scheme for financing hospitals, which was suggested by the chairman of the

Hospitals Commission (Mr. R. J. Love) has been taken up enthusiastically.

Mr. Love said yesterday that the Coff’s Harbour Hospital board of management had

found the scheme so effective that it was building additions to the local institution from

revenue derived by means of the voluntary contributions. Other hospitals that had taken up

the scheme were those at Bega, Bulli, Wollongong, Coledale, Burrowa, Gilgandra, Young,

and in the Maitland-Newcastle area.

The scheme provides that every man who contributes one shilling to the hospital will

receive free public hospital treatment for himself, wife, and children under 17 years of age.

Persons over 17 years of age will receive similar privileges for 6d a week.

_________________________

SECTION F

The origin of this research.

This research on the “Jackson Scheme” was sparked by the following lines in Jean

Donn-Patterson’s Coffs Harbour 100 Years Down the Track, published in the 1980s.

“In those early days it was rumoured that Sydney was quite impressed by our

financial improvements and they sent representatives here to see how it worked. They were

very impressed and so, they say, this was the beginning of our medical benefits. The old

identities firmly believed this, and I feel it could be right too, but have found no evidence, so

far, to support this claim.” (p.100)

Neil Yeates’ Coffs Harbour Vol I: Pre-1880 to 1945, published in 1990 – and

currently considered to be the definitive text – describes the Jackson Scheme within its Coffs

Harbour context (pp. 186-187), but doesn’t mention the scheme’s wider significance.

29

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Coffs Harbour Advocate, http://bit.ly/2hYptse

Coffs Harbour Advocate, pre-1955, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title989

Donn-Patterson, Jean, Coffs Harbour 100 years down the track, http://bit.ly/2hYlvzM

Yeates, Neil, Coffs Harbour Vol I: pre-1880 to 1945, 1990, http://bit.ly/2hYkiZj