Pics from the Past | Shepparton hospital plans: modern, multi-storey future

(Shepparton Advertiser November 1950)

“Complete detail of the planning narrative of Shepparton’s proposed hospital indicates the building will be of ultra-modern construction, multi-storied with at least one wing from the main building.

Hospitals and Charities Commission has indicated to Mooroopna hospital board that it should forward any suggestions or alterations before the architects are instructed to prepare sketch plans.

The board left detailed perusal of the narrative to the building committee, medical staff and advisory board for report as soon as possible.

It is estimated that even though Mooroopna hospital is at present at full capacity and is carrying an average of 190 patients per day it will be 10 to 12 years before Shepparton’s hospital will be completed.

Visionaries suggest Mooroopna will never close, as when Shepparton hospital is completed it will be inadequate for the needs of the area Mooroopna now serves.

The hospital will contain 404 beds catering for 234 public, 86 intermediate, 36 semi-private and 48 private patients.

The narrative stated that there will be no additions to the number of beds, provision should be made in the design of the structure for the possible extra storey cover for the wing, which houses the tuberculosis and infectious units.

£1 million

An estimated cost of the new hospital is in the region of £1 million and will be built of a steel or concrete frame.

Bed classification is 128 beds will be available for surgical, 128 for medical, 48 maternity, 30 children, six for sick nurses, 32 for isolation and 32 for tuberculosis patients.

Each sister’s station will have a restroom and toilet attached and a play room and children’s bathroom will be adjacent to the children’s ward.

A clerk’s office and telephone room will be on each floor.

No dust

The service block, which will be designed to meet the maximum water demand for steam but allow summer running on one boiler, will be modern for the bulk-handling of fuel and ash to avoid dust nuisance.

There will be an engineer’s office, workshop for plumbing and engineering, carpentry, paint, paint shop, incinerator.

A group laundry is required to serve the hospital and other institutions in the Goulburn Valley region.

Under the control of a manager, the laundry will in the main be independent of the hospital as is planned in other states.

A building of a capacity of 600 hospital beds and 400 beds for small hospitals — with an annual loading out of 750 hospital beds and 600 staff.

In the kitchen unit will be a test kitchen to cook for 80 patients and provide special diets under the wing of the dietitian and assistant dietitian.

Providing the TB ward is above ground level there will be four lifts, steam, air conditioning to the operating theatres, midwifery, suite and premature nursery.

Administration offices will be provided for the manager, assistant manager, accountant, purchasing officer, medical superintendent, matron, assistant matron and dietitian.

Dining room for staff and a canteen will be provided.

A large casualty station having access to the lifts without passing through the other departments will be provided.

Outpatients department will have a separate entrance, including a separate entrance for a VD clinic, and an ample waiting area for each clinic.

Space for a laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, mortuary, industrial rehabilitation and blood bank will be provided in the diagnostic and therapeutic services.

Four operating theatres, including one for fracture work, will be provided with ample scrubbing and storage space.

Midwifery section will be air-conditioned.

Normal nursery will be for 40 babes, a suspect nursery for four babes and a six incubator premature nursery with an isolation nursery attached to maternity isolation.

Staff quarters include flats for the matron, assistant matron and sister-tutor, a suite for home sister, senior dietitian and a guest, rooms of 120 square feet for 46 sisters, same for 10 technicians, and 100 square feet for 200 nurses.

Staff amenities

Facilities for the staff are four rooms for reception of the visitors, a lounge for sisters, a lounge for nurses, pantry adjoining lounges, milk bar and canteen, library, drying cabinets and ironing facilities.

A separate unit and training school for nurses will provide a lecture hall, two classrooms, demonstration area, practical workrooms, offices, library and study room and equipment storage.

Provision will be made for a future recreation room to be used by all members of the staff.

Domestic staff quarters provide for a flat for the housekeeper, and amenities generally, as for nursing staff.

Doctors’ quarters

Resident medical staff will have rooms of 120 square feet for four doctors.

Residence will be provided for manager, medical superintendent and engineer.”

*****

The planning first started in February 1950 when the Board of Management of the Mooroopna Hospital made contact with the Hospital and Charities Commission regarding planning for a new Shepparton Hospital.

Over the years there were a number of sites proposed. In June 1950, land on the corner of Balaclava Rd and Wyndham St (Numurkah Rd) commonly known as Fairley’s Paddock, was investigated.

In March 1952, an alternative site was put forward, which was the land formed by the fork of the Broken and Goulburn rivers, near the location of the closed Freezing Works.

In April 1952, the proposed Balaclava Rd/Wyndham St site was abandoned due to the unsuitability of the ground shown by test bores.

The large increase in costs to sink columns or building a type of “raft” concrete slab to support the proposed two-story building would be prohibitive.

It wasn’t until October 1954 that the current site on the corner of Wyndham (Numurkah Rd) and Graham St was finalised, with plans to start in three years.

It wasn’t until 1965 that the first stage, a midwifery unit, boiler-house and two staff residences, was completed and opened.

Geoff Allemand is an amateur photographer and Lost Shepparton Facebook page admin. Please share your Pics from the Past at pastpics@mmg.com.au