Parts of the old nurses’ quarters at Atherton Hospital have been salvaged to give the Tablelands community an opportunity to take home a piece of antiquity.
Atherton Hospital Acting Director of Nursing, Leonie Jennings, said the Atherton Hospital Redevelopment team had made it a priority to capture the past by salvaging recyclable items from the Primary Health Centre before it was demolished.
“An expert crew went through the building and removed French doors, arched and casement windows, balustrades and other items which have been donated to the Atherton Friends of the Hospital Foundation (FOF) for a community auction,” Ms Jennings said.
“I know how important this building was to the community but unfortunately it was financially impossible to preserve as part of the redevelopment.
“It was in very poor condition.
“This way the community will have the chance to take a piece of the old building home as a keepsake at the community auction.”
Proceeds from the auction will go to help the fundraising group provide more equipment for health services in Atherton.
FOF president Dianne Williams expressed her gratitude to the health service for the donated items and said it was a wonderful way for the old Atherton Hospital buildings to be remembered and cherished.
“We’re all very excited about the new facilities being provided but it’s beautiful to be able to remember the special times that happened in the old buildings,” Mrs Williams said.
Among items to be auctioned are a board room table, dozens of doors and windows, other furniture and a vintage Beale piano.
Mrs Williams said the Beale piano was made some time between 1912-16.
“It is thought that Jim McConnell sold the piano for 175 pounds to the Atherton Hospital after his first wife Luisa died of the Spanish Flu. He had the piano shipped up from New South Wales and brought up to Atherton by horse and buggy,” she said.
The Auction will be held on November 28 at the cattle sheds at the Atherton Showgrounds.
Doors open and viewing will be from 8am and the auction will proceed from 10am.
A coffee van and food stalls will be present. After the auction, a cent sale will be held at the Merriland Hall. Doors open 12noon and the cent sale will start from 1pm. The Atherton Friends of the Foundation will cater for the cent sale.
The next stage of the Atherton Hospital Redevelopment will result in a new purpose-built four-storey Clinical Services Building constructed, providing a new emergency department, medical imaging, inpatient, maternity and birthing service with private ensuite facilities, operating and endoscopy theatres and a sterilising unit.
As well as the new Clinical Services Building, a new Engineering Services Building also is being constructed as well as external roadworks and supporting infrastructure.
“There is also significant landscaping and beautification of the grounds to be undertaken to create a peaceful, healing environment for patients and visitors,” Ms Jennings said.
“All effort is being made to minimise construction impacts to nearby neighbours as we continue to work with our stakeholders.”
Any enquiries can be directed to atherton-redevelopment@health.qld.gov.au
PHOTO: Atherton Friends president Di Williams and volunteer Bev Prescott.
