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KYOGLE MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
STONE
LAID BY SOLDIER HERO'S
MOTHER
HISTORIC CEREMONY
KYOGLE, Wednesday—"he foundation
stone of the Kyogle Memorial Hospital was
VaicV this afternbon' in the 'presence of. a
large gathering. The weather was showery.
Prior to the ceremony the shire president;
(Or. Moore) gave an outline of the history
of the building, mentioning the various -dif
ficulties' the. committee had overcome. Go
vernment "red tape," Cr. Moore said, had
prevented the building from being started
when the committee was ready. Now, however,
there was reason for congratulation
that the district was getting one of the most
up-to-date hospitals in the country on
air unequalled site. No better ..memorial to
the memory of the fallen soldiers could have
been thought of. The idea- of . having the.
mother of a- soldier perform the ceremony
was a very fine one and would for'all tune,
make the * building sacred ,to, the soldier*
memory. ' 1, . ■ ..i ,
' , Difficulties would:;probably-aTiseyntl^ re
gard to the maintenance of . the building,-Or.
Moore continued, but . no progres
sive 'district v should •. let*■••••. its hos
pital . suffer for * want," of . fnnd?.' -.He
did not believe that the; Kyogle. Hospital
would be allowed to" suffer in .that way. Tlir;
committee. aimed at opening ,it free of debt,
and 'lie felt sure that it, .would realise its
^ Or. Moore paid a tribute to Oolonel Board
for the liberal ■.-■.mariner in : yhich -he had
treated the committee in his supervision ofc
the building. He read letters ^from . the.
members for Byron in the St.ite, Parliament,
ofiVh enclosing a cheque for two guinea?.
Mr George ".Nesbitt wrote fihnt although
he was not able to be present, owing to Ins
Parliamentary duties he : would . like, his
name a ssnciated with the cereipony. >He con
sidered the building a fitting tribute to the
pall ant soldiers who ga ve their live~ _ -•
° Cr Moore explained that Mrs. Southern
had'been elected by ballot to perform the
ceremony,: and called upon, her to'
the r-tone which was covered with the Um&n
^aCk' "WELL AND TRULY LAID' '
Mrs. Southam, using a presentation'trowel,
then performed the ceremony. The founda
tion stone, which is placed near the front
entrance, is inscribed: ««Th s ^tone^as laid.;
by Mrs.' Southam, one of and on
mothers of deceased- soldiers -in the,Ky;o^
district, who paid" tl^ supreme • sacrifice, in
the great war,, 1914-18. November 5, 3924.:
•Mr & TV Brook's (secretary) made. ..a |
strong appeal, to all residents to support th?j
institution. Owing to- the-generosity of, the
people, he said, the building would be paid
for the day it, was finished. .. , • n
■Nearly a.11 the trouble experienced by the I
hospitals over fin ante, Mr. Brooks contiipca, |
was owing to the indifference of the people
in. the districts. Each district should 'be or
ganised, and a certain sum guaranteed and
sent in" each year. ' Straight-outgiving* was
what was required. Then- the committee
got the full benefit of the money and should
not have' to organise special efforts. He not
iced • that whilst people said that they. <?oulu.
■not contribute to the hospital funds owing
to bad times,, they still paid for rounds of
pleasure without grumbling. He would like to
remind-the. people, that,.the hospital was. not
a benevolent institution, and was not intend'
cd Jor well-to-do-patients unless theyrpaid
fees. A number of 'well-to-do people used tho
hospital annually without paying, and that
showed a y'cry.' poor'.spirit.. '-He'."liked -to see
a spirit of independence and self-help. A
I spirit of self-denial was needed to keep the
hospitals we'll fitted for' the noble work' of
helping the .unfortunate and sick ones* who
could not help themselves.
DISTRICT PROGRESS
I Mr. It. E. Alcorn said that when he came
to the district. 24 years ago, he did.not an
ticipate that the progress of the district
I would be such as to make possible tlie "erec
tion, free of debt, of such ail siip-to-date
hospital. Kyogle was only a cattle station
at that time, but'so great was the progress
made, tlijit tliey had probably the best' hos
j pital on the Northern, Rivers. "I appeal to
you all to think of your hospitals and the
noble work they are doing," Mr. Alcorn said;
"and do not forget their claim on your sup
port. Give a thought to the pain and' suf
fering that are' being relieved, and see that
the great, work can always be done in a well
equipped building.''
Immediately after the stone was laid, a
small girl laid one shilling on it and retired
to the crowd again. Many liberal contri
butions were made, including ten guineas
from the architect. Stroet collectors and
stalls added considerably to the amount.
Fifteen years ago the people of Kyogle
Shire-decided't-hnt the time for the erection
of a public hospital at Kyogle had arrived
LTi) to that, time the Casino public hospital
-was largely used by patients from the Upper
Richmond,* and the conveyance of patients
from TJrbenville and other up-river centres
distances of from forty to fifty miles over
b-.ish tracks'- was felt to be a great handicap
on a patient's chance of recovery. A private
hospital had been established in the town
bv Dr. Greer, who was then practising m
the district, but there were many siclc people
who were unable to pay the charges of a
private institution, and a movement., which
met with a very generous response, was initia
ted-for the erection of a, public hospital. A
site opposite the police court was given by
the Lands Department, but its evident un
suitability through being located at the foot
of a high hill and facing the west, led to its
condemnation by the Public Health Depart
ment.
HISTORY OF MOVEMENT
At the first meeting called in connection
with the movement a sum'of about £800 was
subscribed, and this was added to during
the years following until £1100 was obtained.
Mr. W. Ainess was honorary secretary to
the movement, and Messrs. R. E. Alcorn and
W. .T. Irwin were closely associated with it.
' On'the outbreak of the war.it was decided
to lei. further action in, the matter stand
'over for the time being. At the conclusion
of the war meetings were called for the pur
pose of deciding what form, the proposed
memorial to the memory of the fallen sol
diers should take, a proposal to erect a
memorial hall and, eVtb.'.'rooms in connection
with the School of Arts received consider
able support, but atfa very large public meet
ing in the shire -hall it- was decided by a
I considerable majority to erect" a memorial
hospital, and part of the police paddock op
posite .the public school Was obtained as a
site. This in turn was condemned by tho
Health Department, and the present fine site
where the police buildings have been for a
number of years was granted, and an area
of six acrcs was recently dedicated. No
better possible site could be secured for a
hospital building, as it stands in well-drained
grounds of .its own far enough away from all
other buildings to secure that privacy and
nuietness so necessary to hospital patients.
The gentle, slope of the ground in all direc
tions will lend easily to a scheme, of' beau^
tification by tree planting and garden plots;
there is ample ground for growing vegetables
and for grazing two co\vs.
DESIGJjF OF SUILBIN<3
The actnnl work of the erection of the
bui'ding had to watt on Government red tape
methods, but quite recently these'had all been
complied with, and a tender wfts accepted
for the building on designs prepared by- Col
onel' F." J. Board, of Lismore. Messrs'. Hol
land and. Thorne were the successful tender
ers. '• •:! -v-V'1 • ■
The. plans, provide for a main brick .build-,
ing of modern; design of dimensions suffi
cieut .to:meet. the estimated requirements of
the-; district-for- ;manyi years, ahead.;' The iso
Jalion wards and nurse^'. queers1 being
built of wood. These are now well towards
cdmpletion, and if they do n,ot quite fit in
with the main building m appearance, it lS
understood that they." will be replaced lateT
by moTe pretentions structures of briclv The
main'building is also well-"advanced, and it
fine weather continues the contractor expects
to be able to hand over the -building--'early in
tlie new year. • :
The cost of the hospital without, eqrnp-,
ment will amount to £5640, and the equip
ment. will cost another £1000. With ".the Gov
ernment contribution, of .one-third* the cost
of the building, £1380, the committee ■■'will be
able to open the building entirely free of
debt. j.
Throughout the negotiations for the. erec
tion of the. building an energetic committee
representing every centre in the.-district, and
presided over by ■ Councillor R. J. Moore,
shire president, undertook to raise the nec
essary funds, and the ladies of the district
bv street stalls and collections have done
great service iri that direction. "
The annua] miiintaiiiiice charges will
amount, to a, considerable sum, but by adopt
ing the zone system and each part of the dis
trict, .undertaking to send in a stateij sum of
money each year, it, is felt that Kyogle will
not be included in the list of towns where
hospitals languish for want of funds.
It is desired that generous recognition
should bo made in the, press of the great ser
vice rendered to Kyogle district patients by
the committee, doctors and nursing staff of
the Casino District. Hospital, where up-river
patients were at all times readily admitted
and skilfully nursed. The building of the
hospital will relieve the Casino institution
of thi3 drain upon its funds.
In order that the hospital would not be in
complete when opened for want, of an ambu
lance, the local lodge of the M.U.T.O.O.F.
and other friendly societies undertook to
raise the funds necessary for tlifc- purchase of
an up-to-date motor ambulance and the pre
sence of the ambulance in the town in actual
use to-day shows how well they succeeded.
Patients have been brought in to the private
hospitals and also to the Casino Hospital"
during the last six-months from the most
distantnp-rivev centres. The sporting bod
ies and clubs have all done their share to
wards raising funds, and the committee grate
fully acknowledges the assistance so freely
given. , . •
When the matter of having, a ceremony in
.connection with the laying of' the foundation
stone of the building was discussed, it was
'ided that as the building was a. memorial
to fallen soldiers, a mother' of a - deceased
soldier should be asked to lay the foundation
stone, and the choice fell upon Mrs. Charles
South am. of Ettrick road. To celebrate the
occasion Mrs. Sontham was presented bv the
committee with a beautiful sterling; gUver
trowel with a handle of polished local rose
wood, heai-lns- the inscription, <«Presented to
Mrs. O. Noiitham on the occasion, of the lav
ing of the foundation stone of the KvogV
Memorial Hospital on November 5, 1924#M*
The trowel was made and engraved by
Messrs. Nunn and Son, Kyogle
$