IT IS 1886 and a public meeting has moved that a hospital be built in Bega on the Permanent Common and the cost would be 1200 pounds. A committee was formed to plan the building of the hospital and raise funds for it.
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THE hospital committee realised that raising 1200 pounds would be very difficult so it set about it in a methodical way so that the majority of residents of the town of Bega and surrounding districts would be canvassed.
Gentlemen from Candelo, Wolumla, Merimbula, Pambula, Colombo, Wyndham and Eden were asked to call public meetings in their various townships to bring the matter prominently before the residents.
It was decided to divide Bega into five areas to be canvassed for subscriptions so Kerrison and Atkinson were to canvass Newtown, from High Street, and west of Gipps Street from Carp Street, it would be Manning and Harrison and so on.
Others to be asked to contact their neighbours for subscriptions were W Ritchie, Tanja; J Gowing, Murrah; E Ritchie, Tathra Road; John Rheinberger, Meringlo; W Hanscombe, Numbugga; T Bateman, Buckey-joe; and C Stiles, Frogs Hollow.
Those canvassing subscriptions were to take "into consideration the present hard times and the scarcity of the needful".
Mr Macarthur said the Mayor, Thomas Rawlinson had promised ten pounds ten shillings towards the hospital, and the names of Rawlinson, Atkinson and the Reverends Milne and Beale be added to the committee.
On the motion of Mr Manning it was decided to request the medical gentlemen of Bega to furnish rough sketches of plans of buildings and general requirements. He also suggested that a small prize might be offered for the best design.