THE Bega District Hospital, built with a lot of community help, was opened in 1899 and was a godsend for the poorer classes in the district when they became ill or injured. It was managed by a Board continually looking for ways to fund it.
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THREE members of the Board acted as the house committee for a month at a time. They had purchased furniture and looked after the fencing, laid out the garden and improved the land.
From all sides assistance and support has come when an appeal was made. Cash donations were received from a number of individuals and also the Bega Royal Orange Lodge, while W Allen and H Otton had each supplied a cow, so comparatively little has been spent on milk and butter. Mr Stiles has paid the butcher's bill and Mr Gowing paid the baker's account.
Candelo residents gave £20 11s, the proceeds of a ball and Albert Montgomery's recital added to the funds. The Bega Minstrels and Cottier and Walton's troupe are to pay a donation of £11 12s 9d. The Debating Club contributed £4 12s 9d. Messrs Guthrie and Besky's road camp sent a nice Christmas box of £10 12s 6d.
Many ladies have sent linen, flowers, preserves and sundry casual, but acceptable donations of books and other articles, direct to the hospital.
In March, 1890, the Standard reports that there were two new patients in the hospital, one with a broken thigh and the other with a gunshot wound. Nothing at all in the paper as to how the person was shot, but quite a bit on the fact that someone came by night to the hospital and stole a collie pup off the chain.
"Nobody has any business on the premises after nightfall without the regular order for admission, and anyone trespassing without this will be prosecuted. The committee has resolved to give £5 reward for conviction of any trespassers after dark on the hospital grounds."
In early August on a Saturday night a bit of a fire occurred at the hospital. It appears a fire was made in the fireplace in the male ward, and by some means it caught the studding of the wall. The Matron, Mrs Clarke, smelt something burning, and on opening the door found the room full of smoke.
Mr and Mrs Clarke and the servant saw where the fire was, and soon extinguished it before much damage was done. There were no patients in the ward at the time, the only one in the institution being a little boy, and he was in another part of the house.
This report raises the questions as why was a fire made in the male ward when there were no patients there.