ACHHA Fence Function 18th October 2016

ACHHA Members and friends attended a most enjoyable function at the Country Hospital Museum at the Heritage Village on 18th October 2016. The purpose of the function was to celebrate the completion of the magnificent sandstone and wrought iron fence at the front of the Museum which was built for us by Village staff and volunteers. The fence includes the Sandrock Gates, originally a feature of the Canning Street fence of the Rockhampton Hospital. The fence was built at the hospital in 1935 using a bequest to the hospital from the estate of the late Mr George F. Sandrock. These gates are now part of our front fence, along with the commemorative plaque which was originally attached to the remnants of the fence near the Rockhampton Hospital Post Office. You will also see other signage which we have placed to tell the story of the Sandrock Gates.

We have also erected a sign to tell the story of the original Foundation Stone of the Rockhampton Hospital placed by the Mayor of Rockhampton, Captain Hunter, in September 1867. Yvonne Kelley managed to save this stone from going to the dump in 1986 when the original buildings were demolished. This year will be especially significant for the Rockhampton Hospital since it marks 150 years since the start of construction on the present site.

The function was addressed by our President, Lorraine Antonello, Kairi Traditional Owner, Ms Barbara Hatfield, who delivered the Acknowledgement to Country, Ms Brittany Lauga MP (who also contributed towards the cost of the function) and Cr Rose Swadling, a strong supporter of the Heritage Village. We were also very pleased to have one of Mr Sandrock's descendants join us for the function. Our Association greatly appreciates the work undertaken on our behalf by Village staff and volunteers both before the function and in catering on the day.

As an added and very welcome feature of the day, we were able to show our slide presentation of historic buildings and former doctors, nurses and other health professionals on a new and modern TV which has been donated to us by Mrs Cecily Primmer.

As always at such a function, photographs were taken. Here are just some of them. If you click on any of the photographs you will be shown a larger version with additional information. Clicking on the Back Arrow on your browser will take you back to the story.

The first photograph sets the scene by showing a full view of the front of the Museum building including the fence, gates and signage for the gates and the Foundation Stone.

Country Hospital Museum at the Rockhampton Heritage Village in January 2017.

The next two photographs show our President (Lorraine Antonello) opening the function (Left) and Ms Barbara Hatfield delivering the Acknowledgement to Country. Barbara is a Kairi Traditional Owner (Springsure, Qld).

Lorraine Antonello opening a function to celebrate improvements at the Country Hospital MuseumBarbara Hatfield delivering the Acknowledgement to Country at the Fence Function ceremony 2016 

Addresses were also delivered by Ms Brittany Lauga MP and Cr Rose Swadling.

Ms Brittany Lauga MP addresses guests celebrating improvements at the Country Hospital MuseumCr Rose Swadling addresses guests at a function marking improvements at the Country Hospital Museum 

This photograph shows the guests who participated in the function enjoying the shade of a canopy erected for us by Rockhampton Heritage Village staff.

Guests at a function celebrating improvements at the Country Hospital Museum

In the photograph on the left below, we see three Association members Dorothy Broad (L), Rita George and Berenice Payne viewing a slideshow on the new TV kindly donated to the Association by Mrs Cecily Primmer. The photogrpah on the right shows ACHHA Secretary Errol Payne with members Reg Fitzpatrick and Duncan Stewart. Reg and Duncan are pharmacists who played an important part in setting up the pharmacy display at our museum.

Guests at a function celebrating improvements at the Country Hospital MuseumGuests at a function celebrating improvements at the Country Hospital Museum 

In the photograph on the left, ACHHA Committee members Carol McIver (L) and Nancy Crapp (R) discuss the displays with Association members Dawn Wurgler and Jacquelene Geraghty. On the right, we have a photograph of our President Lorraine Antonello (L) with guests Denise and Jim Lyons and ACHHA member Adele Rogers.

Guests at a function marking improvements at the Country Hospital MuseumGuests at a function marking improvements at the Country Hospital Museum 

In the photographs on the left below, our Archivist, Yvonne Kelley (L), discusses the Museum with Association members Elizabeth White and Reg Fitzpatrick. ACHHA committee member Ashley Reid (R) shows Margaret Kent a large register book which includes correspondence relevant to her her ancestor, Mr George F. Sandrock.

Guests at a function marking improvements at the Country Hospital MuseunGuests at a function marking improvements at the Country Hospital Museum 

On the left we see Ashley and Margaret joined by Barbara Hatfield who delivered the Acknowledgement to Country at the commencement of our function. We also see Lorraine Antonello once again, this time with our guest Brittany Lauga MP, Member for Keppel.

Guests at a function to mark the completion of improvements at the Country Hospital MuseumGuests at a function to mark improvements at the Country Hospital Museum 

In the final photograph in the set we show our Archivist Yvonne Kelley with the new television set which was donated by Cecily Primmer. Yvonne has been instrumental in developing our collection over many years and Cecily is the wife of our former Patron, the late Dr Conrad Primmer.

Country Hospital Museum Archivist, Yvonne Kelley, with new museum TV set

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