Port Moresby’s

New Hospital Historic Landmark Passes

From Our Own Correspondent PT. MORESBY, December 31.

ANOTHER landmark of the old pioneering days in Papua, the old European Hospital, is being removed.

The new hospital, an imposing and beautiful building of reinforced con crete, is now completed and patients are being admitted.

The old building, which has been in use for 26 years, was on its last legs.

It could tell some tragic tales of the end of many a pioneer’s struggles against too heavy odds, when prospect ing and pioneering in the Papuan wilds In the old days of the Tiveri, Lakekamu and the Astrolabe gold rushes were more disastrous than romantic or re munerative.

In 1909, when gold was discovered on the Lakekamu by Mat Crow and the Pryke brothers, miners poured into the country. Inexperienced men with no knowledge of the country and its con ditions came unequipped, without money or provisions. Some were under the impression that the field was within walking distance, others set off alone, refusing to engage boys or to take tents and scorning nets, on the ground that they had ever used them before. In a very short time dreadful days followed, the hospital was taxed to its utmost, for many fell and malaria and dysen tery had their way.

The old hospital was indebted, in the first instance, to Mr. Charles Kow ald, a government agent of the Mekeo district, who met with an accident on an expedition with His Excellency, Sir William MacGregor, and died later in the Cooktown Hospital, in 1896. He bequeathed two building blocks of land and a good residence for a hospital in Port Moresby. Later the Port Moresby citizens subscribed a sum of money and the present site was selected, building material was bought by private sub scription and the work of erection was carried out by the Government. The total cost of the building was £570, of which the Government provided £324, and the building was completed in 1905.

In exchange for the present site, the Government took possession of the pro perty bequeathed by Charles Kowald.

The buildings originally consisted of one large ward and four small rooms, with a verandah all round, with a de tached kitchen and bathroom, a gal vanised iron roof and plain iron walls and ceiling. Stores and dispensary, additions and improvements came later.

Primitive as it was it served the need of the country for some years, but lat terly it has been found quite inadequate and the new hospital, with its spacious rooms and balconies, will be a welcome relief to the citizens of Port Moresby and the planters outside.

The new hospital was designed by Mr. G. M. Turnbull, Architect to the Papuan Government, and is an impos ing landmark on a hill facing the har bour, in full view of the town.