World War 1, Australia Western Australia Fremantle, 8 Australian General Hospital, 1918

1918
Overview

View of a treatment room in 8 Australian General Hospital Fremantle

Historical information

On site of the current Fremantle Hospital Day Admissions Centre, Pensioner’s Barracks were built during the Convict Establishment era of the 1850s. In 1886, the old Barracks was used by the Immigration Department, and in 1901/02, became an Old Men’s Home. By 1912, it was again an Immigrant’s Home after the old men were transferred to Dalkeith.

During World War I, the old Barracks were used as a Base Hospital. The extensive work to convert the Barracks to hospital use was carried out by military engineers. Captain Fred Beale, Staff Officer, Royal Australian Engineers, in a letter to the editor pointed out that the only work that was carried out by the Public Works Department was the long range of sanitary buildings, which was to be carried, out as part of thescheme to connect the immigrants' home with the sewerage system, and did not form part of the alterations to convert the building for hospital purposes. After the war, it reverted to being an Immigrant’s Home. The old Barracks was demolished c. 1950.

No 8 General Hospital was established in Fremantle on 1 Jul 1915 to service those injured or ill during training in Australia, and to assess and treat those returned from the war with queries about their ongoing health. From January 1919 the 26th Australian Auxiliary Hospital was established on the same site to take responsibility for non-surgical cases. It contained 128 bed capacity. VD cases in WA were initially housed in the Blackboy Hill Camp Hospital before being moved to Rockingham on 19 Dec 1914, and then from 1 Jan 1919 to Karrakatta. Karrakatta also housed a Details Camp where convalescents remained until they were fit for discharge or to return to Europe. Infectious disease patients were sent to the Albany District Hospital.

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Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-32-P1900.1482
Item type
Contextual Information

Auxiliary Hospitals connected to 8th AGH:
18th Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established in Perth to treat phthisic patients before their transfer to 22 AAH Woorooloo.
19th Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established in Perth at the outbreak of war to service patients from Blackboy Hill Camp until 8th AGH was established. Later re-established at "The Rocks" Albany from October 1915 until October 1917.
20th Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established at "Biddles" Fremantle and run in conjunction with 8th AGH - 50 bed capacity.
22nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established in Woorooloo to handle TB and other patients with lung disease. Opened 13 Feb 1917 - 27 bed capacity.
24th Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established 4 Apr 1918 at "Stromness" in Cottesloe to deal with mental patients - 30 bed capacity.
26th Australian Auxiliary Hospital - established January 1919 at the 8th AGH to handle non-surgical patients including malaria patients from the Middle East. 128 bed capacity.

Year
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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