Appalling infirmary off Adelaide's North Terrace/Hindley Street first place for treating sick colonists in 1837
Looking west along North Terrace, Adelaide, in 1841. The first colonial surgeon Dr Thomas Cotter had to use his own rented home, opposite Trinity Church (see steeple) on North Terrace, from 1837 to treat the settlers. He was then given a small hut and then a house, both in poor condition, between Hindley Street and North Terrace for an infirmary. The infirmary was later moved to Emigration Square in the west parklands, to the right of the above image.
Image by E. A. Opie, courtesy State Library of South Australia
South Australia’s first health infirmary for its European settlers from 1837 was blighted with appalling conditions. The infirmary was left as the responsibility of first colonial surgeon Dr Thomas Cotter.
He arrived in South Australia in January 1837, with his duties, as stressed by the colony’s first governor John Hindmarsh, to be “exactly similar” to a parish surgeon in England. But Cotter failed to convince the colonial authorities of the need for funding or suitable premises for an infirmary and dispensary. In the meantime, he cared for patients and dispensed medical supplies from his rented home opposite Trinity Church, off North Terrace, Adelaide, often out of his own annual salary of £100.
Later, an infirmary was opened near Trinity Church in a thatched and pise hut of about 12 feet x 18 feet. Dr William Wyatt performed the first operation there, calling on friends (in the absence of nurses) to help him. He left a cautious, if ambiguous, record of the event: “Fhe first leg to be sawn off, needing amputation”.
Conditions at the infirmaries were described as unfinished and uninhabitable with a leaking roof that left it ankle deep in water when it rained. Bedding was a few dirty blankets made from great coats and sacks sewn together and stuffed with wood shavings. The infirmary had three borrowed iron beds but “was not provided with either a nurse, fuel, candles, water or any means of preserving the personal comfort and cleanliness of its inmates”.
The colonial authorities eventually bought Cotter a house, for an infirmary, for about £70 in June 1837 on Town Acre 67 on the south side of Hindley Street, four town acres west of Morphett Street, Adelaide. Cotter was directed by the governor in January 1838 that he had to attend to all migrants and their families for three months after arrival – as well as all government employees, the goal, the police and marines on shore.
In August 1838, a memorial from settlers asked the governor to consider providing the destitute with relief from accident or sickness. They condemned the disgraceful colonial infirmary as poorly built and badly ventilated and “in every respect unfit for the reception of sick persons”.
In August 1838, the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register recorded patients’ criticism that “the state of neglect in which this building is suffered to remain is a disgrace to humanity. A man of common feeling would be ashamed to see his dog-kennel in the filth in which human beings, some of them in the last stage of disease, are allowed to remain”.
Cotter was criticised for “several exceedingly gross instances of neglect on the part of the colonial surgeon”. Despite these complaints, some bodies believed in Cotter’s challenging work. Trinity Church continued to give sermons that raised needy funds for the infirmary. During the 18 months the infirmary operated from Hindley Street, arriving migration ships increased, placing heavy demands on its services.
In early 1839, Cotter moved the infirmary to Emigration Square, off West Terrace in the western Adelaide parklands, where he was provided with a timber hut, sent out by the colonisation commissioners from England, that was used as an infirmary and dispensary. Emigration Square was the hub for all arriving migrants to pass before before moving on to more permanent accommodation.
