KATHERINE HOSPITAL IN THE EARLY YEARS, OPENING TO WW2, 1931-1939

The construction and function of a small hospital in the Australian outback three thousand kilometres from the nearest state capital city is described Outback roads need to be experienced to have some idea of their variable quality and the difficulty of obtaining urgent medical attention. Hence the most unique feature about medicine in Katherine during the eight years prior to WW2 was the presence of a ‘flying doctor’. Dr Clyde Fenton was not only a well-qualified doctor, but also a brilliant pilot who flew at any time of day or night, in atrocious weather, to remote locations on dark short rough landing strips to convey acutely sick patients to the best medical care available. Details of individual patients are mostly found in the Trove National Library archives. Predictably the most frequent health issues were various forms of trauma in men. The success of the medical and nursing staff in the indescribable, must be experienced outback, in spite of frequent obstruction or lack of cooperation from administration is much to be admired.