Royal Flying Doctor Service (fmr)

Author

Town of Port Hedland

Place Number

18444

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Location

Lot 77 Richardson St Port Hedland

Location Details

Other Name(s)

AIM Hospital (Site), RFDS radio huts (Site)

Local Government

Port Hedland

Region

Pilbara

Construction Date

Constructed from 1971

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	28 Nov 2007	Category 3	Category 3 A place of some cultural heritage significance to Town of Port Hedland. Implications: No constraints. Recommend: Encourage retention of the place. Photograph and document the place if retention is not possible.

Statement of Significance

RFDS (fmr) is significant for the associations with the AIM hospital and Flying Doctor Service.

Physical Description

Single storey timber face brick construction with low-pitched roof concealed by
fascias, and aluminium framed windows.

Set back from street with a circular drive through a port couchere.

History

The Australian Inland Mission Hospital (AIM) was established in Port Hedland in 1915, and developed in association with the Flying Doctor Service. The AIM Hospital was located in close proximity to the Royal Flying Doctor service radio huts (east of Medical Staff Quarters). The hospital was demolished/destroyed at a time unknown, and new hospital constructed.
Port Hedland’s Royal Flying Doctor Service base, established in 1933, was the first to be operated in Western Australia. Port Hedland’s Royal Flying Doctor Service began radio communication between the Pilbara and Kimberley Stations on 30 October, 1935, and on the same day Dr Alan Vickers flew the first Royal Flying Doctor service to Marble Bar. The plane arrived at 10:30am, one hour after departure, as opposed to an 8 hour journey by train.
By June 1936 there were 19 stations connected to Port Hedland, ranging from a Kimberley outpost to the North of Carnarvon. Fred Hull operated the base. The North West School of the Air was established as part of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1964/5. In August 2003 the site on Richardson Street was put up for auction.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Low degree
Authenticity: High degree

Condition

Fair

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	J Hardie; "Nor’ Westers of the Pilbara breed: The story of brave ancestors who pioneered the outback Pilbara of Western Australia".	The Shire of Port Hedland,	1981

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Original Use	HEALTH	Hospital

Creation Date

08 Feb 2008

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

20 Jun 2019

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.