The Queensland Railway Ambulance Corps was established in
1892 to train railway employees in first aid. It was considered that railway
employees, because of the nature of their employment, were “especially liable
to accident, and that the knowledge of the elementary rules of the treatment to
be followed to preserve life and prevent undue suffering,” was likely to be of
great value to them, as they were often situated far from medical assistance.
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| Members of the Queensland Railway Ambulance Corps (Bowen team) competing for the Commissioner's Shield in the State Final of the annual first aid competition, Brisbane, October 1939. They are seen here constructing a makeshift stretcher. Photo: Private Collection. |
Annual competitions to test the first aid skills of members of the Corps were held from 1914. Teams from all over Queensland proudly represented
their region. One north Queensland team – the Bowen team - was extremely
successful in the annual first aid competitions in the late 1930s.
In September 1939, the Bowen team defeated Charters Towers,
Hughenden and Townsville at Rollingstone, before going on to defeat Cairns,
Innisfail, Kuranda and Alma Den at the regional final in Cairns. The team
members consisted of Messrs E. Moore (Captain), I.A. Fielding, F.R. Andrews, P.
Herlihy and R. Ryan (patient). Team member Ivan Fielding won the individual
contest, with 53 points, over W. Ross of Alma Den, and G.A. Bell, of Cairns.
The Bowen team then went on to compete against four other
teams for the Commissioner’s Shield, in Brisbane, in October. The competition
involved a number of set tasks, including making improvised stretchers from
whatever material could be obtained. Each team member was allowed one
pocket-knife, and each team was allowed one tomahawk (to be used for splitting
saplings). Team members could also use their own items of clothing.
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| Members of the Queensland Railway Ambulance Corps (Bowen team) competing for the Commissioner's Shield in the State Final of the annual first aid competition, Brisbane, October 1939. Second from right is Ivan Fielding, who won the individual award, the St. John's Ambulance Silver Cup. Photo: Private Collection. |
You can see
in the photograph above that the patient’s legs are strapped down using belts
and neck ties, and that the bandaging has been made from the team members’
shirts. Even shoelaces could be used, provided they complied with the
competition’s regulation length. Challenges for competitors also included an
oral examination on anatomy, and carrying a “casualty” over obstacles on an
improvised stretcher.
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| Members of the Queensland Railway Ambulance Corps (Bowen team) competing for the Commissioner's Shield in the State Final of the annual first aid competition, Brisbane, October 1939. Watching on with interest, are members of the
Australian Army Medical Corps Militia, and the pipers of the 61st
Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders, who in time of war were regimental
stretcher-bearers. Photo: Private Collection. |
Rockhampton won the shield that year, with 448 points out of
a possible 530. Bowen came second, with 419 points, and Mayne Junction came
third, with 410 points. But it was Bowen’s Ivan Fielding who excelled again,
winning the St. John’s Ambulance Silver Cup.
Sources:
Bowen Independent, 15 September 1939; 16 October 1939.
Cairns Post, 14 September 1939.
Brisbane Telegraph, 12 October 1939.
Macno, V., Buchanan, R., and Blake, T., 'More
than work', Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Culture 5 (1), 2011, pp. 107-120.
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