Mount Isa Underground Hospital & Museum

Underground Hospital 

Witness war-time resourcefulness at it's best!

After the bombing of Darwin in 1942, there was a real fear that Mount Isa with its rich mineral resources would be next. Given that Darwin Hospital was also bombed, there was also genuine concern for Mount Isa Hospital. This prompted a discussion between the then regional District Hospital Director and Superintendent of the mines. Their idea for an Underground Hospital quickly became a reality, carved into the hills near the base of the regional hospital.

Over a period of 15 weeks, miners drilled, blasted and mucked out a series of four timbered tunnels into the side of the hill. Three run parallel to each other and the fourth intersects them, creating a capital E shape. These determined miners volunteered another four hours of gruelling labour after working eight hour shifts in the mine. The completed hospital included separate male, female and children’s wards plus a surgical theatre, delivery room and dedicated maternity ward –  all fully stocked with linen and medical equipment. 

Original 1930's Tent House 

For a quarter of the male population in major Australian cities, the Great Depression brought unemployment and poverty.  The mining boom in Queensland’s north west provided a beacon of hope over this period with one thousand men finding a steady pay check at the mine.  Rapid population growth ensued causing an acute housing shortage.  This gave rise to temporary tent communities.

Over time the tents deteriorated into a state of disrepair and an urgent solution was needed.  The mining company agreed to provide employees with necessary material for converting these tents into tent houses. The employees agreed to provide the labour. Conversion from a tent into a tent house included adding an iron roof above the existing tent roof and iron walls outside the tent walls. They also added an enclosed verandah lined with glass louvre windows.  The air space between the iron and the fabric helped to keep the house cool in the summer months.  A total of 179 tent houses were built by the company between 1932 and 1952. Most of these were demolished by the early 60s.

The last remaining Tent House was retained as a museum piece in 1967 under the protection of the National Trust.  During this time it was moved to the Underground Hospital site making it much more accessible to tourists.