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Perhaps because of the frequency with which competing functions took
place, or perhaps because of the impact which a hall may have had upon
the special interests of particular residents, a further fund-raising activity in
support of the hall did not take place. The Sturt Recorder reported that
Mrs. (Kate) Chambers, secretary to the committee, had handed to the
treasurer 'a further sum of £1/14/8, bringing the total to the credit of the
building fund to £22/14/6' (Sturt Recorder, 18 June 1897:3).
According to oral history, however, Milparinka did eventually acquire a hall.
Helen (Nel) Barlow remembered it as 'a stone place... it had two rooms on
the side and this hall... it used to be a lovely place really with a verandah on
...and then later years we danced in the courthouse'. Nel also stated that
'we used to dance up in the Chamber's place after the hall was destroyed'
and that dances were also held in Baker's store' they had a spare room on
the side of their house and we used to have dances there' (Nel Barlow,
personal communication, 1988). The hall was located on Loftus Street, on
the northern side of Bigmore's store, in what may have been Bigmore's
billiard saloon, and perhaps upon the death of Mr. Bigmore part of his
premises were converted to the purpose. Milparinka certainly did not
acquire any purpose-built public hall.
5.8 Milparinka Hospital
In the early 1890s a hospital was built at Tibooburra. Funding for this
hospital came in part from the New South Wales Government, and a like
grant was made for the construction of a hospital at Milparinka. Before
these grants were made, however, community comment on the subject
suggests the rivalries which permeated the community at Milparinka also
extended to relationships between the extended community in the far west.
This comment first appeared with the pUblication of a letter to the
Tibooburra Telegraph:
"We the miners at Mount Browne think that the time has now arrived for us
to declare our independence and boldly speak up and tell our original
protectors as they term themselves at Milparinka, that we are jack of any
more spoon feed ...
"We are only waiting patiently until a place is opened in the shape of a pub
where civilisation can be met with, which has not been the case at Mount
Browne since the days of our ex-publican Mr.J.A. Wilson. We shall then
form the different branches requisite to advocate our cause and point out
our wants to the various Departments which have been seldom effected by
our so-called protectors at Milparinka, who have a grand tarnish of the
Sammy Sinclair about them. Me sell, me sell, and I deal at you, but me sell.
I hope the Tibooburra people will co-operate with the Mount Browners. We
shall be pleased to do all in our power to assist your people in the
establishment of an hospital at Tibooburra seeing that the
Milparinkaoneans are to establish one there..." (Tibooburra Telegraph, 1
July 1890:2)