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the matter (of a cottage hospital) under the notice of the Government.' A
grant of five hundred pounds was received two years later.
The committee then decided to apply to the Minister for Lands for a 'piece
of land whereon to build the Hospital.' The Minister granted some land, but
it was considered by the committee to be unsuitable for the purpose, and it
was not until 12 December 1893 that land was dedicated for the hospital
site - four and a half years after the first meeting of the hospital committee.
Meanwhile the five hundred pound grant, plus some funds which had been
subscribed by the pUblic, became 'locked-up' in the London Chartered
Bank, which was one of fourteen Australian trading banks which failed
during April and May 1893.
In 1896 the committee of the Tibooburra Hospital applied to have the
Milparinka Hospital grant transferred to them to facilitate the enlarging of
the hospital they represented.
The attempted transfer of the grant led to litigation. Although my research
has not sought details of the case the transfer did not take place, and a
meeting of subscribers on 30 January 1897 was advised by T. W.
Chambers that 'judgement had been entered in favour of the Milparinka
Trustees'. There remained the difficulty that three hundred and fifty pounds
of the funds which, through a technicality resulting from the bank
reconstruction process, now had to pass once more through the hands of
the Government. A further two hundred and sixty-five pounds ten shillings
and eleven pence was reported to be on deposit with the London Bank of
Australasia, Wilcannia. Of all the funds held, only twenty pounds
seventeen and eleven pence represented private subscriptions, the
balance being pound fees (twenty-eight pounds twelve shillings and four
pence) and interest (Sturt Recorder, 29 January 1897:3 and 5 February
1897:2).
A further meeting of the hospital committee on 3 January 1898 was
advised 'that the three hundred and fifty pounds, part of the original grant,
was now available, and 'The Secretary was instructed to write to the
Minister for Works asking if the services of Mr. McGregor could be made
available to assist the committee in building the hospital' (Sturt Recorder, 8
January 1898:2). Almost nine years had passed since the first meeting was
held in connection with a cottage hospital. No hospital was ever built at
Milparinka.
5.9 Police and Law Enforcement
The Police Charge and Summons books for Tibooburra and Milparinka
suggest both communities were reasonably lively postings for the Police.
The records between them cover the period 1883 to 1929 and indicate that
the majority of police work was associated with drunkenness and with
domestic disputes, with occasional charges being laid of carrying firearms