Wander to Wonder | Wide Bay Hospitals Museum

Located in a former surgeon’s quarters on the current grounds of Maryborough Hospital is the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum. It houses a fascinating array of historical artefacts and information of healthcare history on the Fraser Coast, but its greatest assets are the volunteers, many former nurses, who dedicate their time to preserving the unique stories of the museum. 

Meet the knowledgeable volunteers and explore the many rooms full of intriguing objects at the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum, open every Thursday from 9am to 12noon at 36 Yaralla Street Maryborough.

Relieving Croup

A child coughs the harsh, barking cough of croup as they struggle to breathe. Taken to the local hospital, they are placed into a cot with a fabric tent erected over their bed. Pre-electricity, this intriguing steam kettle was boiled and its scalding hot nozzle poked through to fill the tent with a cloud of steam aimed to alleviate the distressed breathing. 

A special nurse would stay with the child at all times to monitor their condition and ensure the child didn’t scald themselves.

A steam kettle used for relieving croup

"The steam tent presented a problem for the nurses as the humidity wasn't conducive to maintaining the mandatory stiff, starched uniform and cap."
– Marilyn, retired nurse and President of Wide Bay Hospitals Museum  

Treating Asthma Symptoms

Not quite the plastic inhalers of today, this 1940s vaporiser was filled with "Atomadrene" fluid, the rubber bulb pumped and the vapour inhaled to help treat asthma.

Early asthma treating device