The doctors house was a high blocked 3 bed room place across the road from the hospital. The hospital was a ground level timber building with about 30 beds as I recall. I was the only doctor, and so was constantly on call. There were about 10 nurses, mostly white but some islander nurses as well. I understand that the hospital now has three medical officers and 9 nurses.
We had back-up from Thursday Island Hospital for particularly ill cases, or child birth etc. For patient transfers they sent a 2 seater helicopter. This helicopter had skids, and the patient in his stretcher was strapped to the skid, outside the cabin of the chopper. This made for a particularly hair-raising (for the patient) transfer across the water to TI.
My routine in the hospital was ward round first thing to attend to the in-patients, and then out patients clinic. I usually finished by lunch time. In the afternoon there were special clinics such as diabetes clinic, venereal diseases clinic, antenatal clinic.
I was encouraged to take time off work to go camping on the weekends. TI would provide a doctor on call so I could get away. Some of the nurses came along on these trips further up the Cape. On one occasion we came across a 17 ft long python. It was stretched out across the road, with a wallaby in its mouth. It appeared to be stuck -unable to swallow the huge wallaby beyond the shoulders, and having trouble withdrawing from the carcass because it's teeth were getting stuck. We had a matress in the back of the Suzuki, and we put that down beside the snake so we could sit and watch the spectacle. Joe rigged up a light from the car and we sat and chatted while the snake successfully completed his withdrawal and pushed his mouth against the ground to relocate his jaw.
On one of these trips we ran over a wallaby and found a young Joey in its pouch. We reared him (called him "Jardini") and he accompanied us on the camping trips. He was very popular with the nurses and with the patients in outpatients. They understood when I had to stop seeing patients to feed the wallaby (every 2 hours at first).
We had a great time at Bamaga and I noticed that the community was considerably less violent than I had found Palm Island to be. But I lived in fear of having to treat a child for crocodile attack. There was a large crocodile who patrolled past the Seisia boat ramp every day. He even sunned himself on the ramp. But the local kids swam there, getting out of the water when the croc was nearby. I was sure one of them would be taken eventually.
At the end of my time there I handed over the hospital to the incoming locum, and we went of to Usher Point and other camping spots. While we were away we heard the news that a child had died at the Seisa boat ramp! I was upset but glad that it hadn't happened while I was there. When we got back to Bamaga I asked about it at the hospital -the child died from a Box Jelly sting. He was dead before they got him out of the water. A nurse had been present but had been unable to revive him.
Today (19/11/13) I was talking with a local Bamaga woman. She was aged about 10 yrs when we were here last. She said the boy who died from the stinger was her cousin, and that he is the only one to have died at the boat ramp from stingers.
As we were approaching the end of our time on the Cape we heard that a cyclone was coming. So we decided to put the Suzuki on the barge to Cairns, and fly to Iron Range. Jardini of course came with us. It was unthinkable that we would put him in the hold of the aircraft, so I hid him in a shoulder bag which acted as his pouch. All went well until the hostie handed out biscuits. Jardini smelled them and struggled to get his head out for a bikkie. I managed to give him some and get him back into the pouch before we landed at Wiepa.
After take off the pilot walked back into the cabin, stopped at our seat and asked to see the wallaby! He said they knew about him but if they had recognised him before take off from Wiepa we would have had to put him in the hold. So they pretended not to see him until after take off! Wonderful! That woudn't happen now I think.
At Iron Range we camped in Cook' s hut (at that time an actual hut existed) and were completely unaware that the cyclone was now approaching Iron Range! a passerby called in and took us to a nearby mining camp and safety.
At about the same time my brother Neville (pilot) was flying for "Bushies" otherwise known as "Bush Pilots". Here are some of his reminiscences..
Of Punsand Bay.
" I think that's the beach where the Bushies manager of the then resort there got the Landcruiser bogged whilst trying to retrieve the boat on the trailer, then proceeded to get the "rescue" end-loader bogged, and watched while the tide engulfed all except the boat!"
"Since I got your last email I've been following your blog. Of course I'm really envious. I've been to many of the places you mentioned when I was flying "the mail run" in a light-twin. I'd have to look at my log-book now to remember most of the names, but Kalpower, lakeland downs, Dorunda come to mind (Dorunda may have been on the Isa run). I recall landing on roads and parking the plane amongst the trucks and cars at the fuel bowser. It was an 11 or 12 hour day from memory.
I wonder whether, with email etc, there is still a mail run. I used to save up all the newspapers I could get my hands on and take them on the mail runs. The cockies loved any papers - regardless of their currency. But I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper and I'm guessing the cockies will be the same. And I can't imagine many people sending snail-mail from remote places now. And with the dry settlements I guess the practise of posting slabs of XXXX has also stopped!"
The differences we have noticed here include bitumen roads in Bamaga, and all of the roads are well formed and wider than they used to be. The hospital has been rebuilt, and there are three doctors now! The "doctor's house" which we lived in is still there but the palms have grown up. There are cafés and supermarkets. The beaches are developed -with public toilets, shelters, dune protection etc. there are a number resorts which weren't here before. And of course the barge! Last time we had to be winched across the Jardine.
And lastly, there are still Cape York lillies! These are unique to the Cape! although we have recently seen them in nurseries in Brisbane.
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