We paid a visit to the old Underground Hospital located behind its modern counterpart. When WWII saw the bombing of Darwin and Townsville in 1942 there was a very real threat that Mt Isa could be another target for the Japanese. Pre-empting such an attack, it was quickly decided that an underground hospital should be carved out of a shale hillside. It comprised 3 tunnels all linked by a fourth 20mtr long corridor, forming an inverted E, and had separate male and female wards as well as a maternity/birthing ward. There was also allowance for a surgical theatre should the need arise. Complete with water, electricity and telephone it took volunteers (mainly off duty miners) just 15 weeks to excavate and form up, but thankfully it was never used for its intended purpose. It did however
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