PROPERTY News
One of Queensland's first child health clinics, located in the Fortitude Valley, has become the first building of its type to be entered in the Queensland Heritage Register.
Queensland Heritage Council (QHC) Deputy Chair Chris Buckley said the Fortitude Valley Child Health Centre was constructed on Alfred Street in 1923 as a baby clinic and maternity and infant nurse training centre. “In the early 20th century there was a high infant mortality rate due to disease and mismanagement and women's organisations were lobbying for the establishment of baby clinics," Mr Buckley said.
“The Fortitude Valley Child Health Centre was purpose-built following the introduction of the Maternity Act 1922, which was part of a national and international movement to improve the health of mothers and babies.
“Public health and social reform was implicit in the growth of the town planning movement,” he said.
“The Fortitude Valley Child Health Centre was the first training centre for maternal and child welfare nurses in the state.
“The centre was also the headquarters and administration centre for all other Queensland baby clinics, operated as one of the first baby clinics, and provided accommodation for mothers.” Mr Buckley said in 1925-26, the Fortitude Valley Child Health Centre had the highest number of attendances and visits to newborns compared with other clinics in operation throughout Brisbane.
“By July 1927, the number of patients attending the clinic for treatment had increased and accommodation was insufficient.
“The centre was expanded in 1929 to include ante-natal care and during the 1930s the accommodation at the clinic was regularly overtaxed.
“A large clinic was planned for South Brisbane at the time but was never built. “In 1938, a 4.5m wide two-storey extension with a basement was added to the Alfred Street building, adding many new rooms and additional space.”
Mr Buckley said the centre was a good example of an interwar Queensland Department of Public Works institutional building characterised by good quality design and materials.
“The centre remains as one of the two operational child health clinics from a group of 13 built across Queensland between 1923 and 1930.
“It is significant for being highly intact and, as of 2011, having been in continuous use as a child health centre,” he said.
The building was identified as part of the statewide heritage survey, being carried out by the Department of Environment and Resource Management's Heritage Branch. The Queensland Heritage Council is the state’s independent advisor on heritage matters and determines what places are entered in the Queensland Heritage Register.
Places that are entered in the Heritage Register are considered of importance to Queensland's history and are protected under heritage legislation.
