The Underground Hospital tour and the history behind it are
scary!
Back in 1942 when Darwin was bombed, the powers that be had it
in mind, Mount Isa was producing both lead and copper and that most of the lead
was turned into ammunition being used in the war, that the Japanese would bomb
the Isa to stop production.
So secretly with only a handful of people knowing a fully equipped
and functional hospital was dug underground, at wars end with it not being used
it was ordered SEALED UP!
About 30 years later some excavation work broke through one
of the tunnels. A mine inspector was brought in to survey it, he took one look
and said “Seal it up again it is too dangerous and unstable”, so they did.
This started talk around town. 20 years later the curiosity
of a group of people who had been trying to find out how, why, when and by who,
got permission to open the tunnels up and secure it to what it is today.
All the searching has been unable to find any plans or were
the equipment that was in the underground hospital came from or on who`s
authority.
All the furniture, beds and supplies were all in the tunnels when opened after all those years.
The two main miners who did most of the restoration work in
their own time without help from the government or anyone else.
From papers and photos found in the tunnels down to the gelignite
boxes used for bedside cupboards and packing crates for storage cupboards. A
great credit to them indeed!!
TENT HOUSE
Just as interesting is the tent city history and the last
tent house. The lady was in her 90`s when she finally moved out.
The family made some modifications for her comfort, windows
and wood floor, still a canvas tent outside.
I would like to see some of the young ones of today live in
these!!!!
These photos were found on the rubbish dump, they have no idea who they are so will put them up.
One never knows they may know who they are.
We think one looks very much like a very young Paul Morcom what do you think??????
