Griffith Ambulance Station
The team at Griffith Real Estate is both honoured and excited to have the opportunity to market and sell 127 Banna Avenue, Griffith which was formally the Griffith Ambulance Station Headquarters.
The history of a City or Regional Towns Ambulance Service is normally intrinsically linked with a regions growth and development. Griffith’s history around this is no different and makes for interesting story.
Based on facts researched by our office and kindly supplied by the Griffith City Council and Griffith Genealogical Society we have been able to piece together a short timeline of the history of the ambulance station from its humble beginnings.
The first origins of an Ambulance Service for Griffith date back to the 1930’s whereby two women by the names of Mrs Love and Mrs Burrell began organising the Griffith Ambulance Auxiliary. Within a short period of time enough money has been raised to employ a Superintendent Secretary for the Griffith Ambulance Station although there was no actual station or ambulance at the time. The history books show that one of the driving forces for the growth of the ambulance service in Griffith was the arrival of Charlie Tranter and his wife Queen in 1937 who brought with them their own enthusiasm with Queen taking to distress calls and becoming the driving force of the Auxiliary which raised funds to enable it to grow.
The first Ambulance Station for Griffith was a rented house in Yambil Street and the ambulance vehicle was Charlie Tranter’s bike. When a called come through Charlie would tear up on his bicycle flinging it in to the nearest doorway, administer first aid, then if necessary commander a handy vehicle to drive the patient to hospital. Fred Cole’s (of Fred Cole’s Electrical) red truck became the unofficial ambulance since Fred was a volunteer first aid officer.
As soon as possible the committee Purchased a Fibro House in Binya Street which also became Tranter’s residence and ambulance station. A secondhand Dodge Ambulance was bought from Leeton. When it finished Service it reminded as the “Meals on Wheels” van.
These were hard times considering Griffith infancy and it was it not uncommon for the ambulance to be bogged and the doctor summoned to come out and meet the ambulance.
Ill health for Charlie Tranter to resign in 1958 and it is without doubt that both his wife Queen and the pioneers of our Ambulance Service in Griffith so much that they were given Griffith’s first Presidential Farewell by the Wade Shire Council due to their commitment, drive and dedication. Without them we would not have an Ambulance service that we have today.
The site where we stand today was opened in 1959 on what had previously been the old town tennis courts. The history book show the Ambulance Committee and Auxiliary fought hard for this position when the council wanted the service located on McKay Avenue near the Penfold’s Winery Site. The other street which forms the corner of the site is appropriately named Tranter Place.
Source:
https://www.griffithgene.org.au/
https://www.griffith.nsw.gov.au/
