western australia

sunlight hospital

A plaque in the middle of nowhere much

@JudyEv (382326)

Rockingham, Australia

February 5, 2021 4:20pm CST

I came upon these photographs by accident when looking for something else. We had stopped in our bus in a truck-bay near Goomalling in Western Australia and intended to camp the night there. There was a rock off to the side. Nothing remarkable there but I noticed it had a small plaque on it. The plaque simply said ‘Sunlight Hospital’. That’s all – just ‘Sunlight Hospital’. I took a photo, meaning to find out more about it, but then forgot about it. I’ve just researched it and it seems there was a hospital on the site sometime before 1910. Sunlight Hospital was a mudbrick building and formerly a farm-house. It was run by a Mrs Sunter, general nurse and midwife. In 1911, a private hospital was opened in Goomalling. Places like this, so insignificant and largely forgotten now, would have been hugely important to the settlers of the time. The other photos don’t warrant a post on their own. One shows the ‘fruit’ on a she-oak and the other shows Vince replacing a tyre that blew early next morning. We were near a farm entry when it blew so drove in off the main road while we replaced it.

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18 responses

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

5 Feb 21

I bet that tyre took some replacing. It's almost as big as Vince!!

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@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

5 Feb 21

@JudyEv I shudder to think what a tyre that size must cost. Replacing my car tyres brings me out in a cold sweat!!

3 people like this

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

5 Feb 21

@JudyEv Any repairs or accessories for cars are massively expensive in the UK. Somebody whacked the side of my car in a car park and drove off without leaving any details just before Christmas. I've been putting off getting it repaired as I just can't bear to find out what it will cost. I could go through my insurance but my premiums would increase massively. It's both the front and rear doors on the driver's side so I can't see it coming in at less than £2000.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Feb 21

@WorDazza I can't remember now. We'd blown four over quite a long period but had no more trouble once we got the new ones. At least they last a long time. We need two new ones on the Prado. Just need to get around to it.

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@LadyDuck (502653)

• Italy

6 Feb 21

So finally only this plaque remains of the old private hospital. Poor Vince changing those big wheels is not an easy task.

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@LadyDuck (502653)

• Italy

6 Feb 21

@JudyEv I am glad you could find more about the old hospital. It's hard enough to change a normal wheel.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

@LadyDuck That's true about changing a wheel. The big ones are doubly difficult.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

I was very intrigued that there was only a small plaque. I couldn't imagine what it signified. It all makes sense now. Those wheels were very difficult to change.

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (17243)

• China

6 Feb 21

This hospital must have played an important role in the settlers' medical treatment at that time.The ‘fruit’ of she-oak looks like the pinecone.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

I'm sure the hospital was very important in the district at the time.

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@Deepizzaguy (122238)

• Lake Charles, Louisiana

5 Feb 21

Thank you for sharing these images since I liked the one about the plaque that read "Sunrise Hospital."

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Feb 21

It felt strange to come across such a sign in an isolated place.

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@Deepizzaguy (122238)

• Lake Charles, Louisiana

5 Feb 21

@JudyEv I know what you mean since these kinds of signs in a former area that has been torn down are usually a memory.

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

5 Feb 21

Wow that is cool to research the hospital. Amazing the sign is still there so many years later.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Feb 21

I wonder how many know it is there. You'd never see it unless you stopped in front of it. The truck bay is in a bit of a dip and not really easily accessed.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Feb 21

@CarolDM I found the information on a blogger's post. I guess there'd be something about it at the Shire offices or local library.

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

5 Feb 21

@JudyEv Sounds fairly hidden. That is too bad.

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@LowRiderX (22901)

• Serbia

6 Feb 21

@JudyEv It is unbelievable that there used to be a hospital there and today there is nothing but a plaque.. I would also be interested to know more about it

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

It was back in 1910 so there is no longer any indication that there was ever a building here. Which is a bit sad.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb 21

@LowRiderX It was a mudbrick building built in 1910 so it would have probably washed away years ago.

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@LowRiderX (22901)

• Serbia

7 Feb 21

@JudyEv Yes, I understand, but with today's technology ... and it wasn't an ordinary house, but a hospital

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@snowy22315 (209058)

• United States

6 Feb 21

Something like that would intrigue me too. I would be wanting to find out the meaning of the plaque.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb 21

I would have thought they'd at least put a date on the plaque. It's in an out-of-the-way place so a bit more information would have been good.

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@ptrikha_2 (49775)

• India

6 Feb 21

Yes such places and such Plaques also have their special significance. The Tyre looks quite big.

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@ptrikha_2 (49775)

• India

7 Feb 21

@JudyEv Yes I can understand how tough it could be.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb 21

They tyres are very big and very difficult to change. There is a dual axle at the rear and, if the inner tyre blows, it becomes even more difficult.

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@msdivkar (23356)

• India

6 Feb 21

It is strange nothing but the plaque of the hospital remained there. May be some bush fire might have finished it all.

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@msdivkar (23356)

• India

6 Feb 21

@JudyEv Yes most likely.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

It was in used in 1910 and built of mud brick so it would all be washed away now.

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@jstory07 (148749)

• Roseburg, Oregon

6 Feb 21

To bad that the hospital is gone and forgotten.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

It's a bit sad, isn't it? It would have been very important at the time.

@moffittjc (128837)

• Gainesville, Florida

5 Feb 21

I thought maybe the plaque referred to the open field and the amount of sunlight the area receives. Meaning, if you're sick, spend some time out in the field soaking in the sunlight. You know how they say when you are getting sick you should take lots of Vitamin C? Well, some clever marketer made a variation of that and said that when you're feeling down, you need to get some Vitamin Sea (as in a visit to the beach). Pretty clever.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Feb 21

That IS clever. Here's a photo of some contented sheep soaking up the late afternoon sun at the same place. They're sleeping on the rock as it would have been warmer there. Actually, they're pretty well camouflaged, aren't they?

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@moffittjc (128837)

• Gainesville, Florida

5 Feb 21

@JudyEv They are very well camouflaged. Had you not told me they were sheep, I would have just assumed I was looking at rocks in the photo.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

@moffittjc I did wonder if I should crop the photo but sometimes when you do that, you lose the overall effect.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

6 Feb 21

That's interesting about the hospital. That's a huge tire for him to change.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

7 Feb 21

@JudyEv I'm glad you didn't have any trouble after you got new ones.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb 21

We blew four tyres on that bus then eventually got several new ones and didn't have any trouble after that.

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@LindaOHio (222624)

• United States

6 Feb 21

Very interesting photos. I would like to know more about the history of Sunlight Hospital and why there is a plaque. We don't have anything like the she-oak that I know of. That's a huge tire on the motor home. Interesting that the UK spells "tire" differently than we do! Good post.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

7 Feb 21

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. All I know about the hospital is what I've put in the discussion but I'm sure it was an important of the community at the time. Yes, it's funny about the different spelling. Mostly, Australia uses the same spelling as the UK.

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@DocAndersen (54399)

• United States

6 Feb 21

that is so cool. I am always shocked to find a plaque with nothing near it. It meant something to someone at some point.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

That's true. It's in a really out-of-the-way place. I wouldn't mind betting not even many locals know about it.

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@DocAndersen (54399)

• United States

6 Feb 21

@JudyEv you just never know, people track strange things

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@wolfgirl569 (135881)

• Marion, Ohio

6 Feb 21

Interesting about the plaque. Did Vince know you were taking pictures while he worked? Poor guy

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

Yes, he knew.

The tyres were very heavy. It took two of us to get them back on the studs.

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@RasmaSandra (98026)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

6 Feb 21

That is history itself, Very interesting, That is some big tire,

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

You'd wonder why they'd bother to put a plaque at all when it doesn't really tell you anything.

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Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (44560)

• United States

6 Feb 21

That was so touching!

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

It's nice to know what it was all about.

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Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (69206)

• Centralia, Washington

6 Feb 21

Vince has a big job to do. That is interesting about that hospital.

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@JudyEv (382326)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Feb 21

Those tyres are so huge and heavy. If an inside one has to be changed, it is a major chore.

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