THE MINES AMBULANCE SERVICE The first ambulance in Broken Hill was a hand drawn or pushed canvas covered litter, housed at the rear of the Town Hall.      All stretcher cases were transported by this vehicle over the town's unmade roads.                                                                           The next conveyance was the "Victoria" Ambulance -a horse drawn vehicle purchased from the proceeds of the Queen Victoria Jubilee celebrations in 1896. This unit was maintained by contributions from various bodies, including the Silverton Tramway Company, Globe Timber Mills, and a small Government grant.      To this the mining companies contributed thirty shillings per hundred employees per annum.                                                                       The Victoria Ambulance was used to convey patients to hospital from the mines and the town, and was housed on the Fire Brigade premises in Blende Street and controlled by the Victoria Ambulance Trust.  (In 1909 the Victoria Ambulance attended 315 calls 257 of which were the mines).                                In 1910 Sulphide Corporation (Central Mine ) donated a new horse-drawn wagon to the Broken Hill Hospital, and a new Trust  -  the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust  -  was formed.                                                                         This ambulance was apparently mainly used for the conveyance of infectious cases to the hospital.                                                          Later, the horse-drawn vehicles were replaced by motorised transport.            It would appear that the Victoria Ambulance Trust gradually assumed the responsibility for mine cases, while the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust attended to the town requirements.                                                          In 1940 it was decided that the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust would operate on a full time basis.  Arrangements were made for the service to be supported by unionists at a levy of 3/- per year, and by various Friendly  Societies in Broken Hill.                                                                           On the tenth of August,1941 the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust began operating as a full time unit.                                                               By this time the Victoria Ambulance service seems to have been allocated entirely to the transport of mine cases.  The Mining Managers Association handed over to the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust the Vauxhall ambulance as a spare unit, following the purchase of a new ambulance for the mines.                   On 11th July, 1942, the General Manager of Broken Hill South Limited wrote to North Broken Hill in respect of the Victoria Ambulance Trust Services.          He referred to the fact that the Broken Hill Ambulance Trust intended to become responsible "to take over all town calls, leaving the Victoria Ambulance free for mine calls".                                                                    It was arranged that the mine service would be undertaken by the South Mine's Ambulance Section and that the vehicle would be housed in a special building adjoining the Ambulance Room.                                                   The South Mine estimated that the annual operating cost would be approximately 400 pounds ($800) per year-to be shared by all of the companies.  This matter was discussed at the Mining Managers Association meeting held on 2nd October,1941.         The Victoria Ambulance Trust was wound up in 1941 and all its assets transferred to the Mining Managers Association.                                             The general title of Mines Ambulance Service was given to the arrangement which continued with the Ambulance vehicle housed in a special garage at Broken Hill South Limited.  The costs of the service were borne by each company in proportion to the number of calls made.                                         The Mines Ambulance Service was terminated after the closure of Broken Hill South Limited operations on 7 July,1972.

The old "Victorian" ambulance, which continued to function until the new full - time scheme was introduced in 1941.