The History of the Children's Hospital Movement

During the month of May 1897, a little girl, accompanied by her mother entered the establishment of Messer. Chas. Moore and Co. The child's attention was drawn to a money box. She became interested in it and soon discovered that if a coin were placed on the hand of the figure on top of the box, a spring was touched and the coin was thrown into the box. Having three pennies, she experimented with them and finally found that having got them into the box she could not retrieve them. Mr Moore happened to come along and jocularly informed the child that she had lost her pennies and he asked what she would like in lieu of them.

"Oh, nothing," replied the girl, "give them to the Children's Hospital."

"But we have no children's hospital," said Mr Moore.

"Then why not have one?" was the answer.

"Yes" said Mr Moore, "we will have one and we will start with your three pennies."

In order to further gauge the attitude of children towards such a proposal Mr Moore issued a number of collecting-cards and agreed to subsidise the amount raised by each chid by an equal sum. These cards, in a very little while, brought in nearly £100.

It was therefore deemed advisable to take steps with a view of bringing the suggested movement before the public generally and a meeting was called in October 1897 where the originator of the scheme set forth the objective he had in view.

A further public meeting was presided over by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Gerard Smith on November 8, 1897 and in opening the proceedings His Excellency pointed out that the proposed hospital would form one of three efforts selected for public approval, to commemorate Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, the others being the Victoria Institute for the Blind and the and the Home of the Good Shepherd (now the Home of Peace).

His Excellency felt that the hospital would appeal to all classes. The poor, who were unable to borrow medical assistance of a highly scientific nature in their own homes and the middle classes where, perhaps, their own medical man was unable to diagnose the exact complaint. It would also appeal to the rich, not by reason of any advantages it could give to them or their children, but it would appeal to their sense of duty they owed to those who were poorer then themselves.

The tender for the building of the hospital was accepted in June 1908 and the total funds at the disposal of the Committee amounted to £4,800. This was made up of £2,800 formerly subscribed and £1000 each from the Government and Mr Charles Moore. The hospital, built Equipped and furnished, even to the installing of instruments and drugs, has cost approximately £12,000 and is absolutely free of debt, showing that in 12 months the public of Western Australia have nobly responded to the appeal for the children and have in that time given over £7,000 to this most deserving object. After very careful consideration the annual cost of running the hospital has been estimated at £4,300 - the committee feels that is only necessary to show that the Hospital is economically and efficiently managed and, above all, it is fulfilling the purpose for which it has been called into existence:

The Relief of Poor and suffering Children