Health and Hospitals

In the past, mining was a very hazardous occupation, Over time, as safety has improved enormously, it has become less so, and modern mining companies and workers take great care to ensure that it is as safe as possible.

However, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, many miners needed medical care because of accidents, and so local hospitals were established near the mines. In the case of Wallsend Mining District and Kurri Kurri District Hospitals, it was the miners and their local communities who initiated the hospitals, raised funds for them, and subsidised them thereafter.