Southport Ambulance Station celebrates 100 years since 1922 opening

One of the Gold Coast’s oldest surviving buildings has been hailed as model for future development as it marks a century of operation

ONE of the Gold Coast’s oldest surviving buildings has been hailed as model for future development as it marks a century of operation

The old Southport ambulance station at Nerang Street was first opened on December 2, 1922 and became the heart of the community, which was less than 50 years old at the time.

Chairman of the Committee of Southport John Howe. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Committee for Southport head John Howe, whose firm revamped the building in 2002 and restored its facade to its 1922 appearance, said it was an important building for the city.

“It’s a really important building for the Gold Coast going back a century because we have not had a good history of keeping our heritage buildings,” he said.

“This was the Gold Coast’s original hospital building in Southport and it is very important to us.

The building in its old configuration.

“Today it is a great example of adaptive reuse of a building because for the past decade it has been a co-working space, which has proved successful and now has more than 120 people working within it.”

The station on opening day on December 2, 1922.

The complex’s 1922 opening by local brigade president Colonel A.J Thynne was a gala affair, with a crowd of several hundred people attending the festivities.

It was led by the area’s first superintendent Percy Raby and had a single Ford ambulance.

It was replaced by the old Gold Coast Hospital in the mid-20th century and was heavily renovated through the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

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