Maryborough Baby Clinic (former) was built in 1924 and is situated on the prominent corner of Kent and Lennox streets, opposite the Maryborough City Hall. Following the introduction of the Maternity Act 1922, which was part of a movement to improve the health of mothers and babies, the Clinic was one of ten regional clinics built by the Queensland Government throughout the state in the early 1920s.
Constructed to a standard, high-quality design by the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Maryborough Baby Clinic (former) remains highly intact. The clinic served the Maryborough community until its closure in the mid-1990s. In the mid-19th century, deaths of children under five comprised 50 percent of all deaths. While this 214 24 JANUARY 2024 had been reduced to 11 per cent by the turn of the century, this was still too high. Dysentery, diarrhoea, cholera, diphtheria and typhoid were the main causes in the late 19th century.
The government was eager to have a baby clinic established in Maryborough, to serve the major regional town and its district. Following a visit in March 1923, the Home Secretary, Mr William McCormack, identified an appropriate site for a new baby clinic - a vacant lot on the corner of Kent and Lennox streets, adjacent to the stately Maryborough School of Arts and opposite the grand Maryborough City Hall. (Between 1876 and 1908, this had been the site of the first town hall. The old town hall had become dilapidated, and amidst community support, removed from the site in 1908.)
Following the completion of the plans by the DPW, the construction of the clinic began in late 1923 and finished by September 1924. The official opening ceremony, attended by several dignitaries including the Assistant Home Secretary, MJ Kirwan MLA, was held on the afternoon of Saturday 13 September 1924. The Clinic continued to serve the Maryborough community until its closure in the mid-1990s. It was then leased to several commercial tenancies until the property was sold to the Fraser Coast Regional Council in 2020. It was listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register in 2020.
The Clinic has stood empty since that time. The building was subject to flooding in 2022. It has been cleaned following the inundation events, but services remain disconnected. Significant interior remediation at an estimated cost of $500,000 is required to make the building suitable for public activation. Recently, the Maryborough Arts Society has lodged interest in leasing the former Baby Clinic as an exhibition premises, which would provide compatible activation for this significant site.
Adjacent to the Baby Clinic site are two parcels of land previously occupied by the former Fraser Coast Regional Council Maryborough Administration Centre fronting Kent Street (17SP336061), and Toy and Special needs library fronting Lennox Street (15SP336067). Council resolved in 2019 (OM1/19 – ORD 10.2.5) to demolish the administration centre given it had reached the end of its usable design life. The land parcels were cleared and returned to grassed area. Both are freehold land owned by Council. Council now has the opportunity to develop the space for the broader benefit of the community, further revitalising the Maryborough CBD.
This is congruent with requests received from community based organisations advocating to Council that the area be transformed into multi use open space for the benefit of the community
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