Urbenville

Urbenville, eighty-three kilometres from Tenterfield and sixty-five kilometres from Casino, found it difficult to attract a resident doctor in early times, despite the efforts of the Bush Nursing Association, the town fathers advertising widely and government subsidy offers. Injured patients had to be treated at hospitals in Casino, Tenterfield and even Beaudesert to the north.

Kenneth B Shallard

Kenneth Boulton Shallard, MB, ChM (Sydney 1924), Resident Medical Officer at Sydney Hospital in 1924 and then Medical Officer at Wahroonga Sanitarium, was one of three doctor sons of a family from South Woodburn. He came from Coramba, further south, to start a practice in Urbenville in July 1952. It was reported that the town at last had a permanent resident doctor, having relied in the past on visiting doctors from Kyogle one afternoon a week. After years of agitation from the community, the government gave a grant of 1500 pounds for his salary. He looked after patients in Urbenville and Woodenbong areas for almost three years, leaving in January 1954, apparently for Queensland.

Maksymilian Kanarek

In 1960, Maksymilian Kanarek, MD (Cracow 1951), who had been working as a Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in Wrocław (Poland) in 1957, was in practice in Urbenville in Boomi Street. He had been supported by Dr AR Lewis to use the operating theatre at Kyogle in 1960 to do a Caesarean section. Dr Kanarek was still recorded as in Urbenville in 1966 and later apparently satisfied the specialty requirements, as in 1968 he was practising in Bondi and Macquarie Street, Sydney.

Robert W Williams

Robert Wilson Williams, BSc (Wales 1939), MB, BCh (Wales 1943) who had been Resident Surgical Officer at Weymouth District Hospital England and then served as major in the RAMC from 1944–48, was appointed Honorary Medical Officer at Urbenville Hospital in 1969. It is likely he was in the town for about one year before he went to Heywood in Victoria.

Josse C van Opdenbosch

1974 saw the arrival in Urbenville of Josse Cornelius van Opdenbosch, Dr Med Surg & Obst (Ghent, Belgium 1950), Dip Trop Med (1951), who worked as Medical Superintendent in hospitals in Congo in 1951–54, Medical Officer in Stanleyville in 1954–60 and Superintendent Women’s Hospital in Astrida, Rwanda in 1961–62. Before medical school, he was a war volunteer in the European Campaign Underground Army from 1939– 46, being awarded the Croix de Guerre.

He became the Superintendent of Urbenville Hospital from 1974 until 1981 and had a branch practice in Woodenbong. He was a very dedicated athletic coach of the local youth and a keen member of the local medical association.

Hugh L Lee

Hugh Ling Lee, MB, BS (Adelaide 1967), started to practise in Urbenville in 1981. He had been a Resident Medical Officer at Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1967–68, Medical Officer in the SA Mental Health Service in 1969–73, Medical Officer with the Victorian Mental Hygiene Health Authority in 1974, Medical Officer in the RAAMC, Melbourne in 1975–76 and then worked in general practice in Melbourne in 1977–79.

After a year in Queensland Psychiatric Services in Brisbane in 1980, newly-wed Dr Lee arrived in early August 1981, having arranged to do a locum for Dr van Opdenbosch for one month. He finished up as permanent GP in Urbenville, with hospital appointment, and saw patients also in nearby Woodenbong. Dr Lee’s recreations were stamp collecting, playing the piano and photography. He was still there in 1986.