100 years of community care: Hawthorne Clinic celebrates milestone
AMA Queensland congratulates a Brisbane general practice on an extraordinary milestone – 100 years of continuous service to the community.
Media event to be held at 12-1pm Friday 30 May. Details here.
AMA Queensland congratulates a Brisbane general practice on an extraordinary milestone – 100 years of continuous service to the community.
Hawthorne Clinic was established by Dr Antony St Ledger in 1925. Its premises, a classic Queenslander on Riding Road in Balmoral, had been built in 1921.
Visiting the practice on Friday, President Dr Nick Yim said a century of community care was an achievement that underlined the importance of general practice.
“We know the critical role GPs play in keeping people healthy, through early detection, prevention and monitoring of disease, and reducing the burden on our public hospitals,” Dr Yim said.
“Hawthorne Clinic is a wonderful example of ‘cradle to the grave’ care, built with trust and loyalty from both patients and clinicians.”
Principal GP Dr Carmen Main and Managing Director Lucas Down have been at the helm since 2016.
The married couple is proud to continue the legacy of doctors who came before them.
“We’ve collected many stories about the generosity of Hawthorne Clinic doctors in the 20th century, before Medicare, doing call outs in the middle of the night, covering costs for patients in need, purchasing medication for patients, and even dashing off mid-consult to deliver babies,” Dr Main said.
“Our passion now is advocating for better Medicare support for longer consultations so we can spend more time with patients to better understand and treat them holistically.
“We will never practice five-minute medicine – that’s not in the best interests of our patients, and it’s not what Hawthorne clinic is about.”
Lucas Down said the timeline of Hawthorne Clinic shows many GPs and other staff worked there for 20-to-30-year periods.
“We firmly believe in GPs being at the heart of the community,” Mr Down said.
“We feel incredibly proud to be custodians of a place with such history and are committed to keeping that connection and culture alive for many years to come.”
Also present to celebrate the centenary will be Peter and Eleanor Ellis, who have been patients for more than 80 years.
Mr Ellis remembered Dr St Ledger helping his mother during a traumatic event in 1943, when she tripped on the top step of their home while carrying his two-month-old baby brother, wrapped tightly in a shawl.
“She dropped the baby, which then bounced down about 12 stairs. My mother was hysterical. She picked up the bundle, grabbed my arm and virtually ran all the way to the surgery,” Mr Ellis said.
“Dr St Ledger saw us immediately, unwrapped the baby, checked him out carefully and then assured my mother that all was well thanks to that wonderful shawl.
“He then suggested that Mum go home and have a cup of tea. I think she loved him from that day on.”
Mrs Ellis said Drs John Littleton, Giuseppe “Beppo” Pagliaro and Geoffrey Bourke provided incredible support to their own children, who all grew up with asthma.
“I have seen many changes to the surgery - reconfigurations, colour changes, technology, even a car park,” she said.
“I love the fact that the entrance pathway still follows the original that used to sport the grand Dr St Ledger light on the iron-framed archway.”
