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Sir George Bedbrook Spinal Unit
“If a life is worth saving, it must be given the opportunity to be worth living” (George Bedbrook)
The Sir George Bedbrook Spinal Unit was a purpose-built spinal injury ward at Royal Perth Hospital’s Shenton Park campus. Opened in 1963, the 40-bed building was known as the Paraplegic Block, Ward 11 and later Block G. It remained in use until the hospital closed in October 2014.
The unit was named after surgeon Sir George Montario Bedbrook, who established the hospital’s paraplegic service in 1954. His work included medical treatment, rehabilitation, employment assistance and wheelchair sport. The former building occupied Lot 34, now addressed as 28 Seymour Avenue, within the Montario Quarter redevelopment.
From infectious diseases to rehabilitation
The Shenton Park hospital site began treating infectious diseases in the 1890s. Early patients were accommodated in tents and timber buildings, followed by more permanent facilities.
BA1200/312: Perth Public Hospital, Infectious Diseases Branch, Subiaco (formerly the Victoria Hospital), 1908
The brick administration and ward building, now known as Victoria House, was completed in 1938.
Polio epidemics during the late 1940s and 1950s increased the need for physiotherapy and rehabilitation. As infectious disease treatment changed, the hospital took on more patients who needed help recovering movement, managing disability and returning home or to work.
The site became the Royal Perth Hospital Annexe in 1956 and Royal Perth (Rehabilitation) Hospital in 1966. It was also commonly known as Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital.
February 2021
George Bedbrook’s early life
George Montario Bedbrook was born in Melbourne on 8 November 1921. He was one of twin sons born to Arthur Ernest Bedbrook and Ethel Norah, née Prince. His twin brother, Frederick, later became an Anglican clergyman.
Arthur had served in the First World War and died in 1932 from a war-related illness. George attended Coburg State School and University High School before studying medicine at the University of Melbourne. Scholarships and assistance through the Repatriation Commission helped fund his education.
He graduated in medicine in 1944. During the war he served in the Citizen Military Forces and received an appointment as a surgeon lieutenant in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve, although he was not mobilised. His naval appointment ended in November 1946.
On 22 February 1946, he married trained nurse Jessie Page at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne. They had five children.
Bedbrook lectured in anatomy at the University of Melbourne from 1946 to 1950. In 1950 he gained a Master of Surgery and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He then travelled to Britain, where he worked in orthopaedics and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1951.
After returning to Australia in 1953, he accepted an invitation from Perth orthopaedic surgeon Reginald McKellar Hall to join his practice. The arrangement included work at Royal Perth Hospital.
June 2021
Establishing the paraplegic service
In 1954, Bedbrook began taking responsibility for patients with spinal paralysis at Royal Perth Hospital and its Shenton Park branch.
On 8 December 1954, the hospital’s honorary medical staff recommended establishing a paraplegic unit within the Orthopaedic Department under his control. The board formally established the unit on 13 December. Bedbrook already had 12 patients under his supervision at Shenton Park.
The board approved £250 for equipment. Bedbrook also sought an estimated £1,000 for callipers, splints and other rehabilitation equipment over the following year, together with £100 for tools and equipment to help patients undertake light work.
In 1954, eight long-term patients with paraplegia were transferred from Royal Perth Hospital to Shenton Park. Patients from Hollywood Repatriation Hospital also joined the service. They were accommodated in Wards 7 and 8, old timber buildings originally used for infectious disease patients. Their toilets and washing facilities were poorly suited to rehabilitation.
The service combined medical rehabilitation with vocational training for people with spinal injuries. Its approach drew on methods developed at Stoke Mandeville in Britain. Treatment went beyond the immediate injury. Patients received help with mobility, daily activities and preparation for life outside hospital, including vocational training and employment.
Patients also undertook paid work as part of occupational therapy. Tasks included sharpening hypodermic needles for Royal Perth Hospital’s Polio Immunisation Unit, re-covering splints, assembling fishing tackle for outside businesses, repairing boots and making wickerwork. Income from this work helped pay for motorised wheelchairs and other supplies.
By 1960, 40 former patients had obtained full employment through associated programs. Staff also assisted the development of services in Melbourne and Adelaide. Before Adelaide had its own dedicated unit, some South Australian patients were flown to Perth for treatment.
December 2021
