POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Ford F250 Ambulance

Object No. 2001/73/1

This vehicle was used by the Ambulance Service of New South Wales, which arguably runs the largest ambulance fleet in the world. Its ambulances cover 25,000,000 road kilometres a year. The fleet has 15 workshops, employs 100 mechanics and carries out research, development and design. The vehicle is of particular interest as it is still fully stocked for carrying intensive care patients, the equipment on board demonstrating the wide range and highly technical nature of the first-aid and resuscitation equipment carried by ambulances and the level of skill and training needed by ambulance officers. Until the end of the 19th century, sick and injured people were usually expected to make their way to hospital in any way they could. The first ambulance service in New South Wales was set up in response to a smallpox epidemic in Sydney in 1881. The ambulance transport corps was formed by the Board of Health primarily for the transport of smallpox patients to the Coast Hospital at Little Bay, which had been established to act as an isolation hospital for infectious cases. The corps was equipped with hand litters and horsedrawn wagons. During the 20th century ambulance services changed from being simple patient carriers to highly technical, expertly coordinated resuscitation and transport systems. Australia has been a world leader in the establishment and organisation of such systems. Ambulance Number 951 was donated to the Powerhouse Museum by the Ambulance Service of NSW after it was decommissioned in May 2001 as part of a program to phase-out Ford F250 vehicles and replace them with Mercedes Sprinter vans. Ford F250 ambulances have a cab-chassis manufactured in Texas, USA, and a fibreglass 'ambulance' module made by Jakab Industries in Tamworth, NSW. Commissioned in 1993, Ambulance Number 951 was in service throughout the 1990s at Summer Hill Station in Sydney's inner western suburbs. References: Michael Willis, Director Metropolitan Services, John Flynn, State Fleet Manager, Bob Shippard, Acting State Fleet Manager, and Barry Dixon, Logistics (Ambulance Service of New South Wales), in conversation with Megan Hicks, curator, and Dave Rockell, conservator (Powerhouse Museum). Batten, Chris, Ambulances, Shire Album #328, Shire Publications Ltd, Buckinghamshire, UK, 1996. Nelson, Brian, A pictorial history of Australian ambulances since 1880, Brian Nelson, Murwillumbah, Australia, [1989].