November 6, 2026
The 35th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Kingaroy Hospital Auxiliary was marked on Friday morning with a morning tea for current and former volunteers and supporters.
Guest speakers were current Auxiliary president Alison Murray and Cr Danita Potter, chair of the South Burnett Community Consultative Committee which liaises with Darling Downs Health’s regional committee.
The Kingaroy Hospital Auxiliary is a not-for-profit organisation which has been raising funds since 1991 to benefit staff and patients at the hospital. It aims to provide medical and training equipment for staff, and extra comforts for patients.
For many years, its major fundraising activity was running a very successful canteen but its focus changed when the new hospital building opened with its own canteen.
The Auxiliary committee had to rethink its funding model, working with community groups on fundraising activities and raffles as well as seeking grant opportunities to continue to support the hospital with new equipment.
Alison recalled that the first Auxiliary event was the 1991 staff Christmas Party which raised $757.
The first donation was $24 for vases for patients.
Between 1996-98, the Auxiliary bought 35 bedside TVs, making Kingaroy one of the few hospitals in Queensland which had free TVs for patients.
In 2005, the Auxiliary volunteers decided to try to raise $10,000 to support the new renal unit but ended up raising $38,000 for equipment and furnishings.
Between 1991 and 2020, the canteen had gross sales of $1.3 million with close to $650,000 in equipment being donated to the hospital.
Since 2023, the Auxiliary has accessed $122,000 in grants as well as receiving $56,000 from the local community.
Alison said the community support had been “just amazing”.
Some of the latest purchases included specialist breathing equipment, new ultrasound machines for intravenous cannulation and food-warming trolleys.
