Adversity & Resilience: Health & Welfare

Dr. David Trumpy

Following is an extract from Museum Matters by the Ipswich Hospital Museum written in March 2023.

Ipswich Hospital’s third, and longest serving Medical Superintendent, was Dr. David Trumpy, whose legacy and name is still part of the town’s
history.

David Ernest Trumpy was born in 1893, the middle son of Dr. David and Margaret Trumpy, in Warragul, Victoria. His elder brother, Christopher died as a baby and his younger brother, Oswald Robert, also became a doctor.

His father, Dr. David Trumpy Snr (or Trumpi) emigrated from the Germanspeaking district of north Switzerland in 1882. In about 1911 he and his wife initiated and built the Cooinda Private Hospital in Warragul and continued to run it through the Great Depression and after. His younger son, Oswald, took over his practice when he retired in 1926. He died in Warragul on 22 June 1942.

 

David Ernest married Beatrice Ellen Hall in Victoria in 1921.

In 1920 he was selected from 23 applicants as the new hospital superintendent, succeeding Dr. Gilmore Wilson. He had graduated with first class honours from the University of Melbourne in 1917 and then became a resident medical officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 12 months before volunteering with the Australian Infantry Forces at the 6th Australian General Hospital at Kangaroo Point. While there he was promoted to Commanding Officer and then held that rank at the 17th Australian General Hospital, Enoggera before coming to Ipswich Hospital.

Dr. Trumpy led the medical staff from 1920 to 1967 and was affectionately known as “Trump”, “Pop”, and Cardy”. He was highly regarded by not only the hospital staff at the time, but also the broader Ipswich community.

The Royal Visit
The Ipswich Hospital Museum's newsletter in December 2019 related the story of a Royal visitor.

The Duke of Gloucester was here to lay the foundation stone for the new children’s Sunshine Ward.

His Royal Highness Prince Henry William Frederick Albert, Earl of Ulster, Baron Culloden was the third son and fourth child of King George V and Queen Mary. He was the brother of King George VI and Edward VIII (who abdicated in 1936).

The Duke had earlier been welcomed to Ipswich at a ceremony in Queens Park. Queensland Times on December 4, 1934 described the scene at the hospital as “one of brightest welcome with rippling pennants, beautiful flower gardens and green lawn. Thousands of people greeted the Royal arrival and facing the front steps of the new arrival were white beds with crippled and sick children holding umbrellas to stem the sun’s rays. “ In his speech welcoming the Duke, Mr. J.G. Bishop (President of the Hospital Board of Management) said that the Board and members of the Sunshine League were extremely grateful for the honour he conferred by laying the foundation stone. He talked about the great work done by the young people of the Sunshine League and that many children had travelled 40 and 50 miles to attend the ceremony. 

 

With a presentation mallet made of West Moreton cedar and specially inscribed, the Duke declared the foundation stone “well and truly laid”. Mr. Bishop, on behalf of the Sunshine League members, presented his Royal Highness with a serpentine-fronted casket of West Moreton cedar, padded with gold and white, the colours of the Sunshine League, and a Sunshine League badge. The Duke visited the young patients and discussed the work of the Sunshine League with Mr. Bishop before leaving amidst rousing cheers.