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Judy Webster's Genealogy Tips and Indexes for local, interstate & overseas folk with historical records in Queensland and other Australian States. © Copyright, Judy Webster.    Search this site Why I use and recommend Findmypast

Cooktown, north of Cairns, was the main port for the North Queensland gold fields. Cooktown hospital records, which are very useful for genealogy and family history, have information about people from all walks of life, including miners, sailors and railway workers. Many had spent time in other parts of Australia and in New Guinea and New Zealand.

I have indexed all surviving Cooktown Hospital admission registers from the earliest (1884) up to 25 Dec 1901. The registers have space for these details (which, if supplied by the patient, may be more accurate than those on a death certificate):

name;  date admitted;  age;  birthplace;  occupation;  religion;  ship of arrival;  how long in colony;  place of residence;  marital status;  place of marriage, at what age, and name of spouse;  names and ages of children living;  number and sex of children deceased;  father's name and occupation;  father's present residence if living (or 'father dead');  mother's maiden name;  disease or reason for admission;  date of discharge or date and cause of death;  sometimes additional remarks (medical history, social circumstances etc.)

Note the provision for ship of arrival, place of residence, marital status, and father's present residence - details not found on a Queensland death certificate. A hospital register is sometimes the only surviving source of information about immigration.

Explanation of names below:

• Date range:  15 Mar 1884 - 25 Dec 1901 (but some gaps where registers have not survived).
• The handwriting in some registers is bad. If a name was almost impossible to decipher, I guessed!
• There are many obvious spelling errors in the registers. Scroll through the list and check all possible variants. Consider phonetic spelling, and similarity of certain letters in old handwriting. Some cross-references ('see'/'consider') are provided, but check other variants too.
• Chinese / Asian names: The given name and family name may have been reversed, so check under both. Some Chinese names were omitted from the index (eg, if there were no identifying details).
• '-' or '...' means no surname was stated, or the name was illegible.
• A question mark means handwriting was difficult to decipher, and there is doubt about the spelling.
• If there is more than one entry for a name, the same person may have been admitted more than once, or there may be several people with the same name. Check *all* such entries, because some may be more detailed or more accurate than others.
• For names below, see how to get information, or copies of the original records.

Names beginning with:  A - G    H - O    P - Z

Names beginning with:  A - G    H - O    P - Z

Genealogy is my business (not just a hobby), and I've spent over 35 years learning about (and indexing) original records, so I charge fees for my time (to consult my index, travel to a record office, find the volume and page, obtain copies and send them to you).

You don't pay for '(see...)' cross-references. For example, if the list said
    BLOGGS Joe
    BLOGGS Joe
    BLOGGS Joseph (see BLOGGS Joe)
then you'd request '2 x BLOGGS Joe' and pay for 2 entries (not 3, because the 3rd entry is just a cross-reference).

Option No.1:  Cooktown Hospital INDEX: Record Series & Quote.

$4 for one entry, plus $2 for each additional entry (same name or different names). This option is especially useful for common names. If you get details from my index, you will sometimes see that the record must be for a different person with the same name, and you won't waste money ordering a copy that's irrelevant.

What I'll tell you (from my index):

• 'Patient was admitted sometime BETWEEN [year] and [year]'.
• Possible contents of the original document.
• Notes (if any) that I made during indexing (sometimes with identifying details).
• No-obligation quote (it will be a discount price) for a digital image of the original document.

To send a request, follow these steps:

1. Calculate the cost ($4 for one entry, plus $2 each for extras).
2. Send payment by bank deposit or PayPal as explained here (opens in a new window).
3. In an email, type 'Cooktown Hospital INDEX: record series & quote', and...
4. List the entries you want. Don't send biographical details - just the names.
5. In your email, tell me the payment date, amount and method, and (if you have one) an alternative email address.
6. Send your email to the address shown on the payment page.

Option No.2:  Cooktown Hospital: Digital COPY.

If you choose to skip the above Series/Quote service and pay full price, see the price list for Cooktown Hospital records.

Other Suggestions

More Cooktown Hospital admission registers: Surnames A - G    H - O    P - Z    No surname or surname unclear

Other Queensland hospitals, and conditions for patients in the old days.

Residents of Cooktown in 1874 (index to a petition with their signatures).

Cooktown Boys' School admissions index.

Cooktown burials and headstones (published book).

My other genealogy sites have additional advice and names.

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