1st Australian Blood and Serum Preparation Unit

Old Masonic Hall

A realisation that properly stored blood was a necessary adjunct to the medical treatment of wounded at the battlefront, led to blood drives and collections points behind the lines. In Brisbane, one of the earliest blood drives was made at the Brisbane Royal National Show by the Australian Red Cross in August 1940. At the Army’s instigation the Red Cross established blood plasma and serum preparation facilities and a blood transfusion service across the country.

Place information

Location

134 Alice Street

Brisbane, QLD 4000

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Place type

Scientific facility

History

As the war progressed and the Army Medical Services began engaging specialists to develop better ways of preparing and storing blood, the tasks previously undertaken by the Red Cross became the responsibility of military Blood and Serum Preparation Units attached to the

Australian Army Medical Corps.

Blood serum was recognised for its importance in successfully treating burns victims.

From early 1942 the 1^st Australian Blood and Serum Preparation Unit operated from the basement of the old Masonic Hall in Alice Street, a building which was shared with the University of Queensland. Blood was transported to the main collection centre for filtration and bottling....

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