A Midwifery wing was added to the Coober Pedy Medical Centre just in time for 6 babies to be born in the first week of operation.
The first baby to be born was on 30-12-69 to Evelyne and Jose Calvo, a boy Joss-Thiery.
Evelyne’s story as told to Jenny Davison, (courtesy of Coober Pedy Historical Society) October 2015:
“Jose drove Evelyne to the hospital at about 11 pm, to find a note on the door saying that the Sisters (Nurses) were at the Drive-In. They drove there and Evelyne walked to the projection shed and asked that an announcement be made that the Sisters were needed at the hospital. This was done and the hospital car raced off followed by Jose and Evelyne.
After Evelyne was examined, Jose was told he could go home as the birth was not imminent although Evelyne thought it was. The baby arrived about ½ hour after they got back to the hospital. Sister Ann Dau and another sister delivered the baby.”