Russell’s first ambulance was a station wagon. In 1960, when St John started here, there was no official vehicle. Del Harris, one of the foundation members who served for 24 years, remembered “commandeering someone’s station wagon to get people to hospital.” Volunteers, vehicles and premises have all moved on since then. On the left is an image from June 1967 when the St John base was in the old Catholic Church Presbytery in Beresford St. The group is of both Red Cross and St John Ambulance personnel. In the centre are Mrs Baker and Mrs King who both received Red Cross brooches for twenty years service. The middle image is at the opening of Russell St John Ambulance Station 1978, in York Street. The last lineup is of Russell ambulance officers at opening of Russell Medical Centre in January 2000: Vina Gujadhur, Dave Beere, Jason Ralph, Jon Maxwell, Rob Thornton. Front: Dorothy Darden, Don Spice, Heather Lindauer, Kahuti Symons.
