Lincoln crash and hospital anniversary honoured in Killarney

One day, two commemorations 

On 8 June, locals in the Southern Downs observed the 75th anniversary since the founding of Killarney Memorial Hospital (now K-Life) by a group of World War I and II veterans. Additionally, the 70th anniversary of the 10 Squadron, Lincoln Bomber A73-64 plane crash on Mount Superbus was acknowledged.  

“We wanted to do something to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the lives lost in the RAAF mercy flight, and felt putting a plaque at the Cenotaph would be a fitting tribute,” Killarney RSL Sub Branch President Jim Domjahn says. 

“The hospital was started by WWI and II veterans, along with community support. I was on a committee with the nursing home and suggested the Cenotaph would also be a suitable place to have their plaque to honour our veterans.”  

Both commemorations were held together at Killarney’s Cenotaph. More than 150 people attended the service and several guest speakers, including RSL Queensland State President Major General Stephen Day DSC AM, addressed the gathering prior to the unveiling of the hospital plaque.  

Afterwards, a service was held to dedicate the plaque memorialising the Lincoln Mercy Flight. MAJGEN Day spoke about the importance of honouring the memory of those on the flight, and was followed by Squadron Leader Ben James, and Don Cater – son of the radio operator on that fateful flight. Wreaths were laid and pipe and bugle music played as the crowd reflected on these historical moments. 

“It was a very moving day, and our Sub Branch greatly appreciates the support given by RAAF Base Amberley by providing a guest speaker and chaplain,” Jim says. 

About Killarney Memorial Hospital 

In September 1949, a group of veterans purchased a hospital site for £2,300 and established it in permanent memory of those who gave their lives in WWII. Local RSL members acted as Trustees, and the RSL Women’s Auxiliary was highly involved in life at the hospital.  

Talking to local media at the 75th anniversary commemoration service, MAJGEN Day shared the story of the hospital’s origins.  

“[Killarney RSL Sub Branch] had a healthy bank account… because of a substantial private bequest. The members of the Sub Branch thought they should do something useful with it,” he says. 

“The Sub Branch would give what they could [to the hospital] and the remaining funds would be raised through a call for public subscriptions and profits made from some events that were run. 

“The generosity of the townsfolk was clear; the public subscriptions raised £1,400 and the profits from principally a gymkhana and a rodeo raised another £500.” 

Killarney Memorial Hospital officially opened on Pine Street on 10 June 1950, initially offering maternity, surgery and emergency care services. However, in 1968, the building sustained extensive damage from a tornado, requiring the establishment to be rebuilt.  

Two years later, the new hospital was opened on Cedar Street, where it remains today. In the 1980s, the hospital became a non-profit corporation, with Killarney RSL Sub Branch maintaining representation on its Board of Directors. 

In 2006, the hospital ceased its acute care services and expanded into aged care and community medicine, renamed Killarney Memorial Aged Care. The establishment was once again renamed in 2025 to K-Life, and offers multifaceted health, aged care and community housing services.  

Despite these changes over previous decades, local veterans and the RSL have been continually recognised as founding members of the hospital. 

About the Lincoln crash 

In the early hours of Easter Saturday 1955, a RAAF 10 Squadron Lincoln Bomber A73-64 aircraft departed from Townsville. The plane was carrying six people on a mercy flight to Brisbane: Wing Commander John Peter Costello MID, Squadron Leaders Charles Mason MBE and John Finlay, Flight Lieutenant William Cater, civilian nursing sister Mafalda Gray, and two-day-old Andrea Robyn Huxley. Baby Andrea was critically ill and, being transported to the state’s capital for a life-saving blood transfusion. 

“The crew were all WWII veterans, and one was mentioned in despatches for saving an American pilot in New Guinea. They were all high up in their Squadron, and the nursing sister was leaving Townsville to start a new job in Brisbane, so she volunteered to come down on the aircraft,” Jim explains. 

As the plane was descending to its destination, fog and cloud cover limited visibility. The plane collided with the highest mountain in Southeast Queensland, Mount Superbus – 16km northeast of Killarney. Tragically, nobody survived the crash. 

“10 Squadron had placed a plaque at the crash site on the 50th anniversary, but it is not an easy place to get to, and we wanted to offer somewhere more accessible for people to visit and commemorate,” Jim says. 

Killarney RSL Sub Branch decided to fund, install and dedicate a new plaque at the town’s Cenotaph. Several Sub Branch members contributed their time and effort to this initiative, using sandstone that was donated from the local quarry.  

The plaque now serves as a permanent memorial site in the Killarney district, enabling citizens to remember the courage and compassion of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others.  

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