old ambulances





The following page provides a range of photos of Ambulances in Victoria's Ambulance Service between 1941 & 1950



	1941 The D19 Dodge was introduced into Ambulance Service in 1941. Pictured here is Melbourne's D19 fleet. Click Here for more photos and information on the D19 Dodge used by Victoria's Ambulance Service.




	1944 Prior to 1944, Ambulances were dispatched by telephone as radio communication did not exist. In 1944, Melbourne introduced one way radio communication operating out of the Melbourne City Council with all 27 Ambulances fitted out by 1946. Finally Ambulance Controllers could divert Ambulances to more urgent cases rather than having to wait for the Ambulance to finish a case and ring by phone. However crews could not reply & confirm they had received the case unless they found a public telephone to ring on. It would not be until 1954 that 2 way radios would be introduced, a need brought about by the Royal Visit. Pictured here is the 1944 one way radio fitted to the ambulances.




	1946 Geelong's 1946 Ford Mercury. Click Here for more photos and information on the Ford Mercury used by Victoria's Ambulance Service.




	1947 One of Melbourne's 1947 Oldsmobile Ace Ambulances. Click Here for more photos and information on the Oldsmobile Ace used by Victoria's Ambulance Service.




	1948 Penhurst's 1948 Ford V8 Ambulance.




	1948 In 1948, the Victorian State Government established the Hospitals & Charities Commission, which as part of it’s responsibility was the regulation of Victoria’s Ambulance Services. From the period of 1948 to 1954, the Commission established Ambulance coverage for the whole state still under the auspices of the VCAS, but splitting the state into 16 regions including: NWAS – North West Region Ambulance Service WDAS – Western District Ambulance Service GDAS – Glenelg & District Ambulance Service MMDAS – Mid Murray District Ambulance Service B&DAS – Ballarat & District Ambulance Service SWVAS – South West Victorian Ambulance Service G&DAS – Geelong & District Ambulance Service NDAS – Northern District Ambulance Service CVDAS – Central Victoria District Ambulance Service VCAS – Victorian Civil Ambulance Service Melbourne PAS – Peninsular Ambulance Service GVDAS – Goulburn Valley Ambulance Service LVDAS – Latrobe Valley District Ambulance Service SGDAS – South Gippsland District Ambulance Service NEVDAS – North East Victoria District Ambulance Service EGAS – East Gippsland Ambulance Service



	1949 Woodend's 1949 Dodge 108 Suburban Ambulance. Click Here for more photos and information on the Dodge 108 Suburban used by Victoria's Ambulance Service.




	1949 Dimboola's first Ambulance - a 1949 Ford Custom Single Spinner. Click Here for more photos and information on the Ford Custom Single Spinner used by Victoria's Ambulance Service.

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