On 12 May 1971 a fire erupted in the ceiling and roof structure in a rear section of Mater Children’s Hospital. Every one of the 119 young patients was evacuated in a calm, purposeful manner and newspapers provided extensive coverage of nurses carrying children out of the hospital. This media attention inspired the community and many donations were received along with offers of help .
Queensland Newspapers, particularly its chairman, Reg Leonard, took a close look at the needs of Brisbane’s two children’s hospitals. His first step was to make the hospitals beneficiaries of the Good Friday Appeal conducted by 4BK, which was owned by the newspaper group. This impetus created the perfect climate to present a major submission to the government on the urgent needs at both Mater Adult Hospital and Mater Children’s Hospital. Furthermore, the Sisters began making long-term plans for Mater’s future.
In late 1971, construction started on a three-storey extension at the Mater Children’s Hospital site.