Venom Program
What you need to know about spiders
There are five spiders that regularly cause concern to members of the public in this area. Of these only the funnel-webs and red-backs are currently considered dangerous though there are others, such as mouse spiders, which are rarely encountered but potentially dangerous. Any spider larger in size than a dollar coin should be treated with respect, as all spiders have venom glands, though only the large species have fangs able to puncture human skin. The following safety rules apply to all spiders:
- Do not leave clothes, shoes, towels, etc. on the floor
- Check shoes before putting them on
- Do not walk about at night without footwear
- Do not handle spiders that appear to have drowned in pools, buckets, etc.
- Wear gloves when gardening or working outside
First Aid
- Keep the bite victim calm and immobile.
- For a funnel-web bite, apply a pressure-immobilization bandage to the bite site and the adjacent limb. For example, a bite on the finger should be treated by bandaging the entire arm. Further restrict movement by applying a splint.
- For a red-back bite, the only first aid required is the application of an ice pack to the bite site to reduce the pain.
- Seek emergency medical assistance immediately.
Drop-off Points for Spider Anti-Venom Program
| Region | Collection Point | Area | Hours |
| Newcastle | |||
| New Lambton Heights | John Hunter Hospital Lookout Rd, New Lambton Heights |
Pathology Level 2 | Weekdays only 8am-5pm |
| Central Coast | |||
| Gosford | Gosford Hospital Racecourse Rd, Gosford |
Pathology | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Sat/Sun 9am-3pm |
| Gosford | Vital First Aid 30 Glennie St, Gosford |
Front desk | Mon-Fri 9:30am- 4pm |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Veterinary Hospital 24 Cary Street, Wyoming |
Vet Rooms | 24hrs 7 days |
| Wyong | Wyong Hospital Pacific Highway, Wyong |
Emergency | 24hrs 7 days |
| Sydney | |||
| Brookvale | Greencross Vets Inside Pet Barn 60 Winbourne Rd, Brookvale |
Reception | Mon-Wed/Fri8:30-7pm Thu 8:30 – 8pm Sat 9-3pm Sun 9-12pm |
| Caringbah | Sutherland Hospital The Kingsway, Caringbah |
Emergency | 24hrs 7 days |
| Hornsby | Hornsby Hospital Palmerston Rd, Hornsby |
Reception & Emergency |
24hrs 7 days |
| Helensburgh | Symbio Wildlife Park 7/11 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Helensburgh |
Reception | Mon-Sun 9.30am-5pm |
| Monavale | Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital 22 Park St, Mona Vale |
Reception | Mon-Fri 8-7pm Sat 8-12pm |
| Westmead | Westmead Public Hospital Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Darcy Rd, Westmead |
Entomology Department | Mon-Fri 9-5pm |
| Windsor | Hawkesbury City Council George St, Windsor |
Customer Service Desk | Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm |
Newcastle
Region: New Lambton Heights
Collection Point: John Hunter Hospital, Lookout Rd, New Lambton Heights
Area Pathology Level 2
Hours Weekdays only 8am-5pm
Central Coast
Region: Gosford
Collection Point: Gosford Hospital, Racecourse Rd, Gosford
Area Pathology
Hours Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat/Sun 9am-3pm
Region: Gosford
Collection Point: Vital First Aid, 30 Glennie St, Gosford
Area Front desk
Hours Mon-Fri 9:30am- 4pm
Region: Wyoming
Collection Point: Wyoming Veterinary Hospital, 24 Cary Street, Wyoming
Area Vet Rooms
Hours 24hrs 7 days
Region: Wyong
Collection Point: Wyong Hospital, Pacific Highway, Wyong
Area Emergency
Hours 24hrs 7 days
Sydney
Region: Brookvale
Collection Point: Greencross Vets, Inside Pet Barn 60 Winbourne Rd, Brookvale
Area Reception
Hours Mon-Wed/Fri8:30-7pm Thu 8:30 – 8pm Sat 9-3pm Sun 9-12pm
Region: Caringbah
Collection Point: Sutherland Hospital, The Kingsway, Caringbah
Area Emergency
Hours 24hrs 7 days
Region: Helensburg
Collection Point: Symbio Wildlife Park, 7/11 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Helensburg
Area Reception
Hours 9.30am-5pm, 7 days a week
Region: Hornsby
Collection Point: Hornsby Hospital, Palmerston Rd, Hornsby
Area Reception & Emergency
Hours 24hrs 7 days
Region: Monavale
Collection Point: Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital, 22 Park St, Mona Vale
Area Reception
Hours Mon-Fri 8-7pm and Sat 8-12pm
Region: Westmead
Collection Point: Westmead Public Hospital, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Darcy Rd, Westmead
Area Entomology Department
Hours Mon-Fri 9-5pm
Region: Windsor
Collection Point: Hawkesbury City Council, George St, Windsor
Area Customer Service Desk
Hours Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm
Common Australian Spiders
Funnel-Web Spider (Atrax SP. And Hadronyche SP.)
Red-Backed Spider (Latrodectus Hasselti)
White-Tailed Spider (Lampona Cylindrata)
Brown Trapdoor Spider (Misgolas SP.)
Huntsman Spider (Various Species)