On Tuesday 13 August 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the fifth Australian College of Nursing (ACN) History Faculty Conference held at the Cairns Convention Centre. The audience was treated to a variety of topics and perspectives, sparking interesting debates and offering opportunities for deep reflection on the history of our profession. The presentation…
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) History Faculty has been established to facilitate connections for members of the ACN who have an interest in nursing history and historical research with others who have similar interests. It also provides a forum for sharing news, research findings, scholarship, as well as an opportunity to contribute to the…
By Diane J Phillips Florence Nightingale’s model of “on the job” hospital-based nurse education was successful and quickly adopted by many countries. In Australia, it was implemented during the latter part of the nineteenth century and when women only were accepted as “trainees.” As low paid employees they were a subservient and subordinate workforce within a…
Each afternoon at 4:55pm the Australian War Memorial (AWM) holds a Last Post Ceremony to commemorate the story of an individual on their Honour Roll. On Tuesday April 2 representatives from ACN will lay a wreath at the ceremony for Flight Lieutenant Lynne Rowbottom. Lynne served in the Australian peace-keeping forces in East Timor and…
On February 11, 2019, ACN attended the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to commemorate Sister Alma May Beard, 2/13th Australian General Hospital, Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). From the limited information that is available on the Second World War Army nurse, we learned from the War Memorial’s records that: “She…
Unlocking the Past: A Guide to the Australian College of Nursing Archival Collection is a 38-page booklet detailing the contents of the ACN archival collection. Those interested in the history of nursing in Australia and our professional organisation will find the booklet a handy accompaniment to aid their research using the archival collection. Launched at…
by Dr Ruth Rae FACN Dr Ruth Rae FACN has been a registered nurse since 1978 and has worked as a freelance researcher and writer for more than 20 years. Her interest in nursing history led to her completing a PhD thesis and multiple books on Australian nurses in the First World War. ACN partnered…