The Australian Women's Register

Nell Allgrove, née Hannah, came to South Australia from the West with her family when she was an infant. She began nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1936 and worked in the hospital’s Blood Transfusion Unit until she was called up to the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1940. In 1941 she joined the 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station and was sent to Malaya. She was among those who escaped from Singapore just before its capture by the Japanese in February 1942. When the ship ‘Vyner Brooke’ was sunk in Banka Strait, Nell and fellow nurses were interned by the Japanese. She was among 24 nurses (from a total of 65) who survived until their release in September 1945.

Marilyn Beaumont was born in Canberra. She trained at the Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney between 1968 and 1971. She came to Adelaide in 1980 and worked in a counselling capacity with the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Board. In 1981 she became a Liaison Officer for the South Australian Branch of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation and in 1982 she successfully contested an election for Secretary of that association. She later took up the Federal Secretaryship.

Kate Brown was born in South Australia. On leaving school she worked at the Kate Cocks Babies’ Home at Brighton until beginning training in 1947, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Midwifery training followed, then country hospital nursing in various parts of Australia, and nursing overseas in Britain and South Africa. She retired in 1990.

Merla Garrett was born at Sedan, near the Barossa Valley. After two years overseas she worked in Sydney and then Mount Pleasant. In 1962 she left South Australia for Papua New Guinea where she served as a missionary nurse for 18 years. Since 1981 Merla has been a lecturer at the School of Nursing, Sturt College (now Flinders University of South Australia). Her extra curricular activities include several assignments with the World Health Organization.

Barbara Good was born in Adelaide, South Australia. After completion of schooling at The Wilderness School, she spent a short time at Clare with her family and then began training at Mareeba Babies Hospital. In 1975 she moved to Tasmania and was Director of Nursing at the Repatriation Hospital in Hobart until her retirement from nursing in 1982.

Ruth Harrington, née Meredith, was born in England and came to South Australia in infancy with her parents. After three months experience at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital she was called up for duty in the Australian Army Nursing Service and served for two years until her marriage. Ruth maintained her registration and worked in several country hospitals. In 1968 she did a refresher course at the RAH and subsequently co-ordinated other refresher courses for nurses re-entering the workforce. In 1975 she joined the staff of Sturt College, where the first tertiary nursing course began in that year.

Jenny Leak was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Following paediatric nursing and midwifery training Jenny’s later appointments included six months at the Point McLeay Aboriginal Reserve. In 1966 Jenny was a member of a surgical team working in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, for six months. Subsequently she remained in Vietnam where she administered a community aid program for children. She joined the staff of the South Australian College of Advanced Education (Sturt Campus) in 1987

Betty Lockwood was born in Britain and came to South Australia with her family in 1951. In 1968 she was appointed matron of the Gumeracha Hospital in Gumeracha South Australia, and within her term of service there she spent six months in Vietnam with a surgical team. Betty took an appointment as Director of Nursing and later Chief Executive Officer of the Ashford Community Hospital. She was also a part-time Commissioner in the SA Health Commission. Betty retired from Ashford in 1988.

Catherine Michelmore was born in Adelaide. She began training at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH) after the outbreak of war in 1939. In 1947 she returned to the ACH she set up and conducted the first Preliminary Training School in South Australia. In 1960 she was appointed Deputy Matron at the ACH, from which post she retired in 1970. Miss Michelmore served as a council member of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia, and in 1965 was National President of the College.

Barbara Parker, née North, was born in Adelaide. She became a tutor (unqualified) at Ru Rua Hospital in the late 1960s and moved from there to a part-time appointment with the Public Health Department (PHD). In 1970 she became a full time member of the staff of the Occupational Health Branch of the PHD, where she is still employed. Barbara Parker has been actively involved in the professional affairs of nursing including the Occupational Health Nurses’ Association.

Patricia Deal was trained at the Rachel Forster Hospital at Redfern. She worked in various Repatriation Hospitals, becoming the Director of Nursing at the Repatriation General Hospital in Daw Park, Adelaide. She also served as a nurse in Vietnam as part of the Australian Army Nursing Corps and remained an active member, retiring in 1986 with the rank of Major.

Doreen Nellie Sturm, commonly known as Anne, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She completed training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1937. Anne spent the early years of the war in private nursing in Melbourne, Victoria. Returning to Adelaide in 1943 she worked at the Truby King Mothercraft League of South Australia Clinic for two years. She was also an active member of various nursing organizations.

Ruth Hurn, née Derbyshire, was born in Melbourne. During the early years of World War II she was a Red Cross volunteer at the Port Lincoln Hospital. In 1945 she commenced training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). In 1969 she was appointed Nursing Advisor to the Hospitals Department. During five years in this post, Hurn was associated with several developments in nursing education including the tertiary nursing course at Sturt College of Nursing in Adelaide. After retirement from the Hospitals Department she spent five years as Director of Nursing at the Berri Hospital.

Gladys Tanner was born in England and came to South Australia with her parents in 1925. She completed training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1944. In 1951 she received a scholarship to study nursing administration at the new College of Nursing, Australia, in Melbourne. She became the first Matron of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Woodville in 1958. She remained in this post until her retirement in 1982. Gladys was also involved in the Nurses’ Board, the Royal Australian Nursing Federation and the Royal College of Nursing, Australia.

Joyce Kitto was born in Gladstone, South Australia. In the early 1950s Joyce became a member of the Citizens’ Military Force Nursing Corps, which led to her decision to train as a nurse. In 1970 she was appointed tutor sister in charge of the newly established training school for enrolled nurses at Gleneden, Maryattville, where she remained until her retirement in 1985.

Judith Wotherspoon was born in Melbourne and came to Adelaide with her parents at the age of eight. After nursing in Papua New Guinea, Britain and Canada, Judith studied at Flinders University for a Bachelor of Arts degree. Subsequently she worked in the field of community health and as a part-time lecturer at Sturt College of Advanced Education. Between 1982 and 1985 she was senior lecturer in nursing at the Darwin Community College, then went to the University of New South Wales to complete a masters degree in health planning. At the time of the interview Judith was about to take up an appointment as lecturer in nursing at the South Australian Institute of Technology (now the University of South Australia).

Marjorie Ladkin, née Soady, was born in Sydney, New South Wales. In 1933 she began training at the Sydney Hospital, and upon graduation worked for a nursing agency. She was the first full-time secretary of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation (South Australia Branch) serving in this position from 1965-1975. The successful development of the Branch is largely due to her dedication and drive and, innovations advocated by Ladkin have resulted in a better ratio of staff/patient care. On 13 June 1983 Marjorie Ladkin was awarded an Order of the Order of Australia for service to nursing.

Heather Schubert, née Duffield, was born in Stirling, South Australia. She began nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in 1961. In 1974 she became a nursing supervisor, and in 1976 she was seconded to the South Australian Health Commission to provide education in high technology nursing for staff in country hospitals. At the time of the interview Heather was a nurse educator at the RAH. She was also actively involved in the Critical Care Nurses’ Association.

Pam Spry was born in Adelaide, South Australia and began training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in 1945. From 1973-1984 she was Director of Nursing at the RAH. Over the years Pam has also been involved with the Florence Nightingale Committee, the South Australian Health Commission, the Education Committee of the Nurses’ Board, the Planning Committee for the first basic tertiary nursing course at Sturt College, and the SA Branch of the Australian Nursing Federation.

Irene Foster was a leader of many circles in the Adelaide Lyceum Club including the Literature Circle. She wrote book reviews for thirty years and was a preliminary judge for the Adelaide Advertiser Literary Competition.

Patience Howard moved around a lot during her childhood. As a small child, she lived in Central South Australia at Bungaree. She was educated at Miss Dow’s boarding school at Glenelg, 1912 at “The Hermitage” in Victoria, and from 1914 at Frensham’s Girls’ school in New South Wales. Later she attended Bedford College in London to study history. During the 1920s she went to an International Students’ conference in Prague before returning to Adelaide in 1924. Howard became a teacher at Woodlands and then Girton Girls’ School in Adelaide. Here she met Mabel Hardy and together they established the Stawell School at Mt Lofty. In 1928 she married Roy Howard. Following his death she and her children moved to Bungaree and then Kensington Park. A member of the Lyceum Club and the Labor Party she also spent time working with meals on wheels.

Dr Marjorie Casley-Smith was educated at the Methodist Ladies’ College (now Annesley College in Adelaide). Upon finishing she spent two years at home learning music and the domestic arts before studying medicine. Following graduation, in 1927, she went to the Royal Adelaide Hospital as House Surgeon under Dr Sleeman. She completed obstetrics at Adelaide’s Queen Victoria Hospital. In 1930 she married Roy Frisby Smith, a lawyer. After her husband’s death, in 1938, she returned to work at the School Medical Health Service. Casley-Smith became Vice President of the National Council of Women of South Australia. She became convenor of Health for SA and Australian Convenor of Health. Dr Casley-Smith started the Marriage Guidance Council, was active in the Asthma Association, and the Mental Health Association. She was involved with music and was an early member of the Lyceum Club.

Anne Stanton was born in Adelaide and educated at the St Peter’s Girls’ School. On leaving school she attended the Conservatorium of Music and then joined the School of Social Studies. Her first job was with the Probation Branch of the Sheriff’s Gaols and Prisons Department. Stanton later became a senior social worker for the Crippled Children’s Association. As Vice-President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association she completed many country visits and with Adelaide Legacy she helped set up holiday camps for children. Stanton was involved with the National Trust, Friends of the Gallery, opera, theatre and the Lyceum Club. On 6 June 1978 Stanton was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australian for her work with crippled children.

Roxy Byrne was born in South Australia in 1912 and attended school in Adelaide. From 1922 to 1929 she attended the Methodist Ladies College (now Annesley College) where she developed her love of the theatre, as well as her skill in hockey. An excellent student (she was dux of the school in her final year) she went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Adelaide University in 1933, majoring in Botany and French. After graduation she joined the Adelaide Repertory Theatre, becoming a leading actress who played a variety of outstanding roles for a period of 40 years. She was active in a number of women’s organisations, including the Lyceum Club of Adelaide. She married Dr. Dudley Byrne in 1940 and had three children.

The daughter of a sea captain Winnie Levy grew up in Western Australia. She attended the White Gum Valley School and won a scholarship to the Perth Modern School. She completed a degree in French and Mathematics at the University of Western Australia and then went to the Sorbonne for two years. On returning to Western Australia she became a French tutor at the University of Western Australia. She was forced to resign when she married. After having a baby, she returned to the university to study law. Following her move to Adelaide Levy was admitted to the Bar, in 1945, and practised for 23 years. A member of the Lyceum Club Levy was a leader of the International Circle.

Aileen Bond, born Aileen Ingelby in 1898, was educated at St Peter’s Girls’ School and studied law at Adelaide University and was one of Adelaide’s earliest practising female solictors. She joined the Lyceum Club when it formed in 1922. In 1924 she married John Leslie Bond, a minister, and they moved around South Australia. During World War II her husband enlisted and went to New Guinea and she and the four children lived at Brighton, in Adelaide. After the war they lived at Clare and Victor Harbour. Her husband was given an administrative job and became in turn an Archdeacon and then a Canon. Following his death, Levy moved to Toorak Gardens, an eastern suburb of Adelaide.

Gwenneth Ballantyne who grew up in North Adelaide and Torrensville in South Australia attended Scott’s Business College. She worked for the Freemasons under Mr Charles Glover as a typist. Later she became secretary for the Adelaide, South Australian based Little Theatre Company. Ballantyne also was with the Hut theatre. She taught drama at the Wilderness School, South Australia for 27 years and worked with John Bishop to establish a Festival Theatre in Adelaide. Ballantyne joined the Lyceum Club and performed ‘Victoria Regina’ at the Club. She became President of the Club in 1978, and resigned as leader of the Play Reading Group in 1985.