Marilyn Jensen is a dedicated researcher and retired nurse |
Our recent local history
talk was conducted by Marilyn Jensen. She honoured past employees of the
Maryborough General and Lady Musgrave hospitals who enlisted during WW1,
including one with a connection to the Hospital Ship Maheno.
Maryborough has a hidden
treasure in the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum , which displays items and documents relating to Maryborough's early hospitals.
Included are those :
- dating from the 1850s
- from the first purpose built public hospital in 1865
- relating to the current hospital from 1887
- from the early maternity services and maternity hospitals, first built in 1888
Included are those :
- dating from the 1850s
- from the first purpose built public hospital in 1865
- relating to the current hospital from 1887
- from the early maternity services and maternity hospitals, first built in 1888
Marilyn joined the small group of enthusiastic volunteers running the Museum when she retired from the nursing workforce in
2013. To her it was an obvious transition after over 40 years of nursing.
"The instruments are similar to or are the ones I used early in my career" she recollects.
"I've worked within our local public health system for so long that I sometimes feel I am a museum piece" she joked. "When you are an active member of the healthcare team, you don't really appreciated the wealth of history in our hospitals because you are so involved in present day activities" she said.
"The instruments are similar to or are the ones I used early in my career" she recollects.
"I've worked within our local public health system for so long that I sometimes feel I am a museum piece" she joked. "When you are an active member of the healthcare team, you don't really appreciated the wealth of history in our hospitals because you are so involved in present day activities" she said.
Marilyn has a keen interest
in history and research activities, particularly related to nursing and
health care. Some of Marilyn's interest resulted from her mother Joyce Volker's influence.
"She was a great family historian and an active participant in many organisations" Marilyn reflects.
Marilyn grew up listening to stories about these and the family, who were pioneers in the Mackay area. Research skills gained whilst nursing and completing post graduate university studies provided Marilyn with the expertise to match this interest.
"I believe that when we know our history we are more aware of the changes within our society. This gives us a connection to the past and helps us appreciate the enormous changes that have occurred, as well as building a little respect for our predecessors" she enthused.
The members of the Hospitals Museum wished to acknowledge any past hospital staff who served during WW1, as part of the events leading
up to the centenary of ANZACS landing at Gallipoli. They also wanted to have a display focussing on the medical and nursing management of the soldiers during the war
and more importantly during the Gallipoli campaign. This display was available
at the museum during April and May and was shown at the Fraser Coast Show, with
favourable feedback. Both Marilyn and the museum's secretary, Dell
York, worked tirelessly to produce the displays, with the support
and encouragement of other members."She was a great family historian and an active participant in many organisations" Marilyn reflects.
Marilyn grew up listening to stories about these and the family, who were pioneers in the Mackay area. Research skills gained whilst nursing and completing post graduate university studies provided Marilyn with the expertise to match this interest.
"I believe that when we know our history we are more aware of the changes within our society. This gives us a connection to the past and helps us appreciate the enormous changes that have occurred, as well as building a little respect for our predecessors" she enthused.
Hospitals Museum display showing the Gallipoli Peninsula and the nearby Island of Lemnos from the perspective of the medical and nursing management of the wounded/sick soldiers |
Hospitals Museum display depicting the injured soldiers
|
Hospitals Museum display depicting some of the medical
|
With little
information on staff employed in the early 1900s found in the hospital
records held by the museum, a wider search was undertaken to identify the past
staff who served.
The search revealed 17 past staff
- 12 nurses
- three doctors
- a wardsman and
- the hospital secretary.
Some of the nurses found had undertaken their general nursing and/or midwifery training at the hospitals.
Do
you know anybody who worked at the hospital at this time?
This is the list collated so far:On staff when enlisted:
On staff when enlisted:
CORFIELD,
Agnes Beryl (Nurse)
FOLLIT, Harold Harry Bailly (Doctor)
GARDE, Henry Croker (Doctor)
HARTE, Katherine (Nurse)
HATTON, James Edward (EJ) (Hospital Secretary)
JACKSON, Ethel Mary (Nurse)
McKAY, Arthur Adrian (Doctor)
TAMBLYN, Jeremiah (Jerry) (Hospital
Orderly/Wardsman)
On staff prior to WW1 or
had association with the Hospitals prior to enlistment:
AXELSEN, Ida Maree (Nurse, trained MGH)
BARRON, Ellen (Nurse)
GRAHAM, Florence (Nurse)
HARROD, Alice Mabel Valentine (Nurse, trained
Midwifery LMH)
HORSWILL, Valetta Applin (Nurse)
MARTIN, Elizabeth Rose (Nurse, trained MGH)
McGANN, Susannah Josephine (Nurse, trained MGH
& LMH)
MORETON, Beatrice Lillian (Nurse)
POLLOCK, Louisa (Nurse)
If you want to find out any more information about this fascinating aspect of Maryborough's past the Wide Bay Hospitals Museum Inc. is on on the corner of 36 Yaralla Street and Walker Street, Maryborough (in the Hospital grounds,
entrance via Yaralla Street). It is open Thursdays 9.00 am to 12.00 pm or by appointment and entry is by gold coin donation.
Contacts:
President. Marilyn Jensen 0416213479Secretary. Dell York 41283991
Published with consent from Marilyn Jensen.
Tags #Maryboroughlibrary #Frasercoastlibraries #Maryborough #