The RDNS Sisters are both holding the 1st day Cover Envelope issued by the Australian Postal Department in 1985 to commemorate the founding of the Melbourne District Nursing Society on the 17th of February 1885. A stamp is in the right hand top corner of the envelope. The main body of the stamp is pale blue. On the top of the stamp, written in deeper blue/grey, are the words "Centenary of District Nursing Services 1985" Below this, and to the right, is a pale bone colour original sign on a metal fence which reads, in white capital letters, "Melbourne District Nursing Society" Standing on the left in the foreground is a MDNS Trained nurse (Nurse) in her long grey uniform frock with white collar, cuffs and belt. She is wearing a grey helmet style hat which has a white hat band with a red Maltese cross in the centre. Her black shoes can also be seen. She is holding a bicycle; only the front wheel and part of the frame and the handlebars, which have a brown nursing bag strapped to them, can be seen, The nursing bag and handlebars cover part of the MDNS sign. At the bottom of the stamp, on a strip of white background, are the words in capital letters "Australia 33c". Below the stamp is a rectangular1st mark. On the left half of the envelope are some sketches of several two storey buildings either side of a set of steps. Some adults and children are standing on the steps as well as in the foreground; some are sketched and others dressed in various coloured clothing. In the foreground right in front of steps, stands a lady with her hair drawn up and wearing along grey frock and white apron; partly seen against her right side is a small child dressed in brown. Sister Willie Fleming is the Supervisor of the RDNS Sunshine Centre and Sister Phillipa Kariko is Supervisor of Essendon Centre. They are wearing their RDNS uniforms of white short sleeve blouses under royal blue V neck tunic style frocks. The RDNS insignia is round and has royal blue writing on a white background. In Melbourne in 1885 it was recognized that skilled nursing was needed to care for the sick poor in their own homes. On the 17th of February a meeting was held with prominent Melbourne citizens, five gentlemen and fourteen ladies. ‘Dr. Caffyn and Rev. Charles Strong explained the objects and scope of District Nursing Societies that had been formed in towns in UK’. On that day the Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS) was founded, the first District Nursing Service in Australia. Subsequent meetings were held to form a Committee and to draw up a Code of Rules of the Society. It was decided only nurses who had attended a Nurses Training School at a Hospital and were fully qualified would be employed by the Society, and that the Nurses would keep a daily journal of their work. After interviewing several candidates, the first Nurse, Mrs. Ferguson, was employed with a salary of £100 per annum and commenced work on the 1st of May 1885. She was employed for three months initially, but this was soon extended, “on the understanding she will make arrangements to live in the more immediate vicinity of her district”. A Doctor was consulted before any person was seen. In rotation, a member of the Superintendence Sub-Committee supervised the Nurse’s visits and could assist to alleviate some of the poor social conditions they found. Though only Trained nurses were employed, the term ’Nurse’ was used in those days, not the term ‘Sister’ that is used these days. A second Trained nurse, Mrs. Joanna Cannon, was employed in late 1885, with a trial period of six months which was extended. The two Nurses worked in the now CBD, ie from Spencer Street to Spring Street and from Victoria Parade to Flinders Street. At that time they walked the streets and lane ways amid the slums of inner Melbourne carrying their nursing bags containing lotion, ointments, powders, liniment, bandages, dressings, a case of spirits, and the Nurse's own clean apron, soap and small towel. They supplied equipment on loan, such as earthenware hot water bottles, splints, urinals, bed pans, bed cradles, feeding mugs, and air-cushions as well as providing blankets and clean bed linen, and nightdresses as necessary. From its inception the Society was at the forefront of health care and liaised with Doctors. They provided high quality nursing care to a range of people, often in destitute situations, some lying on rags on the floor as they had no bed, others with just a bed and maybe a thin blanket, a chair and nothing else. Their ages ranged from babes, children, adults to the elderly. The Nurses gave medications as ordered, dressed wounds e.g. to the injured, and surgical cases, and to those with leg ulcers; attended to patients with ‘surgical ailments’ such as ‘hip disease’; gave care to those with acute illnesses such as bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, measles, and scarlet fever, as well as those with chronic illnesses such as consumption (tuberculosis), heart disease, arthritis, cancer, debility, neuritis and paralysis. They educated their patients, and their carers, in the curing and prevention of disease; teaching the importance of hygiene, cleanliness, ventilation and good nutrition. They taught them, by verbal instruction and demonstration, how to make poultices, to make and apply bandages, apply medical appliances such as splints; and the Nurses supplied milk, beef tea and they cooked soup when needed. As the work increased a third Nurse was employed but this was arduous work, particularly in the heat of summer and many Nurses only remained with the Society for several months. A Midwifery Service commenced in August 1893 with Nurse Fowler the first trained Midwife. She had previously worked with the Society carrying out General nursing. The Society expanded its areas using public transport and with the Society purchasing bicycles in 1903, before procuring its first cars to cope with the influx of patients during the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1919, though these were sold in 1927 due to their poor condition..A Motor Auxiliary was formed in 1929 to take Sisters to patients, and some Sisters used their own cars; even a motorcycle was used by one Sister in 1933. All these forms of transport were intermingled and in the early 1950s, and now as Melbourne District Nursing Service, seven Ford Prefect cars were bought followed by twelve Ford Anglia vehicles in 1955. Having received Royal patronage; the now Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) had its own fleet of Holden vehicles by the mid 1960s and the Motor Auxiliary ceased operating in 1971 as by then all staff employed were required to have a driving licence. Seat-belts had been introduced to Victoria in 1959 and District fitted them to their cars from 1962, even though they did not become compulsory until 1970. The Holden vehicles were replaced with grey Holden Torana vehicles. After several years the fleet was changed to white Toyota Corolla vehicles. The Melways Directory of maps was introduced in 1966, which was a boon to the Sisters, though it was a few years before it went beyond Seville, so a large paper map was used by the Sisters visiting patients in the areas passed Seville. By 2009 there were 598 cars in the fleet and the Sisters travelled 9 million 200,000 kilometres – this is equivalent to 12 trips to the moon and back. Over its years of expansion the RDNS Trained nurses (Sisters), continued to visit patients in their homes and gave best practice care in many fields of nursing, and to people of many cultures. Initial visits not only assessed the specific nursing situation but the situation as a whole. Their patients ranged in age from babes, children, adults to the elderly and referrals were taken from Hospitals, General Practitioners and allied Health facilities. Some of the care the Sisters provided is as follows: – Post-Natal care given to mother and babe, Wound Care following various types of surgery, accidents, burns, cancer, leg ulcers etc. Supervising and teaching Diabetic Care, including teaching and supervising people with Diabetes to administer their own Insulin, and administering Insulin to those unable to give their own injections. Administering other injections and setting up weekly medication boxes. The Sisters performed Catheterizations on adults suffering from conditions such as Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Guillan-Barre Syndrome, and when required at school on children for e.g. those with Spina Bifida. The Sisters visited those requiring Cystic Fibrosis support and care; those requiring Haemo-Oncology care, including visiting children at school; those requiring Home Enteral Feeding care, and those requiring IV therapy at home and home Dialysis. Palliative Care was given including pain relief with the use of syringe drivers, personal care as needed, and advice and support to both patient and family. The Sisters provided Stoma management to those needing Urostomy, Ileostomy and Colostomy care and those requiring Continence care. HIV/AIDS nursing care was provided; visits to Homeless Persons were made. Personal care was given to patients ranging in age and with varying mobility problems, such as Amputees, those with MS, MND, Guillan-Barre Syndrome, Poliomyelitis, Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, Acquired Brain Injury, to those following a Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke), those with severe Arthritis and those with a form of Dementia. When necessary the elderly were assisted with personal care and advice given on safety factors with the use of hand rails, bath or shower seats, and hand showers. Rehabilitation with an aim towards independence remained at the forefront of the Sister’s minds and when possible using aids and instruction on safe techniques enabled the person to become fully independent. All care included giving advice and support to the patient and their Carers. The Sisters liaised with the persons Doctor, Hospital and allied Health personal when necessary. On the left of the black and white photograph is Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), Sister Willie Fleming, who has curly blonde hair, and on the right, Sister Phillipa Kariko, who has short dark hair. They are standing outside Essendon RDNS Centre.. They are both wearing their RDNS summer uniform of dark V neck tunic style frocks, with emblazoned RDNS insignia on its upper left, over short sleeve white blouses, Each are holding an envelope with writing, sketched buildings and figures on the envelopes left side, and a stamp is on the upper right corner. Below the stamp is writing in a rectangle. Behind the Sisters is a brick wall with them hiding some of the white capital letters of the words 'District Nursing Service' and 'Essendon Centre'. Windows and part of the fascia of the building is seen behind this.Handwritten informationmelbourne district nursing society, melbourne district nursing service, mdns, royal district nursing service, rdns, rdns centre, sister willie fleming, sister phillipa kariko, rdns 1st day cover centenary envelope

Presented to W.Orr Gray. LDS DDS by the students and graduates of Australian College of Dentistry as a mark of appreciation of his teachings during his term of office as Superintendent 1901-1906 April 6th 1906Presented to W.Orr Gray. LDS DDS by the students and graduates of Australian College of Dentistry as a mark of appreciation of his teachings during his term of office as Superintendent 1901-1906 April 6th 1906. He was awarded a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in the US, after studying in Auckland, Edinburgh and Pennsylvania, in the period 1897 to 1900. Whilst at the Melbourne Dental Hospital and College he was a key person in the Odontological Society where he contributed many research papers and was instrumental in the establishment of the Dental School of the University of Melbourne.Oval Sterling Silver serving dish 30 cm length and 20.5 cm wide with decorative handle on the lidPresented to W.Orr Gray. LDS DDS by the students and graduates of Australian College of Dentistry as a mark of appreciation of his teachings during his term of office as Superintendent 1901-1906 April 6th 1906william orr gray, melbourne dental college, presentation, silver salver, university of melbourne

A green cloth hardcover book with the title printed in black lettering at the top of the front cover. In a circle below is an emblem in black with 'Education Department Victoria'.non-fictionThis Arithmetic book was compiled by experienced teachers to meet the requirements of the revised course of study in Arithmetic for elementary schools in Victoria, Australia. There are graded examples and the exercises involved use of the four operations with whole numbers. They are related to veryday life wherever possible. Revision exercises are provided as well as extension work for faster-moving students. It is a textbook not to be to be soley used but in conjunction with other teaching of Arithmetic.education, textbooks, arithmetic books, government education

By 1966 when this poem and article were written by these state school students, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade had become famous and was a regular excursion destination for groups. The poem in rhyming couplets of 4 lines per stanza is typical of its time with human-centric description of the penguins in 'coat and tails', but both the poem and essay also indicate a growing interest in the evolution and behaviour at sea and on land of the Little Penguins. The Gould League of Bird Lovers, Victoria branch, which published these pieces in their 1966 edition of the Bird Lover magazine, was established for both children's 'nature studies' within school curricula, and for adults. The League published many booklets, posters and newsletters for schools and naturalists. The article demonstrates a growing interest in state schools in teaching students about Australian wildlife at the time. Little Penguins are very appealing to humans and given the accessiblity for viewing them at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade, provided teachers and students an ideal springboard for learning. Encouraging both poetry and essay form also indicated a broad approach to allowing students to express their knowledge and attitudes in various ways within the school setting.Also demonstrates the influence of the Gould League of Bird Lovers within the Victorian Education system.Photocopy of article. Black print on white paper with single greyscale image. Three-stanza poem "The Penguin" by Janice Ah Kee, followed by 4-paragraph description of life in the rookery by Diana Joseph. Both from Victorian state schools.litte penguin, fairy penguin, , bird lover, state school 3125 eagle point, state school 4655 morwell, janice ah kee, diana joseph, christine ryan photo, phillip island penguin parade, gould league of bird lovers, gould league of victoria, phillip island nature parks

A publication by La Trobe University to support the teaching of V.C.E History Unit 1: Local History. It consists of 94 pages including images, maps and document extracts.A publication by La Trobe University to support the teaching of V.C.E History Unit 1: Local History. It is presented as 6 investigations focused on aspects of community through a case study of the Upper Bethanga district in Northeast Victoria from 1875 to 1885.local history, vce resources, bethanga community, bethanga history

non-fictionA detailed study of horsemanship in Australia incorporating the general teachings of the bushman and those of the Show and Race rider. This valuable study of riding bridges the gap in literature between the working and sporting worlds of the horse. Different riding styles and all items of essential equipment and their maintenance are discussed against a background of extensive experience and practical knowledge.horsemanship, role of horses australia

William FRATER (1890-1974) Born 31 January 1890 at Ochiltree Castle, near Linlithgow, Scotland Arrived Melbourne, Australia in September 1910 In a lecture on modern art in 1925, Frater stated the basic position from which the rest of his oeuvre stems: 'Copying nature is not an art; … to copy effects of light tends to destroy form and colour'. Frater gave aggressive leadership to the small group of modernists in the 1920s. His example, teaching, lecturing and crusty style of polemic did much to disrupt the academic style as the arbiter of pictorial values and to pioneer a change of taste in the community.His approach in the 1930s was markedly indebted to Cézanne, especially in the portraits which predominated until his retirement from stained-glass designing in 1940. (L. J. Course, 'Frater, William (1890–1974)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/frater-william-6239/text10739, published first in hard copy 1981, accessed online 3 May 2016.) Jock Frater was on of the first modern painters who opposed the fashionable and academic schools of painting. During the 1930s he exhibited with the Contemporary Art Group along with Arnold Shore and George Bell. During a very conservative period in Australian Art John Frater advanced the cause of innovation and modernism. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Framed seated nude study in oil on paper. Lower centre in pencil "W. Frater". In lighter pencil "painted 1932"art, artwork, frater, william frater, life drawing, nude, oil on paper, portrait, jock frater, william jock frater, available

Book with dustjacket. Book has a black cover, with title, author's name, publisher's name and mark embossed in gold on spine. Dust jacket has a black background, with title and author's name printed in red on front and spine. Also, on the front of the dust jacket is a black and white photograph of a woman with dark hair wearing a lace cap and collar (Florence Nightingale by Claudius Erskine Goodman)non-fictionThis is a study based on research into the records of the Nightingale Fund and how it was used to finance various experiments in nursing and midwifery training in the nineteenth century. It traces the development of nurse training and discusses problems that beset a fledgling profession.florence nightingale, nightingale fund, nursing-study and teaching, midwifery-study and teaching, nightingale training school=london

William Smellie (1697-1763) was a Scottish obstetrician who primarily practised and taught in London. Smellie was groundbreaking in his understanding of childbirth and became an influential teacher of obstetrics. He diligently studied the birthing process, particularly the descent of the baby’s head down the birth canal. His observations lead to him noting that many deaths occurred because of a lack of understanding of this process and the inappropriate handling of forceps. Smellie is generally given the credit for improving the forceps to make them easier to use and less likely to damage the baby. Smellie’s "Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery" was published In 1751 and became a widely influential teaching resource. Copies of this birth atlas are held in the Frank Forster Library, RANZCOG. The RANZCOG collection also holds a set of forceps supposedly used by William Smellie.Photographic of an engraving. Image depicts a man in silken clothing, including scarf/tie and turban. The image is a head and shoulders portrait, and the subject is facing the artist. The man has stubble on his cheeks and dark coloured eyebrows. Text printed below image reads 'W.S. M.D. Aged 56'. Handwritten inscription below printed text reads 'Wm. Smellie, aged 56'. The image is mounted in white card and housed in a black wooden frame. An old display label is affixed to the bottom left hand corner of the back of the object. Handwritten inscription at centre on the back of the work reads 'John Green Room/Presented by Frank Forster, 1975'. Two hooks and a wire are attached to the back of the frame for hanging.

William Smellie’s straight forceps are one of the most significant pairs of forceps in the Museum collection. William Smellie (1697– 1763), designed these forceps, which were an improvement on the forceps of that time. These forceps were easier to use being shorter and lighter, particularly in the handles, with pelvic curve shaped blades. He invented a locking device for the two blades. The blades were lined with leather and greased with hog’s lard for the ease of delivery and the greater comfort of the patient, this being in the era prior to an understanding of sepsis and the need for surgical hygiene.Smellie was groundbreaking in his understanding of Childbirth and became an influential teacher of Obstetrics. He diligently studied the birthing process, particularly the descent of the baby’s head down the birth canal. His observations lead to him noting that many deaths occurred because of a lack of understanding of this process and the inappropriate handling of forceps. Smellie is generally given the credit for improving the forceps to make them easier to use and less likely to damage the baby. Smellie’s "Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery" was published In 1751 and became a widely influential teaching resource. Copies of this birth atlas are held in the Frank Forster Library, RANZCOG. Smellie's obstetric forceps. Iron forceps with traces of leather on the two blades. The blades touch at the tips when the blades are fully closed. The handles have a metal sheet coating and would also have been covered in leather originally. There is a notch at the centre to lock the blades in place. Noneobstetric delivery, william smellie

Illustrated book. Full title (red and navy-blue ink) and author's name (navy-blue ink) are printed on the front cover. Abbreviated title (red ink) and author's name (navy-blue ink) are printed on spine. Also on front cover are two black and white photos of groups of nurses. On the back cover are two black and white photos: one is of the Frome Road frontage of the Margaret Graham Nurses Home; the other is of three nurses walking. Also on the back cover is a coloured photo of the Royal Adelaide Hospital nurses' badge.non-fictionA history of the Royal Adelaide Hospital Registered Nurses Association Inc., from its foundation in 1939 (by Lucy Daw, Adelaide Hospital Matron) until 1918. Its motto "fostering friendship and mutual assistance' underlines its role in providing a social and helpful organization for RAH nurses.royal adelaide hospital-history, royal adelaide hospital registered nurses association-history, nurses, nursing, nursing-study and teaching-south australia-history

Illustrated book, Sepia photograph of 1952 finalist group on cover. Title and authors name printed in black ink on front and spine. Hospital badge (in colour) top left of front cover. Hospital crest (in colour) at the base of spine.non-fictionThe story of nursing and nursing education at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.royal adelaide hospital-history, nursing, nurses, nursing-study and teaching-south australia-history

Illustrated book with mauve cover. Title and author's name printed in white on front cover, also on front cover is a black and white photograph of "Kingsfold" 376 Toorak Rd South Yarra. Back cover has summary of book in black print.non-fictionA history of the Melbourne School for Enrolled Nurses (formerly the Melbourne Nursing Aide School) from its opening in 1950 until its closure in 1992.melbourne school for enrolled nurses-history, nursing schools-victoria-history, nursing-study and teaching-victoria-history