Historical information

all nurses at the Alfred Hospital were required to use these boxes to send uniforms to laundry, also all hospital staff who had uniforms supplied.
(from previous catalogue): All nursing staff wore hospital supplied uniforms for much of the twentieth century. The Royal Melbourne Hospital ran the 'Central Linen Service' for during this time - doing all the laundry for all the public hospitals in Melbourne. Staff uniforms were laundered separately, everyone had their own numbered laundry case. Staff also had a small printed docket book with duplicate copies (complete with a piece of carbon paper) and the number of uniform items were detailed when the case was sent off to the laundry. Cases had to be in the 'laundry room' at a set time each week, clean laundry returned at the same time each week and it usually took 10-15 minutes to find your case in the very full laundry room the day it came back.

Significance

Significant to the AHNL as all nurses were required to have one
(from previous catalogue): The laundry box system shows what a complex and detailed system was required to keep staff clean and tidy.

Physical description

Brown heavy cardboard reinforced case and lid with locks on either end, plastic corner protectors, metal split pins, metal reinforced edges Both ends box identification number. A cross (X) formed by blue and yellow plastic tape and a navy blue round sticker

Inscriptions & markings

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Central Linen Service and Group Laundry (printed on white circular sticker) hand written number E171. Also old catalogue number.
(from old catalogue)Sticker stating Royal Melbourne Hospital Central Linen Service and on outside number of box E 171 (E was the identifier of the Alfred) for identification purposes.