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HMM Newsletter - No. 13, 1997 ISSN 1036-3041


Around Australia

Health and medicine museums and exhibitions


NORTHERN TERRITORY

Museum of Nursing at NT University
This year HMM got its first Northern Territory member. It's the Museum of Nursing at Northern Territory University and its custodian is Ms Janie Mason, the Associate Dean of the School of Health Sciences. The museum writes: The nursing museum and historical photographic collection in the Northern Territory University's School of Health Sciences is a decade old this year. The museum started with two empty glass display cabinets arriving as part of the fit out for a new building, Some antique porcelain bedpans, urinals and feeding mugs bought from a local antique shop started a collection which has grown mostly like Topsy. Artefacts from instruments to birthrobes to hip prostheses to skeletons to portable baby scales have flowed in and continue today.

Two significant collections have been received: the Pat Ferrier (RN) collection presented by her husband, Ed Ferrier, and the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Donations from individuals and Territory Health Services have been received. The historical photograph collection commenced on 1986. A large part of the collection represents the changing technology as metal and rubber were replaced with plastic and disposables. The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart collection represents the close of an era as the sisters and the Catholic Church withdrew from mission clinics in remote settlements.

This museum is entered in the 'Cinderella Collections' of the Council of Australian University Museums and Collections (CAUMAC) and was one of the ten recently chose for conservation, security and storage assessment. As a result of the enthusiasm of the conservator, Carolyn McLennan, the School is now moving to set up a Management Committee to develop a vision for a mission statement. The School is also hoping to develop an enlarged pool of helpers with knowledge of the museum. Dr Valerie Asche, a prominent local citizen with long involvement in academic life and interaction with Northern Territory University, has agreed to be Patron of the museum.

The School of Health Sciences has maintained and developed the museum in a voluntary capacity. Janie Mason looked after the artefacts and mounted the displays. She made some small funds available for a part-time technical officer, Jenny Hanley, who improved the storage and commenced and maintains the cataloguing. Cecilia Batterham started the photographic collection and ensures copyright clearance etc.

Contact:
Ms Janie Mason
Associate Dean
School of Health Science
Northern Territory University
Casuarina NT



NEW SOUTH WALES

Prince Henry Hospital Museum
NSW members of HMM had an enjoyable afternoon on Saturday 20 September when they visited the museum at Prince Henry Hospital at Little Bay. The Coast Hospital, as it was originally called, was established in 1881 "at a sufficient distance from the metropolis to ensure safety and confidence" during an outbreak of smallpox in Sydney. Professor C.R. Boughton, former Chairman and Senior Physician at Prince Henry and author of a history of the hospital, presented an entertaining talk before Sister Frances McLeod led a tour of the museum. Despite Fran's protestations that the museum was a "mess" [usual problems: lack of resources, lack of voluntary help], HMM members were pleasantly surprised by the orderliness of the museum and the wealth of material in it.


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Honorary custodian Fran McLeod has HMM members
guessing the identity of a mystery item in the museum at
Prince Henry Hospital (photograph by Megan Hicks)

Historic home at Campbelltown to become a museum
William Redfern was transported to New South Wales as a convict in 1801 but went on to become principal surgeon at Sydney Hospital and an important public health reformer. He later acquired extensive land holdings near Campbelltown, a "Macquarie town" south-west of Sydney. HMM members, along with members of the NSW Society of the History of Medicine, attended a seminar on 6 December at which four speakers presented talks on the life and times of William Redfern and some of his contemporaries. After a festive lunch there was a bus tour of historic Campbelltown led by members of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society. The culmination of the day was a visit to Redfern's house, Campbellfield. Miraculously, despite more than a century of renovations and vandalism, the house is still fit for restoration. It is currently owned by the Campbelltown City Council, and there are plans to make it the headquarters of the historical society as well as a health and medicine museum.

The heritage of mental health care
'Emily's party' was a successful event held on Sunday 19 October 1997 at Cumberland Hospital to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Aftercare Association and World Mental Health Week. Organised by Terry Smith, the honorary custodian of 'Glengarriff' (the Cumberland Hospital Museum) the event centred around a display of historical artefacts and photographs from psychiatric hospitals across NSW. Participants included Bloomfield Hospital at Orange, Cumberland Hospital (Parramatta), Kenmore Hospital (Goulburn), Morriset Hospital [see below for more details] and Rozelle Hospital. Not only was it a fascinating day for members of the public, but it was also the first time that the custodians of some of these collections had ever had a chance to meet each other and share experiences. Congratulations to Terry and all concerned. For more information contact:
Terry Smith
Cumberland Hospital Historical Committee
c/- 97 Kleins Road
Northmead NSW 2152
Tel: 02 9630 1837

New committee at Morisset Hospital
Following a successful reunion of former staff in May 1997, a Historical Committee has been formed to preserve the heritage of Morisset Psychiatric Hospital. The hospital was established early this century and the committee rightly believes that it played a significant part in the care of mentally and the advancement of treatment of mental illness in Australia.

The committee's goals include publication of a book on the history of the hospital, the establishment of a museum, and the preservation of the hospital's Main Hall (formerly called the Recreation Hall) which could serve as a community function centre after restoration. They are, of course, seeking sources of funding for their projects. Their historical collection is growing and so far includes hospital records, instruments, ECT machines, uniforms and patient clothing and restraints. The committee would like to get in touch with other groups with similar projects.
Contact:
Christine Gavenock
Assistant Secretary
Morisset Hospital Historical Society
c/- 7 Fassifern Street
Morisset NSW 2264
Tel. 02 4973 1667

Editor's note: Groups who are planning to form a museum, or who are in the early stages of establishing one, are well advised to contact their state branch of Museums Australia Inc. Don't try to re-invent the wheel - practical advice and assistance is available to members of Museums Australia. There are also introductory services available to non-members. These vary from to state.

'100 years of caring' - NSW Health travelling exhibition
To explore the developments that have taken place in health over the last 100 years, and to promote the activities of its local Area Health Services, the NSW Department of Health has mounted a travelling exhibition. It was launched on 30 October 1997 at Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital by The Hon. Dr Andrew Refshauge, Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. In December it will commence a two-year tour that takes in all the Local Area Health Services in NSW, beginning with Liverpool Hospital, then Concord Hospital, Macquarie Hospital (North Ryde), the Royal Easter Show, then a tour of regional NSW commencing with the Mid Western AHS in April 1998 and ending with the Far West AHS in June 1999.

HMM members will be interested to know that most of the artefacts used in this exhibition are on loan from HMM member museums in NSW.

For more information about the exhibition and its itinerary, or to make school bookings, telephone Amanda Clark, NSW Health Department, Locked Mail Bag 961, North Sydney NSW 2059. Phone 02 9391 9457.

Powerhouse acquires Octoson
When the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) moved from Paddington to its new site at Randwick in June 1997, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney had the opportunity to acquire an example of a UI Octoson ultrasound system. Designed mainly for examining unborn babies, the UI Octoson had been a major step in the development of ultrasound imaging and a remarkable achievement for Australian research and industry. The machine from the RHW was particularly significant because the original clinical trials were conducted on it in the mid 1970s. When the hospital handed the Octoson over to the museum the ceremony was attended by local and state government dignitaries, as well as many of the people who had been involved with its development, manufacture and use since the 1960s.

Community programs at Museum of Human Disease
The Museum of Human Disease in the School of Pathology at the University of New South Wales continues to expand its role. A large gathering attended the official launch of its Community Education Programs on Wednesday 15 October 1997 by the Vice Chancellor of UNSW, Professor John Niland.

After a pilot program targeting Higher School Certificate Biology students in 1996, the museum's emphasis has diversified to include educational programs for the general community and youth in particular. Organised visits are multi-media and include not only the pathology museum itself, but videos, computer and microscope laboratories and worksheets, as well as a follow-up website at
www.med.unsw.edu.au/pathology/pathmus/.



VICTORIA

RACOG Museum opens
The museum at the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RACOG) in Melbourne was officially opened on 24 October 1997. Special guest at the opening was Emeritus Professor Bryan Hibbard, the Curator of the Museum and Curator of Instruments at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London. The background to the College Museum was outlined by Dr Ian Cope, the Chairman of the Library, Archives & College Collection Committee.

The collection had its beginnings in the 1940s but it was not until renovations were undertaken at College House during 1996 that a designated home for the museum was created. As Sue Barnett, the museum consultant who has worked on the setting up of the museum has written, 'The first official exhibition in the new College Museum reflects upon some of the richness of past collecting and looks to the directions in which the collection can grow, documenting for the future directions in which obstetrics and gynaecology continues to contribute to the advancement of women's health'.

On the same occasion Dr Ian Cope was presented with the President's Medal by RACOG President, Dr Lawrie Brunello. Congratulations to Ian, who is President of our Health and Medicine Museums SIG!

The Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
College House
254-260 Albert Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002
Tel. 03 9417 1699
Fax 03 9419 0672


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William Smellie's obstetric forceps 1754

'A century of caring'
Photographs, memorabilia and memories - these were the basis of a recent exhibition that commemorated the centenary of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital. Founded by ten medical women in 1896 as a hospital for women and children, the Queen Vic was to undergo changes of name, location and function over the next hundred years, and eventually became part of the Monash Medical Centre. Originally mounted at the Monash Medical Centre in 1996, the commemorative exhibition was lent to the Medical History Museum in the Brownless Medical Library at the University of Melbourne, where it was on display from February to June 1997. Ann Southin, the honorary curator of the Historical Collection at Monash Medical Centre, was the curator of this exhibition.

'From vocation to profession'
Another interesting exhibition in the program of temporary displays at the Medical History Museum at the University of Melbourne commemorated the 75th anniversary of the League of Former Trainees of the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. The exhibition traced developments in nursing since the founding of the Nursing School of the Royal Children's Hospital in 1879. It was held from August to December 1996, and featured photographs of nurses, some dating from last century. The exhibition's curator was Margaret McInnes of the League of Former Trainees.


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Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne



QUEENSLAND

Royal Flying Doctor at Cairns
HMM has several new members in Queensland. One of these is the Visitors Centre at the Cairns base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section). Here visitors can see a display of historic artefacts and learn how the service began. They can climb aboard an RFDS aircraft for an inside view, hear talks about life in the outback and watch a video on 'A day in the life of the Flying Doctor'. The centre is open daily and there are tours from 9 am to 4.30 pm.

The RFDS is a unique and significant part of Australia's medical heritage. Few Australians would be unaware of the history of its beginnings, and the vision of the Reverend John Flynn that came to fruition with the first flying doctor flight from Cloncurry in north west Queensland in 1928. The service continues to provide a "mantle of safety" for everyone living or travelling in the outback.
The Royal Flying Doctor Visitors Centre
1 Junction Street
Edge Hill, Cairns, QLD
Tel. 070 53 5687
Fax 070 32 1776

Psychiatric hospital museum
Another new Queensland member (and another of several psychiatric hospitals to join HMM recently) is the Baillie Henderson Museum Committee at Toowoomba. Baillie Henderson Hospital is a Queensland Health Psychiatric Hospital which was opened in 1890. The museum was established in 1990 in a closed down but renovated ward. Although the museum has many artefacts the committee is only now beginning the task of cataloging them. Another of their concerns is the handling and preserving of old medical files which have been badly neglected.
Their contact person is:
Linda Fulton
Baillie Henderson Museum Committee
PO Box 405
Toowoomba QLD 4350
Tel. 076 310 276



TASMANIA

The Tasmanian AMA Historical Collection
Keep an eye on the developments at the AMA Historical Collection housed in Hobart. A new computerised registration system, compatible with that of the Tasmanian Museum, is currently being introduced to streamline and improve record management.

The collection began in the 1970s and grew in an ad hoc way until Dr Philip Thomson began improving and maintaining it in 1992. With an active program of small displays, the collection is attracting increased numbers of donations of equipment. It now contains objects and documents from medical, surgical and related health fields from around 1850 to the 1990s, with an emphasis on items from Tasmania. There is a close working relationship with the Tasmanian Museum, where Dr Thomson is also honorary curator of medical history. A cooperative approach is also developing with curators of other medical collections, of which there are at least 10 in Tasmania.

Projects and the casual employment of a museum professional are supported by funding from private and public donors.
Contact:
Rona Hollingsworth
Consultant Curator
or
Dr Philip Thomson
Hon. curator
AMA Historical Collection
2 Gore Street
South Hobart TAS 7004
Tel: 03 6223 2047



WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The Australian Academy of the History of Pharmacy
This organisation held its first AGM on Sunday 2 November 1997. The guest speaker, Gregory Haines, outlined the history of the APF to illustrate the basic principles of historical research. The Academy was inaugurated 12 months ago and is concerned with preserving all aspects of the history of Pharmacy in Australia. Its holdings include scientific works and memorabilia contributed by pharmacists. For more information on the work of the Academy and membership benefits contact The Secretary, Australian Academy of the History of Pharmacy, 8 Leopold St, Nedlands 6009 WA. Ph: (08) 9386 6078 Fax: (08)9386 1209

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Back to HMM Home Page] Published by the Australian Science Archives Project on ASAPWeb, 1 August 1998
Prepared by: Lisa Cianci

Date modified: 10 August 1998
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