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Nursing in the Desert

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20.01.2022 FROM THE EDITORS FLOOR Part 43 of how Nursing in the Desert came to be. Welcome back. 2016 COMBINING A LITTLE BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE. Part 2....Continue reading

20.01.2022 Hi, this turned up on my Facebook page. I thought it may be of interest to some.

15.01.2022 FROM THE EDITORS FLOOR Part 44 of how Nursing in the Desert came to be. Welcome back. ... AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER When planning to write a book for the first time and lots of information has been gathered together, there are a whole lot of questions as to how to go about it. One of those questions is, how do we make sense of it all and then put it down in a manner that is of interest to others? Another three years from this point in time it will be a hundred years since Heather’s grandparents arrived by train at Oodnadatta. Sister Jean Williamson arrived from Sydney and then Reverend Coledge Harland from Melbourne three months later at the invitation of the Reverend John Flynn (Superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission). Sister Williamson and Reverend Harland arrived to commence work in their respective roles for the Australian Inland Mission. Another of those questions that comes to mind? Where do we start? The beginning of the answer to this started with a chance conversation in the lunch room at work over morning tea when I was sitting at a table with a CFA Chaplin. I thought he might be interested in the story of Heather’s grandfather and I produced a twenty dollar note with the image of Reverend Harland sitting on Shah the camel to the right of John Flynn. He asked if he could meet with Heather and talk about her grandfather and the information we have. Meetings took place and Heather was put in touch with the history faculty of Federation University in Ballarat. At the time there were courses available to Heather and the opportunity being too good to pass up I found myself with a university student on my hands. I became Heather’s research assistant and things started to fall into place. Things became structured and goals and timelines were set. Heather was now a Master’s student at university. This led to more research trips, apart from our trips inland we found ourselves visiting the National Library in Canberra and the State Records Office of South Australia. We were able to expand on the wonderful archive of family historical documents and photographs we have at our fingertips to form a much broader understanding of what we’re trying to achieve. We had access to some amazing documents, reports, telegrams and beautifully bound old books. There were responses to letters in the family archive and reports that clarified in some cases and in other cases raised even more questions. Heather found she had so much information that for her Master’s thesis it would need to be trimmed right down to a micro history. After graduation in 2018, that thesis was to become the basis for her book Nursing in the Desert Oodnadatta Australia 1919.

07.01.2022 FROM THE EDITORS FLOOR Part 42 of how Nursing in the Desert came to be. Welcome back. 2016 COMBINING A LITTLE BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE. Part 1....Continue reading

07.01.2022 FROM THE EDITORS FLOOR Part 40 of how Nursing in the Desert came to be. Welcome back. 2013 MAKING CONTACT...Continue reading

06.01.2022 There has been considerable discussion in relation to wearing masks during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Authorities are now advising people to wear masks. Here are some extracts from Nursing in the Desert Oodnadatta 1919 to show how the situation was approached during the highly contagious influenza pandemic. I have included a pattern for a mask based on one we use. The Central Board of Health South Australia advised the public in November 1918 through leaflets were distributed by ...the local boards of health and in newspapers to households explaining influenza precautions. The information included simple guidelines for care and treatment and ideas on how to prevent contamination. They advised that infected families should remain quarantined, ideally at home; that it was necessary to disinfect and fumigate rooms; and that windows should be opened to allow fresh air to flow. It was generally understood at the time that the disease was transported through airborne particles and that face masks would reduce the risk of infection. The Health Department instructed people to apply cough etiquette ‘sneezing, coughing, or expectorating into clean rag that should be burnt at once to wash hands regularly, disinfect, and wear masks’. At the time of the outbreak, three layers of absorbent gauze, such as butter muslin, were recommended in normal situations, and six layers for medical and nursing staff. Harland, Williamson, and other staff wore several layers of muslin as seen in Figure 4.5. The gowns and headgear worn by the Oodnadatta sisters and carers were also part of normal protective wear recommended for carers, nurses, and medical staff. Face masks and handwashing were recognised at the time as an effective means of protection from air-born droplets entering the mouth and nose. This is supported by current practice in which surgical masks, eye protection, and hand washing are employed to protect against cross-contamination from respiratory infections. Note: Each person had several handmade masks that were washed in boiling water then reused. Copyright 2019 Heatheranne Bullen All rights reserved. Please take care and stay safe. Heatheranne

01.01.2022 FROM THE EDITORS FLOOR Part 41 of how Nursing in the Desert came to be. Welcome back. 2015 WORK OR PLAY...Continue reading