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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Health and Welfare

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Health and Welfare

Subject

Dr Iza Coghlan

Epidemics

Health and welfare

Hospitals

Nursing

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Smallpox epidemic 1881

The Red Cross in Sydney in World War One

Reformatory and Industrial Schools Act 1901

Prisoners' Aid Association of New South Wales

Shaftesbury Institution

Quarantine Station

Entrance to the All Night Refuge for Women and Children in Beauchamp Lane, Surry Hills March 1939

Incidents of the smallpox scare in Sydney June 1881

SOS sign to be placed in window if needing assistance during the influenza pandemic in 1918-1919

Sydney Dispensary, for the relief of indigent persons, at the Sydney Infirmary, Macquarie Street c1830

Teaching of Sex Hygiene, July 1920

The Bubonic Plague - Wash and Pray! April 1900

The Sydney Milk Way; or Infant Poison 1875

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Health and Welfare

Dr Iza Coghlan

Iza Coghlan was one of the first two women in New South Wales to graduate in medicine at the University of Sydney in 1893. The second Australian woman doctor to register with the New South Wales Medical Board, she pioneered private medical practice in Sydney and was the first Sydney woman doctor to operate two long-standing concurrent practices. Dr Coghlan formed the first women’s life-saving class in New South Wales, and established the New South Wales Medical Women’s Association, serving as its first president. She dedicated her later career to the health and welfare of school children across New South Wales, serving as government medical officer to the Department of Public Instruction.

Epidemics

From the new European diseases that devastated Sydney's Aboriginal people in the eighteenth century, through subsequent epidemics of measles, scarlet fever, smallpox, influenza and HIV, Sydney has faced major threats from epidemic disease. Religion, media, and public health responses influenced the degree of panic and scapegoating that took place, though effective treatments were not in place until well into the twentieth century.

Health and welfare

The size and complexity of health and welfare services has increased exponentially since the early years of colonial settlement, but the partnership between governments and charities has remained at the heart of solutions to the problem of misfortune.

Hospitals

Despite medical and scientific advances, the huge hospital complexes of today face similar challenges of staffing, capacity and politics as those of Sydney's first tent hospitals.

Nursing

Members of one of the most trusted professions, nurses have experienced enormous changes in their role, training, professional status and effectiveness over the period since the establishment of the first hospitals in Sydney.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Proposed in 1868 after the assassination attempt on Prince Alfred, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was opened in 1882 and grew steadily. Closely linked with Sydney University, the hospital trained many doctors and nurses.

Smallpox epidemic 1881

Starting with a small Chinese child in The Rocks, the smallpox epidemic of 1881-82 had large consequences for the Chinese community who were further reviled and restricted and for the dozens of Sydneysiders quarantined for months at North Head. Despite the relative mildness of the outbreak, fear was rife, and the epidemic led to an overhaul of the colony's health regulations.

The Red Cross in Sydney in World War One

A Sydney branch of the British Red Cross was formed in 1913 and it, and a host of new branches, joined the national movement at the outbreak of World War One in August 1914. The earliest activities were training in first aid and home nursing as pre-requisites for membership of Voluntary Aid Detachments. At a local level Red Cross workers undertook sewing, knitting and fundraising, all the while being encouraged to see themselves at 'ministering angels'.

Reformatory and Industrial Schools Act 1901

Act that repealed the 1866 Reformatory and 1866 Destitute Children's Acts. It retained provisions for offenders under sixteen, and for vagrant and destitute children, and provided a court with the power to commit a child to the care of a relative, a named person, the State Children's Relief Board or to a public industrial school.

full record »

Prisoners' Aid Association of New South Wales

Voluntary association providing assistance and education to prisoners.

full record »

Shaftesbury Institution

Institution established in 1908 in the former Shaftesbury Reformatory at Vaucluse 'for the better class of female prisoners' and the 'reception, control, and treatment of female inebriates'.

full record »

Quarantine Station

full record »

Former quarantine station at North Head which was the main arrival point for immigrants from 1832 to 1984, now home to a hotel, conference complex and restaurant.

Entrance to the All Night Refuge for Women and Children in Beauchamp Lane, Surry Hills March 1939

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 388/Box 026/Item 040]

(Mitchell Library, courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd)

Incidents of the smallpox scare in Sydney June 1881

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Australian Town and Country Journal, 25 June 1881, p31, via Trove]

SOS sign to be placed in window if needing assistance during the influenza pandemic in 1918-1919

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Health services : ephemera material collected by the National Library of Australia]

Sydney Dispensary, for the relief of indigent persons, at the Sydney Infirmary, Macquarie Street c1830

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[ML 362.12099/4D ]

(Mitchell Library)

Teaching of Sex Hygiene, July 1920

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[The Australian Highway, July 1920, back cover, ML 370.62/A ]

(Mitchell Library)

The Bubonic Plague - Wash and Pray! April 1900

full record »

By

Livingston Hopkins

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[The Bulletin, 14 April 1900, p17 via Trove]

The Sydney Milk Way; or Infant Poison 1875

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Sydney Punch, 14 May 1875, p1 via Trove]

Health and Welfare Institutions

Health care

Public Health

Social welfare