Lecture Notes: History of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses

Introduction

• History is often written by the victors, but new projects aim to rewrite and research the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since colonization.
• A new project is focusing on collecting stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses since Federation.

Dr. Odette Best's Research Project

• Research Focus:
  • Aboriginal nursing, midwifery, and psychiatric nursing in historical contexts.
  • Focus on the era of segregation and protectionism.
• Challenges in Nursing:
  • Nursing involved hard work and dedication.
  • Many Aboriginal nurses had to hide their identity, often claiming to be Italian or Indian to pursue their careers.
• Traditional Healers:
  • Existence of traditional healers using bush medicine.

Discoveries

• Dr. Best has identified about two dozen Aboriginal nurses so far.
  • These include nurses, midwives, and psychiatric nurses.
• Historical research is also being conducted on Aboriginal nurses during wartime.
  • Mick Dodson highlighted the story of two Aboriginal women based in Crete.

Future Plans

• Dr. Best seeks to collect more stories about Aboriginal nursing.
• Plans for an exhibition and a book to share the findings once the project concludes.

Conclusion

• The project is supported by IATSIS in Canberra.
• Community involvement is encouraged for sharing stories and contributing to the project.

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Key Individuals

• Dr. Odette Best: Lead researcher on the project.
• Mick Dodson: Provided information about Aboriginal nurses in wartime.

Contact Information

• Dr. Best is seeking contact from those with relevant stories to contribute to the project.

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