In September 1953 an event celebrating the history of nursing in Sydney was held at the Town Hall. It was organized by the Australian Trained Nurses Association. One of the major characters represented in the ‘cavalcade’ was Lucy Osburn, first matron of the Sydney Infirmary (later known as Sydney Hospital). Miss Osburn had been trained by Florence Nightingale, and was appointed in 1868.
Lucy Osburn ( Source – Australian College of Nursing)
Remarkably, the costume department had access to the matron’s original 19thC ‘walking out’ uniform.
The skirt and bonnet of the uniform were found in the back of a linen cupboard at the hospital some years ago., but the jacket has just been discovered. Sister Pauline O’Brien, of Sydney Hospital, who plays Lucy Osburn in the production, will wear the heavily striped brown skirt and black alpaca jacket, with a bustle at the back. Her black straw bonnet is edged with white ruffles, and she wears white or gandie cuffs. (Daily Telegraph, 10 Sept. 1953)
Sister O’Brien having Lucy Osburn’s bonnet adjusted.
The Sydney Morning Herald provided a more detailed description of the dress; ‘A bustled and boned black and brown satin dress. ‘ (Herald, Sept. 10 1953)
It was not the first time the historic costume had been ‘aired’ It had been worn by another nurse at the first cavalcade, in 1951.
Whatever happened to the uniform? I simply couldn’t find any more references to it. In the end I decided the most likely place to find answers would be the Nightingale Museum. It’s housed in a building erected in 1868/9 to house Lucy Osburn and the five English nurses who accompanied her to New South Wales. The brick and sandstone Nightingale Wing is now the oldest building in the Sydney Hospital complex.
For many years this museum was open every Tuesday. It was established in 20o1 by former nurse, art collector and curator, Elinor Wrobel. I had once met Elinor at a State Library function, and she urged me to visit. When I mentioned this to friends, they said, ‘Well for heavens sake Pauline, don’t touch anything if you go. That woman is terrifying. We call her The Dragon!’ 🥸 Good grief! She seemed perfectly charming to me. However, I was never in Sydney on the right day, and Elinor died in 2023. Sadly the collection can now only be viewed by appointment.
The late Elinor Wrobel, long time custodian of the museum.
Mrs Wrobel was certainly a strong minded character, in the mould of Florence Nightingale herself. I was to discover that her presence is still very much in evidence.
But I digress. Nancy, a delightful volunteer (and another ex- Sydney Hospital nurse) showed me around the museum. When I mentioned Lucy Osburn’s uniform she said, ‘Yes, we have it here.’
Oh my word…success! It wasn’t on display though. Nancy opened the drawers of a chest to show me the historic garments, wrapped in layers of tissue paper. She carefully unwrapped a section of the striped dress in one drawer and a sleeve of the matching jacket in another.
The chest also contained a photo of one of those 1950s nurses modelling the costume, and a stern admonition from Mrs Wrobel that no-one was ever to do so again.
Lucy Osburn’s Desk.
SOME BACKGROUND TO THE ARRIVAL OF LUCY OSBURN
The bringing of the Florence Nightingale trained nurses to Sydney was the initiative of Sir Henry Parkes, who was concerned about the poor quality of hospital care.
Of course the women were not welcomed by the hospital’s male doctors. Many were unwilling to cede even the slightest bit of authority within their territory. They deliberately withheld information about patients from the nurses, and failed to inform them when surgery was about to be performed.
Isadora Brodsky’s book, Sydney’s Nurse Crusaders was published in 1968. Brodsky commented that at a Royal Commission in1873, a leading Sydney doctor was pressed to explain his statement that ‘Miss Osburn should not be here.’ He said, ‘I have asked the trained nurses who came from England if they could examine a woman – examine the uterus and apply leeches to it -and not one of them could do it till I taught them.‘ (Tribune, April 17 1968)
Was he really talking about putting leeches on a woman’s uterus? Yes, he was…apparently they can be used internally. I think I’d rather die. 😨
What a shame Miss Osburn’s costume is not on display. Of course the broader question is what will happen to this small, specialist museum in years to come? The volunteers are aging and they are the ones with personal memories of training at Sydney Hospital.
I should add that some years ago there were suggestions that the institution’s anatomy specimens be moved, and Elinor Wrobel threatened to go on a hunger strike. The worry is that without her determination and passion for the collection the entire museum may close.
TO WATCH A SHORT FILM ON ELINOR WROBEL AND THE MUSEUM’S MORBID ANATOMY COLLECTION, CLICK HERE
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Is a ‘bastle’ the same as we’d refer to a ‘bustle’ in the UK. Fascinating story. I do love a strong woman – especially those trail blazers from a distant past!
No, that was a typo Marcia. Thanks for the heads-up! Those nurses certainly had a tough life.
Very interestng, and what wonderful research. I do wish my aunt (died 1997 aged 86) was still here, a hospital matron from way back, she would surely have known Miss Osburn.
Thanks Nancy. Yes your aunt would certainly have known of Miss Osburn. She was the closest we came to having Florence Nightingale.
that should have been, known OF Lucy Odsburn (!)
Wow hope they counted the leeches properly.
Hi Dianne, isn’t that just the creepiest thing ever??