A new exhibition celebrating the contribution and camaraderie of local nurses is on display at Williamstown Library’s Heritage Room.
Proud to be a Nurse pays tribute to the trainee nurses at Williamstown Hospital and their immeasurable contribution to healthcare in our community – from 1900 all the way through to present day.
Curated by former local and Williamstown Hospital nurse Wendy Cavanagh (nee Hem), the exhibition explores photos, uniforms and personal collectables from a group who forged an incredible bond in the early days of their careers. The exhibition includes themed displays, such as an Anzac section, as well as personal histories.
During Wendy’s time as a trainee nurse, she was among a group of young women from various socio-economic backgrounds who were filled with nervous anticipation about a new adventurous lifestyle and living with complete strangers. But their shared experiences bonded them to a special sisterhood. They cared and shared about everything – patients, confidences, clothes, tears, cigarettes, chocolate and shoe polish.
Curator Wendy Cavanagh (nee Hem) hugging fellow former Williamstown Hospital nurse Margaret McCahill (nee Grieve) at the exhibition.
Wendy, who graduated as a trainee nurse in 1974, was inspired to put the collection together after attending her first past trainee nurses’ reunion in 2018. She believed the stories and photos shared that day should not be lost to history. She tracked down several former nurses and interviewed them to document their stories.
Visitors to the exhibition can explore photos from private collections and search among the hundreds of names indexed on the interactive table.
“Williamstown Hospital has been an important part of our community for almost 130 years, and the nurses who have cared for us for generations have been a crucial piece of that history,” Mayor of Hobsons Bay, Cr Tony Briffa, said.
“This is a fantastic exhibition that celebrates not only the important work they have done, but also the friendships and the memories that were made.
“Wendy’s idea for this exhibition and her hard work in putting it together will spark some great memories for former nurses at the hospital, and also teach the rest of our community about this important history.”
Proud to be a Nurse exhibition
Where: Williamstown Library Heritage Room, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown
When: Open until Thursday 27 April 2023
Cost: Free
Main photo: Nursing staff outside Williamstown Hospital in 1957.
