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McCready, Georgina (1888 - 1980)

MBE
Go to Gallery Page McCready, Georgina
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Nurse, Nurse administrator and Unionist
Born: 17 December 1888  Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.  Died: 16 September 1980  Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia.
Georgina McCready was appointed as one of the first Supervisory Sisters in the New South Wales Department of Health in 1929, under the Public Health Act (1929). A founding member of the New South Wales Nurses Association (New South WalesNA) in 1931, she was its first Honorary Secretary and the first woman to hold such a position in an industrial organisation in Australia. McCready was one of four founders of the New South Wales College of Nursing (New South WalesCN) in 1949. The McCready Scholarship (tenable at New South WalesCN) was established in 1954 by New South WalesNA in her honour. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 8 June 1963, for services to nursing.

Career Highlights
Alternative Names: Johnstone, Georgina (maiden name)
Georgina McReady (née Johnstone) was born 17 December 1888 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. She married Samuel McCready (died 1940) on 25 January 1932 at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Sydney City, and died 16 September 1980 in Leichhardt, Sydney, New South Wales. She received her General Nursing Certificate from Eastern District Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland in 1912. She visited Australia with her father in 1913 and in 1914 the Johnstone family moved to Sydney. In 1914 she registered with the Australasian Trained Nurses Association, completing her Midwifery Certificate at the Women's Hospital, Crown Street, Sydney in 1922 and her Mothercraft Certificate at the Tresillian Centre, Petersham, New South Wales in 1928. She was appointed as one of the first Supervisory Sisters in the New South Wales Department of Health in 1929, under the Public Health Act (1929). A founding member of the New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA), 27 February 1931, she was its first Honorary Secretary and the first woman to hold such a position in an industrial organisation in Australia. McReady held this post again in 1935 and from 1941 to 1945, becoming Assistant General Secretary, 1946-1953.

McCready was one of four founders of the New South Wales College of Nursing (NSWCN) in 1949, and held the post of President of the Provisional Council from 12 January 1949 to 31 January 1950 (called Honorary Chairman to 19 May 1949). She was recognised as a Founder and invested as Foundation Fellow, 18 September 1952. She was one of the first two people to become Life Members of New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA), 1953. The McCready Scholarship (tenable at NSWCN) was established in 1954 by NSWNA in her honour. She was awarded the MBE, 8 June 1963, for services to nursing.

Chronology
1913Private nursing home in Bedford, UK
1913 - 1915Head Nurse at Renwick Children’s Hospital in Summer Hill, New South Wales
1915 - 1916Deputy Matron of St George District Hospital in Kogarah, New South Wales
1917 - 1918Private hospital in Kogarah
1919 - 1923Sister and Matron at the Cessnock Hospital, New South Wales
1923 - 1926Matron at Maitland Hospital, New South Wales
1926 - 1928Matron at Broken Hill Hospital, New South Wales
1928 - 1932Baby Health Centres and Supervisory Sister with the Department of Health in New South Wales
1932 - 1943Honorary Secretary of the New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA)
1943 - 1945Salaried officer at NSWNA
1946 - 1953Assistant General Secretary in NSWNA
1953 - 1960Worked at NSWNA (part-time)
1963Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

 
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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Australian Nursing History Project, Judith Cornell
Created: 8 February 2002
Modified: 9 October 2006

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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