HMM Newsletter - No. 12, 1997 ISSN 1036-3041

AROUND AUSTRALIA Health & medicine museums and exhibitions TASMANIA Nursing memorabilia collection Gregg Barr is a collector of nursing history memorabilia and a member of the Australian Nursing Memorabilia & History Society Inc. For some years he has been gathering a collection and he is always on the lookout for nurses/hospital badges and certificates to add to it. His aim is to open a museum covering all hospitals or nursing services and specialising in badges, certificates, photographs, uniforms, old nurses registers, etc. In the meantime Gregg has lent material for displays at the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, the State Library of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Chapter of the Royal College of Nursing. Enquiries to: Mr Gregg Barr 3755 Daytons Drive Ranelagh TAS 7109 History of breast feeding A small display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery shows a range of equipment to help with breast feeding, from the 18th century to the present day. There are breast pumps and some other unusual tetarelles*, plus a modern electric breast pump. Various illustrations complement the display, and historical books and articles add interest to the exhibits. The cartoon below is one of several used in the breastfeeding display. *tetarelles is Philip Thomson's word. There will be a small prize for the first member, other than Philip, to tell the editor of this newsletter what a tetarelle is. New site for nursing museum in Hobart The Royal Hobart Hospital Graduate Nurses Association Historical Museum moved in November 1966 to new premises a short distance from its original site. The museum began in 1975 as a display of period costumes and other memorabilia in the foyer of the hospital's nurses home. In response to this display many people donated photographs, books, badges, certificates and instruments. The museum expanded into the lecture room of the home in 1984. Now the nurses home is being demolished to make way for new hospital wards, but fortunately a new site for the museum was organised. Our Tasmanian correspondent, Philip Thomson, tells us that this is an excellent museum representing 176 years of medical service at the RHH, the second-oldest hospital in Australia. The collection is catalogued and the museum shows the benefit of many years' hard work. Royal Hobart Hospital Museum Education & Development Centre Royal Hobart Hospital 24 Campbell Street Hobart TAS Open 11am - 3 pm Tuesdays & Thursdays Enquiries: 03 62 228 680 AMA Medical History Museum Three attic rooms have been renovated at AMA House in South Hobart. Medical history artefacts, books and archives are currently in haphazard storage and it is hoped that they will be moved to the newly renovated area soon. Display cases on the ground floor currently show some of the interesting items from the collection, and it is hoped that these exhibits will be alternated in future years. There are plans to have a display on the history of anaesthesia later on this year. QUEENSLAND Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History With an extensive collection of artefacts and a number of corridor displays, this museum is situated within the Medical School of the University of Queensland at Herston. Honorary curator, Dr Jim Nixon informs us that the Marks-Hirschfeld has just put its catalogue on AMOL (Australian Museums On Line) but has not yet included any pictures of objects. In conjunction with the University of Queensland Medical Alumni Association, the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum has organised a significant outreach program for 1997. 19 May 8.00 pm President's lecture. New millennium - new doctors: an update on the graduate medical course. 10 May 1.30 pm The Children's Hospital heritage trail. A visit to Mayne Medical School, the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum, and the Graduate Nurses Museum. 1 June 10.00 am Heritage and health history of the river. A day on the tug 'Forceful'. 4 August 5.30 pm Medical history in the Fryer - from the archives of the Fryer Library. 12 October 1.30 pm Military and nursing history - at Victoria Barracks. Enquiries to: Prof. John Pearn, Vice President Marks-Hirschfeld Museum Committee Medical School University of Queensland Herston Road Herston QLD 4006 Ph: 07 365 5423 Fax: 07 365 5433 Blood - a history of discovery This exhibition of items from the Marks-Hirschfeld collection opened in April 1997. It was mounted by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Queensland and the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History, and is situated at: The Medical Library E Floor, Block 6 Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston QLD WESTERN AUSTRALIA W.A. Medical Museum This historical museum displays items of memorabilia from the state's past in the health care field. Opened in March 1988 by a committee of enthusiasts, the museum is operated on a voluntary basis. Cnr Barker & Railway Roads Subiaco WA Sundays 2pm to 4pm Wednesdays 10.30am to 4pm or by arrangement Ph. 340 1506; 409 1936 'Wireless in the wilderness' at W.A. Medical Museum Pharmacy collection Geoff Miller writes that he is the custodian of a small collection displayed at the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia. While not exactly a a public museum, the collection is accessible during business hours. Geoff is the treasurer of the newly formed Australian Academy of the History of Pharmacy and the editor of their newsletter Pharmacy History in Australia. Enquiries to: Mr G.C. Miller 8 Leopold Street Nedlands WA 6009 Tel. 09 386 1209 Fax 09 386 6078 email 100245.3274@compuserve.com. NEW SOUTH WALES Taking Precautions on Australian tour The successful Powerhouse Museum exhibition Taking precautions: the story of contraception is about to set off on a two-year tour to Melbourne, regional NSW, southern Queensland, and possibly also Hobart, Perth and New Zealand. First stop will be the Museum of Victoria's Scienceworks at Spotswood where the exhibition will be open from 18 June to November 1997. Enquiries to: Sue McMunn Exhibition coordinator Powerhouse Museum Sydney Ph: 02 9217 0206 Fax: 02 9217 0355 email: meganh@phm.gov.au Inventor's night Inventors of anaesthetic equipment were invited to describe the history of their apparatus at a meeting held on 18 April at the Harry Daly Museum. This recently established museum is in the Australian Society of Anaesthetists headquarters in Sydney. Dr Brian Pollard talked about the Pollard Tube and OIDD; Dr John Hood, the 'Hoodwinker'; Prof. John Overton, a disconnect alarm; and Dr Chris Thompson, a nerve stimulator. The evening was such a success that further similar events will be arranged. Enquiries to: Dr Richard Bailey Hon. curator Harry Daly Museum Australian Society of Anaesthetists Suite 604 Eastpoint Tower 180 Ocean Street Edgecliff NSW

Published by the Australian Science Archives Project on ASAPWeb, 8 August 1997
Prepared by: Lisa Cianci and Lisa O'Sullivan
Updated by: Lisa Cianci
Date modified: 10 August 1998