Genealogy resources for finding Midwives and Nurses in Victoria, Australia.
This website is designed to provide quick and easy access to information required by genealogists and historians researching Victorian people and places.
Online information is the main focus of the website but where there is important information that is offline this has been mentioned.
NSW Registrations from 1926: name, hospital trained at, certificate number, date of registration, records number and remarks for the period 1926-54.
The following registers have been indexed:
- NRS 10856: Register of Midwives 1926-1954
- NRS 10857: Register of Infants’ Nurses 1926-1954
- NRS 10858: Register of Psychiatric Nurses 1926-1954
- NRS 10855: Register of General Nurses 1946-54
This is an index of the register entries only and certificates recorded in these registers have not survived.
This Guide provides an historical background and select list of records relating to nursing in New South Wales.
Emm, Adèle. (2019). Tracing your female ancestors: A guide for family historians. Pen & Sword Family History.
In Google books, preview the book & look towards the end of the preview section for information on midwives in the UK.
Madonna Grehan & Odette Best, Public Record Office Victoria & Her Place Museum. (2021). Women’s history beyond stereotypes. Public Record Office Victoria & Her Place Museum.
Recorded for International Women’s Day 2021, speakers Madonna Grehan & Odette Best discuss the history of women working in nursing and midwifery in Australia, and how new interpretations can challenge stereotypical narratives of history.
Advice on finding evidence of midwife ancestors in the UK on the DePartu website (History of midwifery & Childbirth Research Group)
Search Trove to explore amazing collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives. It’s free and available online all day, every day.
Everything you would find on a visit to a library or museum can be found in Trove. It brings together billions of pieces of information. Search for digital copies of newspapers, Government Gazettes, maps, magazines and newsletters. Or books, pictures, photographs, archived websites, music and interviews. Even information about famous Australians, including copies of letters, diaries and personal archives. Search Trove to locate books and other physical items held in libraries and organisations around Australia.
Armstrong, R. (2024). The Power of Care: The importance of health research. Trove. https://trove.nla.gov.au/blog/2024/05/13/power-care
Health and medical research in Australia is crucial for improving healthcare and well-being nationwide. Trove’s platform aids researchers in finding valuable resources like journal articles and historical health data.
The National Health and Medical Research Council, the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research, has worked with the National Library of Australia and Trove to ensure most of their funded publications are searchable and accessible through Trove. You can read more about this initiative here or search Trove for their publications.
To see how your local library and family history group can help, watch this video to see how Melton Library and the Melton Family History Group helped Bev find her brother and then hear from her brother Kevin here thanks to Public Libraries Victoria.
Find a public library branch on the Public Libraries Australia website.
Hunter, B. (1999). Oral history and research part 1: Uses and implications. British Journal of Midwifery, 7(7), pp.426-429.
ABSTRACT Much of the history of ‘ordinary’ midwives has gone unrecorded. This is a great loss to midwifery knowledge, as the experiences of midwives in the past have potential relevance for current practice. This article is the first of two that discuss the use of oral history research to access such information. The article describes how oral history research may be performed, and considers the relative advantages and disadvantages of the method. Its uses and implications for midwifery are discussed.
Hunter, B., 1999. Oral history and research part 2: Current practice. British Journal of Midwifery, 7(8), pp.481-484.
ABSTRACT This is the second of two articles investigating the use of oral history research in midwifery. This article explores the relevance of oral history research findings for contemporary and future practice. PreNHS community midwives provided one-to-one, midwifery-led care, which resembles the practice recommended by current government policy. Concerns have been raised as to the sustainability of such practices. This article uses the themes proposed by Sandall (1997) to analyse the practice of preNHS midwives, and suggests that occupational autonomy is of particular significance in maintaining job satisfaction and morale.
Oral History Australia (OHA) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation committed to promoting the ethical practice of oral history in Australia and overseas. We recruit members through State associations that provide support and events.
OHA has a passion for recorded life stories, especially from people and groups who are under-represented in the historical record, and for the difference oral history can make to understanding and changing our world.
OHA also provides guidance on practicing oral history, remote interviewing, and oral history training.
The Federation of Australian Historical Societies (est. 1977) is the national peak body representing the interests of about 1,000 historical societies and about 100,000 members throughout Australia. These members provide hundreds of thousands of hours of work to collect documents and images, research and publish history, present public lectures and exhibitions, protect and preserve built and place heritage, collect material objects and exhibit them in museums, and make an invaluable contribution to heritage tourism.
The Federation advocates to government and public officials in the interests of historical societies and museums, and provides access to a variety of guides and training materials to assist historical societies.