The Plight of the Australian Nurses during WWII.
Presented by Diane Wright
Integrity Initiative Presented by Rachael Burns
The Plight of the Australian Nurses during WWII.
Our guest speaker was Dianne, Ed McKinnon’s daughter. WE had special gusts, Jean
McKinnon and other family members, Alex and rose to also hear the talk.
Diane has a long history in the area of nursing, and it is a subject close to her heart. She has
also visited the Memorial in Augusta, and the Australian Women’s War Memorial in Canberra
to commemorate the service and lost lives of these nurses.
Diane told us the story of the nurses who were aboard a hospital ship which had been
attacked and sunk to the south of Singapore, and those who survived and made to shore were
then gunned down in the water, and only four survived, by pretending they were dead. One of
those was Lillian Bullwinkle, who was know for saying “Chin up girls”.
Diane also shared the details of another ship, the Centaur, which was torpedoed off the coast
of Queensland. Only 64 people survived, and with them, one of the twelve nurses on board.
Her courage in the face of adversity is seen as a symbol of dedication to duty.
Diane summed up the dedication of the nurses, and how they did not want to leave their
posts, and had to be ordered to do so, despite what would happen to them if they stayed.
Our guest speaker was Dianne, Ed McKinnon’s daughter. WE had special gusts, Jean
McKinnon and other family members, Alex and rose to also hear the talk.
Diane has a long history in the area of nursing, and it is a subject close to her heart. She has
also visited the Memorial in Augusta, and the Australian Women’s War Memorial in Canberra
to commemorate the service and lost lives of these nurses.
Diane told us the story of the nurses who were aboard a hospital ship which had been
attacked and sunk to the south of Singapore, and those who survived and made to shore were
then gunned down in the water, and only four survived, by pretending they were dead. One of
those was Lillian Bullwinkle, who was know for saying “Chin up girls”.
Diane also shared the details of another ship, the Centaur, which was torpedoed off the coast
of Queensland. Only 64 people survived, and with them, one of the twelve nurses on board.
Her courage in the face of adversity is seen as a symbol of dedication to duty.
Diane summed up the dedication of the nurses, and how they did not want to leave their
posts, and had to be ordered to do so, despite what would happen to them if they stayed.
Integrity Initiative
Rachel Burns and Quinn Harper are a very dynamic duo who told us all about Integrity Initiative which is a youth lived Experience led striving to change mental health treatment and conversations in WA.
Many people receiving psychiatric care don’t have access to basic care items and are not appropriately informed of their rights. So Rachel, Quinn and their team envision a world where
- People receiving treatment are free to engage with mental health services whilst being and feeling safe.
- People receiving treatment possess a known and felt understanding of people’s needs and how to best meet them.
- Communities understand and positively, proactively engage with the world of mental health.
They also plan to create and deliver packages containing essential care items alongside resources that aim to enhance understanding of, and confidence in self advocacy amongst pack recipients.
