The Golding Centre for Women's History, Theology and Spirituality NewsletterNewsletter Vol.4 No.1 April 2004

Editorial

The Golding Centre is now well into its first year have significant political influence, who constitute as a Centre. As was explained in our last the subject of this study. Newsletter, it is situated within the Institute for Let us hope that the ACU School of Social the Advancement of Research with outreach to Work will not reduce its history component, as the various Schools within the Faculties. History have many other universities, but rather foster it. is the meeting place of the disciplines – every As is well known, good social and political discipline has a history and a knowledge of that policies need to be informed by well researched history is important to the health and development history. of the discipline. It is with pleasure then that we have in this edition of the Newsletter a review of a ‘Peaceworks’ – Conference of Women Scholars book on the spirituality of nursing by Dr Maria of Religion and Theology Cynthia (Cindy) Leigh, Head of the School of Melbourne, 23 - 26 January, 2004 Nursing, NSW. With the timely theme of Peaceworks this four- Coincidentally, Catherine O’Carrigan rsc, an day conference brought together 182 delegates historian from our Friends network, has given us a from all over Australia and New Zealand and from brief account of the life of Mary Ann as far afield as Texas and Mumbai. They gathered Cunningham, the first Australian born nurse. The in Melbourne on the St Patrick Campus of the history of nursing as an aspect of women’s history Australian Catholic University. The conference is gradually commanding more attention from opened with a ceremony that honoured the historians. Indeed there is to be a conference on traditional owners of the land on which the the history of nursing associated with the conference was to take place. This honouring set forthcoming biennial Australian Historical the tone for all that followed and was especially Association Conference in July in Newcastle. appropriate as each day of the conference was We welcomed this year on to the Mt Saint Mary enriched by the presence and input of several Campus, Strathfield, an extension of the School of indigenous women . Social Work, based on the Signadou Campus, Professor Elaine Wainwright of the University Canberra. The Church in one way or another has of Auckland delivered the opening plenary been involved in social work since its earliest days address, ‘Seachanges: land, living and loving: so it is highly appropriate that ACU should be WSRT over ten years’, in which she both fostering this area of study which has a relatively reviewed the history of WSRT and looked to its short history as an academic discipline. Indeed, future potential. the first trained social worker in Australia was Three other plenary sessions featured panel Norma Parker, a Catholic woman from Western discussions on the subjects of Feminist Responses Australia, who played a significant part in to Global Violence; Body Theologies; and fostering the study of social work at Sydney Spiritualities of Place. All of these elicited lively University and at the University of New South discussion which continued long after the sessions Wales. had concluded. Forty-eight speakers in the It is an historical fact that the history of social sessional strands delivered papers that welfare has been even more neglected than that of demonstrated the breadth and depth of scholarship women. Of course women and children feature and insight that today’s women scholars possess. prominently in the history of social welfare but in Presentations included: Tjanara Goreng’s exciting general terms it is the marginalised, who do not talk on ‘Aboriginal Women’s Spirituality and Business’; Rehana Ghadially’s fascinating paper It was fitting that a celebration of her life should on ‘The Saint of Yemen: Gender, Community and not only include reminiscences by her colleagues Rituals of Economic Sustenance in a South-East concerning work accomplished and fields Asian Muslim Sect’; Donnalee Dox’s stimulating explored but also provide a forum for young paper ‘Movements of Spirit and Dances of the historians to share their scholarship and new areas Self’; Betty Pike’s moving stories of three of interest. Jill Roe was born and educated in contemporary indigenous women in a presentation South Australia and affected by the dissenting simply entitled ‘Peace’ and Kim Power’s religious influences in her life. One of the highly challenging paper ‘Did Eve Really Fall? appropriate and most interesting papers relating to Rethinking the Fall in the Light of Evolution.’ this phase of Jill’s life was that by Dr David The papers’ diversity also reflected the multi- Hilliard (Flinders University) on ‘Unorthodox faith representation of the conference’s Christianity in South Australia: Was South participants and provided some wonderful Australia really a “a paradise of dissent”?’ opportunities for discussion and inspiration. The Papers in the New Directions section of the multi-faith component was further enhanced by Conference included: “Women criminals and the ‘morning ritual’ each day: on Saturday, a ritual women’s history of crime” by Clair Scrine in the Goddess tradition; on Sunday, the Christian (Macquarie); ‘Whose breast is best? Wet nursing tradition in the university’s chapel; and on in late nineteenth-century Australia’ by Lisa Monday, an indigenous reflection. Featherstone (Macquarie); ‘Re-writing the Central A special ‘extra’ for conference participants Australian Pastoral Frontier’ by Mandy Paul (La was the art show in the ACU National Gallery that Trobe); ‘No Place for a White Woman?: Pioneer featured works on religious themes in a rich Farming on the Manning 1845 – 1865’ by Vicky variety of media. Many of the works were created Grieves (Newcastle); ‘Lady Rachel Dudley and by conference participants. the Australian Voluntary Hospital, France, 1914’ There were plenty of opportunities for delegates by Amanda Andrew” (University of Western to get together over the very good food provided Sydney). in the university’s cafeteria and the conference There is a growing interest in the so-called dinner – a Greek feast at the Piraeus Blue conservative women and an ongoing interest in restaurant – was a night to remember. the profound significance of the body, sex, Dr Kim Power (Golding Centre, ACU National) reproduction and mothering in the history of and her hard-working committee deserve special women. acknowledgement for the excellence of this stimulating conference. Sophie McGrath

Carmel Bendon Davis Forthcoming Conferences

Festschrift to honour Jill Roe and New *****Network for Research in Women’s Directions in Australian History Conference, History Conference, 5 July 2004 et al 12-13 February, Macquarie University, 2004 The Australian Network for Research in Women’s History is organizing this conference in Emeritus Profesor Jill Roe has been a major figure association with the Australian Historical in the Australian history profession since her Association (AHA) 12th Biennial Conference appointment to Macquarie University in 1967. which will he held in Newcastle (NSW) 5 – 9 July She has had a profound influence in developing in the City Town Hall. The theme of the AHA and sustaining innovative scholarship in social and Conference is ‘Visions’ and the theme for the cultural history, labour and welfare history, the Women’s History day is ‘Visions: how women history of religion and intellectual history, historians imagine the past’. This will include women’s history and literary history. She has also addressing such questions as: What kind of been a tireless defender of the discipline of questions have women historians raised about the history, working to inspire and promote the past? What kind of strategies do they employ? welfare of history educators and encourage The Religious History Conference and the interest in Australian history within the university Conference on the History of Nursing are also and the broader community. being held in association with the AHA 2 Conference. For more detail concerning all these written not only in academic milieus and that conferences consult the AHA website: looking for the place of women in this process can http://www.theaha.org.au This should be a very enable us to identify writers, audiences and rich and rewarding week and easily accessible, networks outside the academic world that also especially to the people of NSW. played a significant role in the writing and circulation of national histories. Papers are Fear and Fascination: The Other in Religion, invited on aspects of the intellectual lives and 16 – 18 July 2004 careers of European-based women historians from This Conference is being organized by The the end of the 18th century to the present day. The Australian Association for the Study of Religions deadline for submission of abstracts of papers is and the Affinity Intercultural Foundation and will 30 April, 2004. Papers should be is French or be held on the Bankstown Campus of the English and should be sent to Dr Mary O’Dowd, University of Western Sydney. Included among School of History, Queen’s University, Belfast the proposed sessions are: Spirituality and Social BT7 1NN , Northern Ireland, UK. Email: Justice; Spirituality and Birthing; Islamaphobia; [email protected] Multiculturalism, Religion and the Other; Psychology and the Religion; and History of the Biennial Conference in Philosophy, Religion Christian/ Islam Encounter. Professor Gary and Culture, 2 -3 October, 2004 Bouma will give the keynote address on religion, This Conference will be held at Catholic Institute cultural diversity and social cohesion. Professor of Sydney, 99 Albert Road, Strathfield, NSW. It Terry Lovat in the 2004 Charles Strong Lecture aims to bring together scholars from philosophy, will speak on ‘Islam: Old and New interpretations theology and the arts. It fosters interaction of the Relationship with Judaism and Christiaity.’ between different religions and denominations and Ms Toni Tidswell will give the Charles Strong between persons from universities and theological Junior Lecture on : ‘The Qur’an and contemporary colleges. The topic for this year’s conference is Muslim understanding of modesty: the case of ‘On the Good, Goods and the Good Life’ and is Aziz’s wife.’ For more information contact Adam intended to cover a broad scope of interests – Possamai: email: [email protected] metaphysical, socio-political and ethical. Such . areas can be addressed from the points of view of Consecrated Women: Towards a History of literature, the arts, social sciences, theology and Women Religious of Britain and Ireland, philosophy. For more information contact 16 – 17 September 2004 Andrew Murray at the Catholic Institute of This Conference is jointly sponsored by Sydney: Ph (02) 9752 9500; Fax (02) 9746 6022; Cambridge University and the Margaret Beaufort email: [email protected]. Institute of Theology and will take place in Cambridge. Proposals on the following themes The First Australian Born Nurse are especially of interest: women religious in the Mary.Ann Cunningham 1833 – 1903 community – assessing social and pastoral (Sister Xavier) Sister of Charity activism; authority and governance; writing biography – challenges, issues and approaches. Mary Ann Cunningham was born in 1833 at For more information: Ruth Manning, University Wilberforce on the Hawkesbury River, New South College, Oxford OX1 4BH, or Dr Susan O’Brien, Wales, her father John Cunningham a Catholic, 26 Emery St, Cambridge CB1 2AX. Email former convict, and a farmer; her mother Mary addresses: [email protected]; Cupitt, Church of England and daughter of a [email protected] soldier. They had been married by Rev J.J. Therry, and Bishop Polding later received Mary Conference on Women historians in Europe into the Catholic Church. c.1758 – 2004, 1 – 2 October, 2004 Mary Ann, like her brothers, passionately loved This conference will be held at the National the outdoor life including horseback riding, University of Ireland, Galway. It is being hosted rowing, fishing and shooting. Her potential as a by a European Project entitled: ‘Representations nurse emerged when one of her brothers fell ill of of the Past: National Histories in Europe.’ The a contagious fever. She responded to the organizers point out that national histories were 3 occasion by setting up an outhouse as a quarantine St Vincent’s had been approved by the Admiralty station and nursing the patient back to health. as the official hospital for Royal Navy ships when This experience left Mary Ann with the desire to in port at Sydney. know more about professional nursing. A woman The training of ‘nurse attendants’ had of action, in 1854 she took herself by coach to commenced at St Vincent’s in 1868 and in 1882 a visit the Sisters of Charity then resident in two-year training course for nurses with doctors as Macquarie Street, Sydney. The Sisters advised lecturers was established. This course was her to wait until they had a permanent home. increased by Sister Xavier to three years in 1893 After three years of waiting Mary Ann arrived when she also produced an official Book of Rules on 1 May 1857 at the Sisters’ residence, Tarmons, for the trainee nurses. In 1899 she registered her Potts Point, three months before it was due to nurses with the Australasian Trained Nurses’ open as St Vincent’s Hospital. She sought to Association. Nurse trainees came from interstate become a Sister of Charity and after her novitiate as well as from the many regional districts of took her vows on 28 July 1860 receiving the NSW. religious name of Xavier. As a religious Mary Mother Xavier agreed to be included in the Ann commenced her training as a nurse under Commission of Enquiry into Hospitals in 1892, Sister de Lacy, trained at St Vincent’s Hospital, even though her institute had never received Dublin. At this stage her duties as a young Sister government funding. In their official Report the were not confined to the Hospital. Indeed she was Commission castigated the Sydney and Prince also assigned to visiting the Darlinghurst Goal Alfred Hospitals for unnecessarily high where she helped quell a riot in 1860, appealing to expenditure and structurally elaborate buildings the Governor of the goal, Sir John Reid, to which they contrasted, ‘with the utilitarian mitigate the death penalty, to which he agreed. structure at St Vincent’s, which was built entirely But, generally, nursing claimed Sister Xavier’s from subscribed funds, but which serves all attention. Among other things it is recorded that at necessary purposes, and is a useful lesson in the fledgling St Vincent’s she observed Sister hospital construction.’ Veronica O’Brien being trained as a Dispenser by At a parliamentary debate in the Legislative a leading Sydney chemist. In 1870 St Vincent’s Assembly on 24 March 1892 there was discussed was transferred from Potts Point to the a request from St Vincent’s for some funding. Darlinghurst site where Sister Xavier was in After 35 years of the Hospital bearing the cost of attendance at the death-bed of Archbishop Polding maintenance, land purchase and buildings, the in 1877. Having proved her competence, in 1884 latter alone costing 30,000 pounds, the she became Rectress or Matron of the Hospital government finally agreed on a single grant of and commenced a programme of expansion : 1000 pounds *1886 opened at Parramatta St Joseph’s Hospital In 1899 Mother Xavier, planning a new for tubercular patients. It was the first specialist operating theatre, again sought help from the hospital to be established in Australia. Government. Through its own efforts over 42 *1888 new quarters were built for this hospital, years, the hospital had had to find 153,000 pounds which were expanded in 1889 to cater for fifty on maintenance, and 53, 532 on land and patients. buildings. The century closed without a grant but *1890 opened in Sydney the first hospice for the in 1902 St Vincent’s received from the dying which was expanded in 1892 the same year Government 1000 pounds. In 1901 a new as she transferred St Joseph’s Hospital Parramatta enlarged Hospice was built under Sister Xavier’s to more spacious grounds in Auburn. supervision. *1893 she sent staff for the new St Vincent’s Feeling exhausted, the busy Matron took a brief hospital in Melbourne. holiday in the Sisters’ little cottage at Leura in the *1897 she built at St Vincent’s in Sydney a new Blue Mountains, where she unexpectedly died on Gothic chapel to which patients had access. 4 December, 1903. The University of Sydney accepted St The following is a word picture of the Vincent’s as a teaching hospital in 1886. appearance of this forebear of Australian nurses: Honorary Specialists were introduced into St Sister Xavier was tall and straight, with keen grey Vincent’s in 1892. Surgeons from the Royal eyes, which could soften with compassion. Navy were permitted on the staff, since from 1872 Directness and honesty were her favourite words 4 used in the training of Nurses and Sisters. She the Saxon period. The roles of women religious expected courtesy on the part of young doctors in nursing care in the Crimea and United States, and received it spontaneously from the seniors. among the inner city poor and as educators were The first Australian-born nurse, she was the part of the discussion on the more recent past. longest serving Matron of St Vincent’s Hospital Papers were presented on individual founders and and one of the most influential in the land. on the members of the convents as a group. Comparative papers focusing on women religious References: Baptismal Register for Windsor in St Mary’s Cathedral from the Anglican Church provided some basis Archives; interview with Dr Anne Cunningham, pediatrician; St Vincent’s Hospital Annual Reports; Nurses’ Register, St Vincent’s Hospital; London for discussion of the wider context. Almost half Records, ADM 122 16X/L 07211 pp15-16, Dr Reid to Commodore 1880, the presenters were in the process of completing PRO; NSW JLC Royal Commission on Public Charities Vol 61, Pt1,pp1 778; VPLA NSW , Supply Additional Estimates 24 March 1892 pp6969- doctoral theses: the high standard of these papers 6075; VPLA Operating Theatre for the St Vincent’s Hospital, 25 April bodes well for the future of history of women 1899, pp663-665; Sisters of Charity Archives, Potts Point; St Vincent’s Hospital – Pioneer in Nineteenth Century health Care (unpublished MA religious. thesis of Catherine O’Carrigan.) Work in progress included reports on new research initiatives and archival collaborations in Catherine O’Carrigan rsc Ireland based at Maynooth University and on the proposal to establish at Douai Abbey a central Letter from London archive for religious houses in England which are Sixty-five delegates from academic institutions no longer able to manage their own holdings. and religious congregations attended the second The conference concluded with a business History of Women Religious of Britain and meeting which decided to maintain the network in Ireland conference held at Birkbeck College, its present format based on the list organized by University of London. It was a truly international [email protected]. Please send her an gathering with representatives from UK, Ireland, email if you wish to join. Ruth Manning and Dr USA, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada. Susan O’Brien volunterred to organise the third The plenary paper was given by Dr Margaret conference of the network. MacCurtain a distinguished scholar from Dublin who, in her own right, brings together diverse Caroline Bowden and Carmen Mangion experiences of religious and academic life. By Royal Holloway and Birbeck College, respectively focusing on four key areas, Dr MacCurtain spoke University of London of the importance of developing methodologies to meet the challenges posed by the particular Work in Progress experience of the religious life; the need to Tom Campbell, independent scholar in Canberra, question received versions of the past; the is researching a proposed monograph with the importance of the role of convent archives and the working title: Religious Communities of the archivist, and the importance of preserving the Anglican Communion in Australia, New Zealand heritage of the past for the future. She also spoke and the South Pacific. It will incorporate potted of the need to deal with controversial issues and histories of all known Anglican Sisterhoods and figures as part of a comprehensive history of Brotherhoods in the region, the first appearing women religious to be undertaken by scholars. about 1888 as Deaconess communities. The The sessions included papers on wide-ranging proposed work updates a 1929 Florence Stacy topics from the medieval period to the middle of book, The Religious Communities of the Church the twentieth century and, geographically, from of England and New Zealand, written in a Bermondsey in south London to as far as Glasgow different time with different perspectives and on the mainland; from Ireland, Flanders, France different research capacities. Tom Campbell is and Spain in Europe; from the Midwest of the happy to have dialogue with anyone even vaguely United States. interested in the broad subject, as religious While most of the papers presented were based communities in the Anglican communion are not on an historical perspective, there were papers as well documented as those from the Catholic from literary scholars on a variety of topics tradition. including women religious as translators and Tom Campbell, [email protected] obituary writers in the seventeenth century, and PO Box 63, Braddon, ACT 2612 the reading of saints’ lives as exemplary figures in 5 Book Reviews women, married or otherwise, to act Mary Elizabeth O’Brien, The Nurse’s Calling - A independently of men. Judging by their numbers, Christian Spirituality of Caring for the Sick ( New York, Wright asserts, women capitalised on this to forge Paulist Press) 2001 their own professional identities, with the Catalysed by her completion of nursing on the accumulation of considerable assets. psychological and spiritual needs of persons living This opportunity for women resulted from a with life-threatening illnesses, Sister Mary legislated difference, in place by the 1830s, Elizabeth O’Brien conceived this book while between Australian public houses and those in doing course work for a master of theological Britain and the USA. Until the 1960s, all places of studies degree. Her vast experience as a nurse public drinking in Australia were legally required researcher and nurse educator provided a fertile to provide accommodation to travellers. This field from which relevant clinical experiences and provided a perfect environment for women's quotations from nurses were used as snapshots of enterprise. In the successive licensing Acts, daily work and interventions undertaken by women as licensees, and very often proprietors, nurses. These were lovingly interwoven into the were given equal advantage with men. In fact, author’s thoughts associated with her favourite they, with their domestic skills, appear more scripture passages from both Old and New advantaged. Over the years 1906-23, for example, Testaments. 50% of Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat and The book is organised into chapters according Castlemaine hotel licences were held by women. to a particular scriptural theme which allows the Though this carefully referenced and reader to view various nurse’s roles and several statistically supported study refers chiefly to dimensions of nursing in different workplace Victoria, the picture would seem to be general for settings. One does not need to be ‘deeply Australia. With the relatively small initial religious’ to be able to appreciate reading the book resources necessary to enter the hotel trade, Irish and use it as an inspirational sourcebook for women appear the largest ethnic group to utilise different occasions – when a nurse wants to this avenue to financial security and civic standing celebrate one’s fullness of the heart, to the times but there were many other such women when one is feeling deep sorrow and despair. entrepreneurs. As a nurse academic and researcher myself, the Wright also analyses the temperance movement, book has inspired me to look forward to taking especially espoused by non-Conformist women, time to explore more fully the term spirituality, and their relationship to the female hotel licensees. ‘its use in relation to the nurse’s role in general, But given the local community standing, the and in regard to the calling of the Christian nurse acknowledged management capacity and the in particular’ business credentials of the latter, she considers Dr Maria Cynthia (Cindy) Leigh that the two groups 'certainly shared more class Head of School affinity than reasons for antagonism'. (p.167) School of Nursing (NSW), ACU This is a highly readable text with its many vignettes, among the legal and statistical data, of Clare Wright, Beyond the Ladies Lounge: Australia's individual female hotel licensees. From these, Female Publicans. Melbourne University Press, 2003. Pb, Wright concludes that there are 'very few pp. xv + 240. exceptions to the archetype of the dignified, This landmark study is based on a doctoral thesis gallant female publican who relied on her mettle, completed at Melbourne University in 2002. Clare not her marriage, to get by in the world'. (p.178) Wright has sought to trace the Australian experience of female hotel licensees and also to Rosa MacGinley locate them comparatively within the wider context of public houses in Britain and the USA as Recommended website: Australian Ejournal of Theology: http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal well as in the evolving history of women's work in the 19th and earlier 20th centuries. She points [This newsletter is produced by the Golding Centre Team. Please out, for example, that they had access to valuable send all correspondence to Dr Sophie McGrath, Golding Centre, Australian Catholic University, Locked Bag 2002, , Strathfield property rights that were denied to other 19th 2135. email: [email protected]. century women, particularly married women Website: http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/whits ] (p.42). Australian licensing laws empowered 6 7