Nurse Sister Mary Hayes...Long Service As Nurse In Subiaco.
This post is about Nurse Sister Mary Hayes, a nurse at the Subiaco Infant Health Centre from 1926. She retired in 1949.
After her training at Fremantle Hospital Nurse Sister Mary Hayes went to WW1 for four years before doing baby welfare training in Sydney and serving at the King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Nurse Sister Mary Hayes was a strong advocate for breastfeeding and encouraged men to be more involved in raising their children. "...The modern mother had learnt that natural feeding was the best method. "In the early days of the centres, many mothers fed their babies on condensed milk, biscuits, and in one case a three week-old baby was given jam," she said. "Mothers have improved a great deal since then and husbands have become more cooperative and helpful with babies also."
The article and photographs are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
West Australian, 21 July 1949
Long Service As Nurse
Sister Mary Hayes, who has been in charge of the Subiaco Infant Health Centre since 1926, is to retire after nearly 40 years' experience as a nurse. She said yesterday that she was sorry to give it up. Although she had not intended to take up nursing as a career, she said that she was glad that she had made the choice. "It is a job that makes you feel worth while, knowing that you have helped save lives" she said.
Sister Hayes said that when she first began infant health work, she spent most of her time visiting mothers and educating them to bring their babies to the centre and teaching them the proper methods of feeding. The modern mother had learnt that natural feeding was the best method. "In the early days of the centres, many mothers fed their babies on condensed milk, biscuits, and in one case a three week-old baby was given jam," she said. "Mothers have improved a great deal since then and husbands have become more cooperative and helpful with babies also."
Sister Hayes trained at the Fremantle Hospital and then joined the staff of the Children's Hospital. In 1914 she served in the war for 4 years and then took up a position at a base hospital. In 1925 she went to Sydney to do baby welfare training. She served at the King Edward Maternity Hospital before her appointment to the Subiaco centre.
PRESENTATION. Mrs. L. G. Bartlett, of Bayswater, who has had five children under the care of Sister Hayes, said yesterday that she was organising a presentation from appreciative mothers to Sister Hayes. She asked that all donations be sent to her care of Mr. A. C. Higgs, of the Subiaco Municipal Council.
