For those that attended the successful plays at the last Open Day at Willow Court (11-12 February) you could be forgiven for thinking that Sharon Hutchison (The Matron) was the only person who had a connection with the most famous Nurse in our history, Florence Nightingale. But only a week before the open day, I received an inquiry that started a new chapter in research and this involved the famous Nurse Educator herself. I can say that she is not known to have visited or worked at the hospital but her influence reached around the world. We have discovered that there are a number of connections so far, the first is Selina Alexander. 

Selina Alexander, a qualified nurse, later to become the Matron of the Hospital, with a reference from Florence Nightingale. She was responsible for raising the pay and conditions of her staff. In 1890, aged 35, Selina married, as his second wife, Robert Shoobridge of hop-producing Valleyfield who was a government visitor of the asylum. They were to become parents of Nancy Hope Shoobridge.

We also know that once married, women weren’t allowed to hold employment in the hospital. But further there was sad news, the connection is that the young girl, Nancy Hope Shoobridge wasn’t to survive the passage back to England to visit her Grandparents. 

In the east of the Sanctuary of St Matthews Church, New Norfolk is a stained-glass window of the manger scene. The child holding a Bible behind the angel at the crib is Nancy Hope Shoobridge (1890–98), who died at sea aged eight on her way to England to see her grandparents. In 1910, her parents donated a cottage hospital to the town in her memory and continued to contribute much to the social welfare of the community.

This all came to light after an email arrived. The sender was looking for more news and connections because she has the reference note that was Selina Shoobridge (nee Alexander) and it is forming part of a presentation at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.

The Official Visitors wrote about Miss S Alexander (Matron) in the book, Troubled Asylum on page 106:

“Staff Changes;
The ranks of the Official Visitors were not the only ones unsettled in
the year (1890). Dr MacFarlane in his report list two important resignations and two subsequent promotions: – There have been several changes in the staff during the year. Miss Alexander resigned her position as Matron, and was succeeded by Miss J R Ayres, the Sub Matron Miss Alexander, now Mrs R W G Shoobridge, had been Matron since December 1883. She performed her duties in a most highly satisfactory manner.”

It is a great day to celebrate International Women’s Day by researching and writing about two wonderful Women that are connected to the Hospital and it’s long history.