16th May 1922 – 12th February 2025
Joan’s life was dedicated to others through her lifelong career in nursing, with a special focus on nursing education. We take a moment to reflect on her remarkable life through this short biography
Dr Joan Durdin was born in Adelaide in 1922 and was educated at the Methodist Ladies’ College. After completing her general nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in 1945, she gained further qualifications in infectious diseases nursing, midwifery, children’s nursing, and infant welfare. Joan became a staff nurse in 1946 and was promoted to Charge Nurse from 1949 to 1950.
In 1949, Joan was awarded a Florence Nightingale Scholarship, which enabled her to study in London. She obtained a Sister Tutor Diploma from London University in 1951. Joan’s career continued with appointments at the Postgraduate Hospital, Hammersmith, London, and at the Western General, Toronto, in 1952. She returned to Adelaide in 1953 and taught nursing as a Tutor Sister at the RAH until 1964.
Upon returning to Adelaide, Dr Durdin resumed her nursing duties at the RAH, where she was appointed Supervisory Sister in 1973. From 1974 to 1983, she joined the teaching staff of the nursing department at Sturt College of Advanced Education (now part of Flinders University), where she played a key role in the development of Australia’s first tertiary-level basic nursing course, introduced in 1975, as approved by the Nurses Board of South Australia.
In recognition of her services to nursing education, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1985. Dr Durdin received an honorary doctorate in 1994 during the commemoration of the centenary of women’s suffrage in South Australia, in recognition of her pioneering contributions to nursing education.
After her retirement, Dr Durdin pursued further studies and completed an Honours degree in history at the University of Adelaide in 1984. Her Honours degree provided the foundation for her influential work, They Became Nurses, a history of nursing in South Australia, published in 1991. Her history of nursing education at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, titled Eleven Thousand Nurses, was published in 1999, with a second edition released in 2005. Dr Durdin’s publications incorporate extensive oral testimony, reflecting her passion for preserving personal histories. Through her writings, including journal articles and orations, she continued to contribute to nursing scholarship.
Joan was an integral part of Nurse Education in South Australia. She also had a passion for preserving the stories and memories of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and nursing in general. So much so that she became a member of the RAH Heritage Committee in 1989. She was a very involved member of the committee and volunteered for many years. Even though she had to take a step back from her heritage commitments due to age, her presence was and is still felt on a daily basis.
We remember Joan with a deep sense of respect and gratitude for her service. Her legacy will continue to inspire and impact future generations of nurses.
Written by Kellie Branson & Anna Grigoriev, CALHN Health Museum