You never know what surprises await inside donated items about to be added into a collection. One of these being a letter found inside a well-used copy of Handbook for Mental Nurses by Medico-Psychological Association. This seventh edition, released between 1923 and 1935, served as a “bible” for nurses training in mental health institutions, including […]
Merry Christmas from CALHN Health Museum – 2025 After a year full of uncertainty we look forward to celebrating the festive season. Although our decorations have been scaled back there is still so much to celebrate. This year’s festivities began with decorating the Museum. Although we did not enter the annual CALHN Christmas Decorating Competition, […]
As the year draws to an end, the volunteers and staff at the CALHN Health Museum conclude yet another productive and busy chapter. In 2025, the museum welcomed 5 new volunteers: Oliver, Karen, Yasamin, Edith and Billy. And welcomed back two, Chris and Delia. The year began on a slightly sombre note with the passing […]
Nurses’ badges have changed dramatically over the years—evolving from ornate gold-and-enamel pins to the simple plastic identification cards used today. It was common place to see nurses in hospitals wearing brass and enamel badges, not something you see much in modern hospitals today. Badges were used to fasten stiffly starched detachable collars to their uniforms, […]
As part of a recent storage management redevelopment here at the CALHN Health Museum, I stumbled upon two very fascinating books. The first being The Lady’s Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment was written by Dr E. H. Ruddock and published in 1882 by the Homeopathic Publishing Company, London. And the second, The Ladies’ Handbook of Home […]
Nurses Badges Through the Years – Royal Adelaide Hospital showcases the evolution of nursing staff badges. Staff in hospitals today are often seen wearing modern identification cards. Often showing their name and photograph. However in the 1920s it was common to see all nurses wearing a brass or metal hospital badge. Their badges identified the […]
Today we celebrate Allied Health and Scientific Professions Day: an opportunity to acknowledge and thank the more than 2800 Allied Health and Scientific professionals working across the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN). Representing over 24 disciplines, these professionals play a vital role in working to improve the lives of South Australians. Allied Health and […]
Last Thursday was R U OK? Day, a reminder to check in with the people around us and start conversations that matter. To mark the day, our colleague Kellie Branson, put together thoughtful R U OK? packs for staff and volunteers at the museum. It was a simple but meaningful gesture that highlighted the importance […]
Starting work as a probationer or trainee nurse was never easy. For generations of probationers at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the first day meant stepping into a world of strict rules, heavy workloads, and unfamiliar routines. The CALHN Health Museum’s oral history collection captures these moments, with nurses recalling their first impressions, early mistakes, and […]
In our collection is a small, little book with a very long title: The Gastric Regions and Victualling Department (or the Roast Beef of Old England). It was published in 1860, making it 165 years old, and is attributed simply to ‘an Old Militia Surgeon”. Although the author remains anonymous, what he left behind is […]
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, nursing was not just a job, it could be a dangerous calling. Hospitals, far from being the clean, clinical environments we know today, were often a hotbed for diseases. Nurses daily treated patients with diseases such tuberculosis, polio, typhus, smallpox, diphtheria and influenza, not to mention […]
While hospital beds are just part of the hospital furniture, their design, availability and even their cleanliness, have been concerns that directly affected patient care since the Royal Adelaide Hospital opened in 1842. The Black Bed Era The first hospital beds used at the Adelaide Hospital were known colloquially as ‘Black Beds’. These were low […]
Volunteers play an integral part in our community be it as part of a community group or fundraising for the local sporting club. May recognises the amazing work and contributions that volunteers provide to the community. At the CALHN Health Museum we are celebrating our volunteers for their amazing work. May 19th– 23rd was National […]
In a quiet corner of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital, formally located on North Terrace on the western side of the driveway by the East Wing, there was a small garden with the most beautiful roses. For nearly 30 years this garden was developed and cared for by Dr Allan Campbell. Established in 1976, the […]
Window’s are part of our daily lives but some window’s are more than just glass. Stained glass window’s often tell a story and offer special meaning. Lets take a look at some of the stained glass window’s throughout CALHN. Royal Adelaide Hospital In 1972 as part of the Royal Adelaide Hospital Redevelopment a purpose built […]