This year marks half a decade since the first notified case of Covid-19 in Australia. The first confirmed case was announced on January 25th 2020. From then, case numbers surged leading to lockdowns in Australia and worldwide. Here in Adelaide, the first case was announced on February 2nd 2020. It was in March when things […]
At their core, souvenirs are more than just objects – they are reminders and memories of past activities. Hospitals too, have a history of selling and exchanging souvenirs and gifts. Whether it’s a commemorative keyring or a wine glass celebrating decades of nurse training, these items hold stories of the past. Below are a small […]
As we prepare to welcome in 2025 lets look back at what has happened in the CALHN Health Museum and CALHN in 2024. January We farewelled a long serving staff member Jonathan Hull who went onto work at the Holdfast Bay Council. Jonathan had been with us for several years and was a much admired […]
Traditionally, Christmas festivities in our Central Adelaide Local Health Hospitals have been a time of celebration. From carol singing and festive decorations to special meals, these traditions have brought joy to patients, staff, and visitors alike. Carol singing, in particular, has played a special role in spreading holiday cheer, distracting patients from their surrounds and […]
Have you got your ticket? Now on with the show. In August 1966 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital a society was formed to strengthen staff relationships and bring together members from all over the site from nurses, doctors and even administrators. All contributing to the overall morale of the hospital. And what was this magical […]
In celebration of World Radiography Day on the 8th November, we take a look at the major types of Medical Imaging utilised in South Australian hospitals. Radiography is defined as the use of imaging techniques to view the internal body for diagnosis or therapy. Perhaps the most common imaging is the X-ray which uses electromagnetic […]
This rather ordinary looking desk at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital holds a secret. All you have to do is pull the desk drawer open, and all its secrets are revealed… On the base of the inside of the desk drawer are the scrawled messages of trainee nurses from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. They range in […]
On recent reorganisation of the museum collection, many interesting items have been rediscovered. One such item is the humble laundry trolley – essential equipment for the necessary hospital laundry service. The hospital laundry, otherwise known as the Washhouse, was responsible for the collection, cleaning, and disinfection of dirty linens, as well as the replacement of […]
Hospital’s can be big. The Royal Adelaide Hospital for example covers the equivalent of three city blocks. It can often be hard to visualise the scale of hospitals when we are looking at them from street level. Adding to this is the jumble of different buildings, that many hospitals are made up of. Fortunately the […]
Did you know that South Australia is one of only a few places in the world to use the name ‘Barouche’ to refer to a trolley used for patient transfer. Indeed, there are many anecdotal stories of overseas and interstate trained healthcare professionals coming to work in South Australia and being very confused when a […]
This year one of our events for the SA History Festival was a tour of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. These tours were led by some of our wonderful volunteers, all former nurses that worked in the hospital. It was wonderful to hear their stories, and get a glimpse into what it was like to work […]
The CALHN Health Museum is holding a packed program of things to do at History Festival this year. TOURS We are running two tours this year: Tour of Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre It’s back! We are running our popular tour from last year again, if you missed it then book your places now to avoid missing […]
The Annual Inter-Hospital Swimming Carnival for Nurses was held from 1954 to 1963 at the Adelaide Olympic Pool. The event was open to both public and private hospitals and was very popular. A major drawcard were the novelty events: ‘Get there as best you can’ swim race; Nurses Bathing Beauty Contest; Balloon swimming race; ‘Flappers […]
Historically, nurse’s capes were both symbolic as well as practical. They were a standard part of a nurse’s uniform and although mainly worn in winter months, they allowed the nurse to move freely and keep uniforms clean underneath. Royal Adelaide Hospital Registered Nurse’s (known as either a Charge Nurse or Sister) at the Adelaide Hospital, […]
The setting of broken bones using Plaster of Paris is a common practice at Central Adelaide Local Health Network hospitals. Immobilizing broken limbs has occurred for thousands of years. Beginning with simple wooden splints, evolving over the centuries to plaster of Paris, fibre glass and soft casts. Plaster of Paris was first used in casts […]