Tutors

From the school’s inception in 1883 to 1927, tutoring in nursing was done by matrons, assistant matrons and , from 1908, theatre sisters.  Those involved during this time are listed below:

A full-time trained Sister Tutor was not appointed until 1928.  She was Theodora West-Watson who had trained as a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital in London 1914-1918, after which she was awarded a Nightingale Scholarship tenable at King’s College Hospital for Women, University of London, for the Sister Tutors’ course.  Thereafter she worked at the Radcliffe Infirmary & County Hospital in Oxford.  She arrived in Wellington in July 1928 and promptly started work at the hospital.

Her duties were outlined by the Medical Superintendent:

It can be seen above that for the first time, provision was made to have a six week preliminary training course before entering the wards.

The only photograph of Theodora West-Watson available to me is one taken much later in her life:

Sister West-Watson resigned in 1932.  Sister Jessie Tomlinson was appointed tutor of the preliminary school 1932-1936.  The Matron, Althea Cookson was active in a teaching role 1929 – 1937.

I am not confident that I have identified the names of all subsequent tutors, but below are listed those appointed in the 1930s – 1940s who are known to me.

Some of the tutors above are shown here:

Noeline Knight

Susan Milne  

Sisters Lida Lissette and Mavis Paton

Sister Kathleen Moynihan

Sister Scott

Sisters Grace Stone and Scott

Sisters Edna Berg, Constance Valentine and Ellen Pattle

Sister Anne McDonald

Sister Vi Pope

Sister Henrietta Gwyneth Guise Barrett was appointed Principal Tutor of the School of Nursing in 1944.  She had trained at Wellington Hospital in the 1930s, graduating in 1937.

Sister Barrett

Following her retirement in 1963, Sister Barrett recorded her recollections here.

Sister Barrett was followed as Charge Tutor by:

Margaret Jean Cheetham 1963 – 1972

Edith (Edie) Lancaster White  1972 – 1976

Elizabeth Mary Jones 1976 – 1978

Carol Larsen 1978 – 1988

In 1971, the position of Principal Tutor, Wellington Schools of Nursing was established to administer the schools of nursing at Wellington, Hutt, Porirua and St Helen’s Hospitals. To this position, Cicely Mary McCurdy (later Cicely Tulloch) was appointed, and remained in that role until 1989.

Cicely Mary Tulloch nee McCurdy

Tutors appointed during the 1950s included:

Sisters Martindale and Moffat – Prelim

Sister Chadwick – 1956/57

Numbers of tutors greatly increased during the 1960s – 1970s, in part because by now individual tutors were charged with delivering lectures and tutorials on just a small part of the overall syllabus.

Where a single date (year) is displayed, this generally refers to year of appointment.  Full tenure of appointment is frequently unknown to me.

The names of tutors below are those known to me – there may have been more.  In some instances records available do not clarify whether a ‘tutor’ was employed in the School of Nursing or in some other field – eg. physiotherapy.

1960s

1970s

There were of course moments of relaxation —-

A ‘team’ of tutors assembled on the hospital tennis/netball courts, in support of the nurses’ netball team who were playing a team of doctors.

L->R: Prue Nemet (possibly), Judy Frith, Chris Manders, Carol Larsen, Merian Litchfield, “Rigor Mortis” (dressed as a nurse), Heather Brand, Jill Caughley and Edie White (Head of School).

1980s – 1990s

Some of the Tutors in charge of the Preliminary School appear below:

Mavis Paton 1950-1953

Vi Pope 1953-1959

Anne McDonald 1963-1966

Mavis Parminter 1968-1970