'She was indeed a strong-minded woman': Elizabeth Morrow, from Servant to Matron, 1868–86

Abstract

Abstract:Elizabeth Morrow embodied the transition of nurses from low status domestic workers to 'Nightingale nurses'—trained women revered for their dedicated care. Morrow was one of the first nurses trained under Lucy Osburn at the Sydney Infirmary in 1868. She moved to The Maitland Hospital in 1870 and was promoted to matron superintendent in 1872. A court case that year revealed much about her working life and the gendered expectations of those around her. Morrow's nursing career ended with her death in 1886. She was mourned by The Maitland Hospital community as an ideal, much-loved matron. What were the qualities that made her so successful? How had she negotiated such a dramatic change from servant girl to esteemed matron?