NCFA in Queensland

The second staffworker for NCF (then Nurses Christian Movement) in Victoria where the work began was Miss Fanny Collett who was to be instrumental in extending the work of the NCM beyond Victoria to the other States.  In 1921 she accepted an invitation from some Christian leaders to visit New South Wales.  Her visit resulted in the formation of a committee to commence a Nurses Christian Movement in NSW.  In September 1922, the committee appointed Miss Sarah Plum, a graduate of the Coast Hospital, as Organising Secretary to pioneer the work in that State.  She was to lead the NSW Branch for 25 years and also assist in the development of ANCM in Queensland, which was for a short time a sub branch of the NSW ANCM.  Visits by Miss Collett to South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland during the next few years resulted in branches being established in each of these States except in Western Australia where the work did not commence officially until 1934. 

 

 It was in June 1924, that the name Australian Nurses Christian Movement was adopted, although it was not until 1928 that the State NCMs came together to adopt a national constitution. 

The Queensland Branch employed a staffworker Miss Rose Racey who established Bible Study groups in training hospitals in Brisbane and country areas.  Houseparties and conferences  which were a feature of ANCM in Queensland as in other States, provided much needed recreation for nurses and trainees who were seldom able to be off duty at weekends when most other social and church activities were held.

 

This Branch no longer exists, though  ANCM/NCF reunions are held from time to time.  Nurses in Queensland are invited to attend conferences and other events in NSW.  Membership of  NCFA is available to nurses in States where no Branch exists currently. 

 

CONTACT

 

NCFA President: 

Rosemary Bulman

C/-  PO Box 479

Picton NSW 2571

Phone: 03 9578 1600

Email: enquiries@ncf-australia.org

 

 

          

Nurses Christian Fellowship Australia

A reunion of nurses from  the former     NCF Branch in Queensland

Ex Staffworker of NCF Qld. Rae Argus (L)

with Meryl Gould, formerly an NCF staffworker in NSW

NCF Queensland reunion in Brisbane

Robyn McElnea, (R) former staffworker with nurses at the reunion in 2006