Lucy Osburn
Encyclopedia
Lucy Osburn was an English
nurse trained by Florence Nightingale
; she is regarded as the founder of nursing in Australia
.
, Yorkshire
, England
; her father was Egyptologist William Osburn. She was educated at home by a mistress and learned several languages. She traveled to the Middle East
in 1857 to visit a cousin, while there she enjoyed training horses.
, and visited hospitals in Holland
and Vienna
. When she returned to England in 1866 she entered the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas' Hospital
against her family's wishes, at the school she received training in surgical nursing. In 1867 she studied midwifery
at King's College Hospital
.
Around this time New South Wales
politician, Henry Parkes
, wrote to Florence Nightingale requesting nurses for New South Wales. Nightingale recommended Osburn, and she was appointed lady superintendent for the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary. She and five other women, including Haldane Turriff, arrived in Sydney
on 5 March 1866. Within a week of her arrival she was called upon to assist in the treatment of the Duke of Edinburgh
following an attempt on his life.
By December she had trained 16 additional nurses at the first nurse training facility in the colony, but her efforts were soon obstructed by internal hospital politics where she was hindered by visiting surgeon Alfred Roberts, vermin problems and a series of political and social scandals. For example, Osburn's habit of dressing like a nun aroused suspicion in a colony where tensions between Roman Catholics and Protestants were high, she was accused of Bible-burning in the Protestant Standard after worshipping at Christ Church St. Laurence
, a charge she was later cleared of. In 1873, at the royal commission on public charities, Roberts claimed that Nightingale had accused Osburn of 'having views of her own...beyond the Nightingale system'; she was however praised by the commission for bringing about a vast improvement in nursing. Conditions at the infirmary began to improve in 1874 and in 1881 the Sydney Hospital Act abolished the infirmary's old name and set up new conditions of management. In 1884 Osburn resigned and returned to England, where she continued to work as a nurse. She spent a total of 16 years and eight months working in New South Wales.
From 1886 to 1888 she was a district nurse in Bloomsbury
, and then served as superintendent to the Southwark, Newington and Walworth District Nursing Association.
, dying there from complications of diabetes.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
nurse trained by Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
; she is regarded as the founder of nursing in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early life
Osburn was born in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; her father was Egyptologist William Osburn. She was educated at home by a mistress and learned several languages. She traveled to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1857 to visit a cousin, while there she enjoyed training horses.
Nursing
When Osburn returned to Europe she began to pursue her childhood interest in nursing. She trained at Kaiserswerth Hospital in DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, and visited hospitals in Holland
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. When she returned to England in 1866 she entered the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
against her family's wishes, at the school she received training in surgical nursing. In 1867 she studied midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
at King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
.
Around this time New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
politician, Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
, wrote to Florence Nightingale requesting nurses for New South Wales. Nightingale recommended Osburn, and she was appointed lady superintendent for the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary. She and five other women, including Haldane Turriff, arrived in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 5 March 1866. Within a week of her arrival she was called upon to assist in the treatment of the Duke of Edinburgh
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
following an attempt on his life.
By December she had trained 16 additional nurses at the first nurse training facility in the colony, but her efforts were soon obstructed by internal hospital politics where she was hindered by visiting surgeon Alfred Roberts, vermin problems and a series of political and social scandals. For example, Osburn's habit of dressing like a nun aroused suspicion in a colony where tensions between Roman Catholics and Protestants were high, she was accused of Bible-burning in the Protestant Standard after worshipping at Christ Church St. Laurence
Christ Church St. Laurence
Christ Church St Laurence is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Sydney, Australia. The church is located at Railway Square on George Street, Sydney, near Central Station.-History and description:...
, a charge she was later cleared of. In 1873, at the royal commission on public charities, Roberts claimed that Nightingale had accused Osburn of 'having views of her own...beyond the Nightingale system'; she was however praised by the commission for bringing about a vast improvement in nursing. Conditions at the infirmary began to improve in 1874 and in 1881 the Sydney Hospital Act abolished the infirmary's old name and set up new conditions of management. In 1884 Osburn resigned and returned to England, where she continued to work as a nurse. She spent a total of 16 years and eight months working in New South Wales.
From 1886 to 1888 she was a district nurse in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
, and then served as superintendent to the Southwark, Newington and Walworth District Nursing Association.
Later life
In 1891 she paid a visit to her sister's boarding school in HarrogateHarrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, dying there from complications of diabetes.
See also
- Lucy Osburn, photograph by Freeman Bros. and Prout, 1873
- Lucy Osburn, a lady displaced: Florence Nightingale's envoy to Australia, by Judith Godden, 2006.