The Cottage Hospital – Nornalup

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On June 1932, Irish nursing sister Jane Anderson closed the door of the little Church of England Mission House in Hazelvale behind her for the last time.

Here she and a church sister, Sister Bazett (and formerly with Deaconess Fleck who had been transferred to the Eastern States) had served the growing farming districts with untiring devotion, both spiritually and physically.

These women provided a strong sense of security to settlers who found the isolation, the long distances and the poor road conditions a constant hardship in the new settlements.

Without the Sisters, the fear of how to cope with sickness would have been ever present.

On the spiritual side, settlers remember gathering around a little organ taken everywhere and found the words of the old familiar hymns a great comfort.

However the settlements were growing: Hazelvale (formerly Hazelwood) and Tingledale group settlements had been established for a number of years and Walpole and its farming districts, though only in their early stages were beginning to make headway.

Sister Anderson found it impossible to satisfactorily carry out her ministrations to patients due to extra travelling and so, on an idea from the late Dr Bruce Burnside who came to Nornalup with his family in the early 1930s, a Cottage Hospital run by the Church of England Mission was established in the little town of Nornalup on the banks of the beautiful Frankland River.

Mr A.G. Haynes who owned property in Nornalup, generously made a house available and it was here that Sister Anderson took up residence and on 1 July 1932 the Cottage Hospital was officially opened.

It was not long before the first baby – baby Thorn was born.

In a letter from Sister Anderson who now lives in Ireland again, she explained that in the two years she ran the hospital she had no trained help. ''I had two very good girls helping me – the first was Jean McKeown and when she went to Perth Hospital to do her nurses training, Peggy Voce took over.''

Sister Bazett only stayed at the hospital when her church work brought her to the district.

Miss Anderson quotes from a diary she kept at the time which recalls an extremely busy period both day and night – while at the hospital. "Day and night work has been very constant. I am very tired. Have hay fever and asthma."

There were often accident cases from a lumber camp 64 km out and from the road workers as well as local cases.

Dr Burnside was often needed at the cottage hospital and settlers have fond memories of their friend the doctor coming straight from his dairy duties on his farm at an urgent call from the hospital – still clad in overalls and rubber boots.

Among settlers whose children were born at the Cottage Hospital were Mr and Mrs Jack Clark (twins) Mr and Mrs Jack Edmonds and Mr and Mrs Phil Dawson – and many others.

Mr and Mrs Jerry Armstrong’s youngest child nearly was! Rita Armstrong had looked forward to the birth of her child for she was to attend the hospital for her confinement. She no doubt pictured herself lying back and enjoying the kind attention of the hospital staff. As the baby's birth was imminent and everything in readiness for her stay in Nornalup she suddenly decided on a hectic cleaning spree with that sudden burst of energy which often precedes the birth of a child. Before long she realised that her efforts had spurted on the baby also and it was born at home after all.

Mrs Nell Dawson (dec'd) remembered the cottage hospital well as three of her children were born there in 1933, 1935 and 1936. With one weighing in at 11 lb 2 oz! She recalls being attended by a Sister Greaves who had previously lived in the north, for many years attending Indigenous communities.

Mrs Dawson said that she entered the hospital at night for one confinement and her baby was born by the light of a hurricane lamp as Sister Greaves found she was dealing with a baby impatient to make her entry into the world and the sister didn't have time to light the Aladdin lamp.

Wisty Stewart (Burton) and Don Burton remember losing their tonsils at the cottage hospital and Winnie (Clarke) Pascoe has recollections of a more serious illness. She contracted diphtheria and an isolation ward was set up at the hospital for her. Dr Burnside said later that her life would have been in danger if the long trip to Albany where there was a quarantine ward had been undertaken.

These are only a few of course of the many people who were treated at the little hospital.

In May 1934 Dr Burnside advised an operation for Sister Bazett who had not been well. He thought she should return to Ireland for this and Sister Anderson who was due for leave went home with her. A farewell party was held for them at Mrs Ryding's home (Kiree Shaw's mother) and the Rev and Mrs Dunstan travelled out from Denmark to attend. Rev Dunstan was the rector who followed Rev Lawrence in Sister Anderson’s time.

It must have been a sad parting for all concerned when the two Sisters left on May 28 1934. They were loved by all and Sister Anderson was held in special affection and esteem.

Years later her name was one of those recorded on the roll of honour for pioneer women in Kings Park – the district remembered her loving care and showed its appreciation.

Her letters now reveal that Sister Anderson has many happy memories of her time in the early settlements and that she could never forget the kindness of the people. While at the hospital the men from the farms kept her supplied with plants from their gardens, tomatoes especially and she remembers having a huge plot of tomatoes and pumpkins in the back garden.

Though most of her days were extremely busy she did have some time to herself and she liked spend it in the garden or visiting friends.

The year that the hospital ceased to operate has eluded all sources of contact but there is a record of a Sister Kenny there in 1939.

In 1945 the hospital building was run as a guest house so it was ·sometime in the intervening years that the facility that many said was: "the best thing that ever happened in the district" concluded its time span.

Dr Burnside continued practising in Nornalup for many·years – an old and trusted friend of many. Were he still alive today he could no doubt add more to this story.

The house still stands in Nornalup and is owned by Mrs Lin Macpherson whose· late husband Ian was a grandson of A.G. Haynes. The house and farm was formerly owned and run by Ian's parents.

Photos are from the Society's collection (Curator of Photos: Don Burton),
except Memorial to Pioneer Women, Kings Park:  Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority.