Summary

Biography of Sister Eileen (Annie) O'Connor who worked as a nurse at Sunshine Harvester Works between 1955 and 1981.

Eileen O'Connor was born in November 1918 in Ireland. Before migrating to Australia in the 1950s, Eileen worked as a nurse and mid-wife in England in the 1930s and 1940s.

Eileen was employed by the Sunshine Harvester Works in May 1955 as a factory nurse in the First Aid Room. She took over the role from Sister Carruthers who worked in the First Aid Room between 1946 and 1954.

Due to 'no suitable work [being] available' at Sunshine, Eileen found employment as a Senior Sister in Footscray until 1957. A year later, she returned to Sunshine Harvester Works. Other members of Eileen's family were also employed by the company. They included her husband Patrick who worked in the Machine Shop and son Kevin who was a junior clerk in the Parts Department.

The work carried out by Eileen from the 1960s onwards reflected the increasing awareness of occupational health and safety within the company. As well as tending to workplace accidents, Eileen assisted in improving workers' health and safety. For example, she carried out hearing tests and attended lectures on occupational health organised by the Royal Victorian College of Nursing. The 1974 lecture included presentations on the nurses' role in amputations during emergency procedures and preparation of plastic surgery, control of industrial waste, epilepsy in the workplace, mental health and the scope of an emergency department.

Eileen was retrenched from the company in 1981 due to a reduction in the First Aid Room's opening hours. This came at a time when the factory workforce had been significantly diminished through retrenchments and retirements.

References
University of Melbourne Archives, Sunshine Harvester Works and Massey Ferguson Employee Records, Acc. No. 2004.0012, Box 23, Sister Eileen O'Connor Personnel File, 1955-1981.
Related Narratives
Factory Site of Sunshine Harvester Works

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