Summary

Red linen bound book, titled 'Practical Nursing Including Hygiene and Dietetics', written by W. T. Gordon Pugh, M.D.,B.S., F.R.C.S., assisted by Alice M. Pugh, S.R.N., 14th edition, printed in 1944 by William Blackwood & Sons Ltd. The book was written for the Examinations of the General Nursing Council of England and Wales. The book belonged to Mary Needham (later Ward) when she was nurse at White Rose Hospital, Wakefield, Yorkshire in England and she brought it to Australia when she migrated from England in 1961.

William Thomas Gordon Pugh, the author of the book, was the Medical Superintendent of Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton, from 1909 until 1937 when he retired. During his time at Queen Mary's Hospital, Pugh became interested in children's orthopedics and established one of the first two long stay children's hospitals in the South of England. Pugh's hospital was well known for its treatment of skeletal tuberculosis and poliomyelitis and Pugh himself is best remembered for his treatment of the former using traction to minimise the affects on joints. The book has a dedication to Herbert Edmund Cuff, O.B.E., M.D., F.R.C.S, (1864-1921) who lost his life on 15 August 1921 attempting to save his two young daughters from drowning.

Part of a large collection of material relating to the migration and settlement of British migrants to Australia in the 1960s under the 'Bring Out a Briton' Scheme. It documents in particular both the migration experiences of James and Mary Ward and their three children who arrived in Melbourne on the 'TSS Stratheden' from Yorkshire in December 1961; and the Burke Road East Malvern Methodist Church's sponsorship of a number of English families, including the Wards, under the Scheme. The Church's support included temporary accommodation for assisted families in a neighbouring house. The 'Bring Out a Briton' Scheme (1957-1982) was part of a Commonwealth Government initiative which offered subsidised ship fares, accommodation and support to encourage migration from the UK to Australia after World War II.

Physical Description

Book of 918 pages with red linen cover. Handwritten inscription in blue ink on the inside of the front cover and red handwritten letters on textblock. Calling card of Rev. R. Prideaux removed from page 811.

Significance

The Ward/Barlow Families collection is of national significance in documenting British assisted migration to Australia post-World War II. The collection provides a comprehensive snapshot from the commencement to completion of a British assisted migration experience and illuminates post-war immigration policies and procedures which favoured British immigration into Australia.

The collection of almost 400 items comprises a unique body of documentation with intersections between personal, community and government narratives that explore British post-World War II assisted migration. It includes photographs, personal correspondence, documents and objects offering a rare glimpse into the role of the Australian and British governments, Methodists Church sponsorship and community engagement in assisting and welcoming British immigrants to Australia. Assisted British migration was a constant theme of Australian immigration history until the early 1980s. Government initiatives such as the 'Bring Out A Briton' scheme had an enormous impact on the composition and size of the Australian population, making the Ward/Barlow collection of broad social and political historical significance.

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