Life On The Job



Indigenous Famous or Historic People

Muriel Conomie Stanley (6 April 1918 - 18 May 1979) Muriel is widely recognised as Australia’s first Aboriginal midwife. (Source: SBS) (Muriel Stanley was compiled by ACU's student Anabel Mifsud)

Muriel Stanley portrait

Muriel had many careers in her lifetime, including hospital matron, Indigenous welfare officer, and a nurse.

Introduction

Muriel Conomie Stanley was born on the 6th of April, 1918, in Yarrabah, Queensland. Yarrabah is an Aboriginal community situated approximately 53 kilometres from Cairns. She was born to Aboriginal parents Luke Stanley and Jessie Ross nee Kepple.  

Did You Know?

Yarrabah

Yarrabah, traditionally Yagaljida in the Yidin language spoken by the indigenous Yidinji people, is an Aboriginal community situated approximately 53 kilometres (33 mi) by road from Cairns CBD on Cape Grafton.

It is much closer by direct-line distance but is separated from Cairns by the Murray Prior Range and the Trinity Inlet, an inlet of the Coral Sea.

At the 2016 census, Yarrabah had a population of 2,559.

The Yarrabah area was originally inhabited by the Gunggandji people.

(Source: Wikipedia)

 

Education

Muriel was educated at the Yarrabah Anglican mission, and by 1937 she became an assistant-teacher.

In 1938, Muriel travelled to Newcastle in New South Wales to attend the training college of the Church Army.

Soon after graduating she worked at the Church Army children's homes in the Hunter Valley and Armidale, leaving to become a matron of an orphanage on Hobart.

Muriel was motivated to help her Aboriginal brothers and sisters at a time where they faced prejudice and injustices, and thus decided to become a nurse.
Initially Muriel struggled to achieve her goal, because of people's prejudices against her skin colour, until she was finally accepted by the South Sydney Women's Hospital in 1943.
After 18 months of study, Muriel passed the final examination in November, 1944, and by March 1945 was a registered obstetric nurse.

Muriel made history as Queensland's first Aboriginal midwife, overcoming prejudice to follow her nursing dreams.

Her head Matron R.M Keable was impressed by Muriel's 'character and determination', declaring it had been a privilege to train her. (Source: Australian Dictionary of Biography)

Experience and Opportunities

After completing her studies, Muriel returned back home to Yarrabah, where she was appointed matron of the hospital. On top of her duties there, she also began visiting chronically ill individuals in their homes, and led the St. Mary’s Girls’ Guild.

Muriel was exempted from the Queensland Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act (1939), an act which allowed the Director of Native Affairs to control any money or property belonging to an Aboriginal person. Many Aboriginal people sought such exemptions, however many were denied. In order to apply for an exemption, the person would accompany their request with affirmations from others which confirmed that the individual seeking exemption was “of good character and did not associate with other Aborigines” (Source: State Library of Queensland)

In 1959, Muriel left for England with the Church Army, to undertake a two year course in moral welfare.

Upon returning to Queensland, Muriel became a social-welfare officer, working with Aboriginal families in Cairns. Muriel was the only person supported by the Anglican Church working full-time with the Aboriginal people of Queensland.

From 1967, Muriel was based at the Woorabinda mission, south-west of Rockhampton. There she worked as a liaison officer with the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Islander Affairs.

In 1970, Muriel met and married Norman Gresham Underwood, a canecutter and widower. She died on the 18th of May, 1979.

Due to her determination, Muriel was able to overcome prejudices against her and better her own life, as well as the lives of the Aboriginal people she helped.

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