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 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, 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)
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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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