Keep these dates free!
A calendar of events is currently being compiled. The dates for the events, listed below are confirmed. Watch this space for further information.
The Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, 23 March 2024 in the Australian Catholic University Chapel, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy. (Entrance to Chapel is off Brunswick St.)
High Afternoon Tea will be held on Friday, 24 May 2024, at the Windsor Hotel, 111 Spring St Melbourne 3000.
The SVNA Annual luncheon will be held at the Grand Hyatt on Friday, 11 October 20024.
The Alumni Committee also emails regular updates to members about upcoming events and items of interest. You are encouraged to join the Alumni to receive these updates.
On Friday, 25 August 2023, 400 people celebrated the SVNA 100th anniversary at the Park Hyatt Melbourne. Thank you to all the generous supporters who made this milestone event such a success.
The SVNA Annual General Meeting was held on Monday 9, October 2023. Please also read the President’s message for further information.
The Mass for deceased SVHA members
The Alumni Annual Mass honouring our members and commemorating the lives of our colleagues who died in the past year, was held in the Australian Catholic University chapel on Saturday, March 25th. Father Michael Elligate AM was our celebrant, his homily reflected on the understanding and wisdom of women.
About fifty Alumni Members attended the event and enjoyed gathering after the Mass to share memories and catch up with news of friends and colleagues.The names of our nurses who died over the past year - Elizabeth Costello; Ruth Haley; Elizabeth Heath; Vivian Hobson; Carolyn Howard; Kath Kehoe; Mary Kelly; Valmai Johns; Patricia Jones; Anne Mikoljuna; Peg O'Brien; James O'Connell; Dominique Senior and Bernadette Tenni have been beautifully inscribed in the Memorial book by Dr Wendy Brennan.
Reunions provide a precious opportunity to catch up with friends and former colleagues, to share stories and network.
When organising events, including celebratory reunions consider booking tables at the SVNA annual luncheon. Please email the St Vincent's Nurses Alumni Committee at stvsnursesalumni@gmail.com for further information.
The Alumni raises funds to pursue activities that foster nursing excellence and leadership including sponsoring scholarships to advance education, practice, and support nursing research. There is no registration fee for Alumni membership.
The Alumni relies entirely on fundraising and donations.
Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. If you wish to make a financial contribution to support the Alumni’s work please complete the below form. It is important that you reference the donation to SVNA when you lodge the form.
Annually the Alumni is committed currently to providing:
- $10,000 for Post Graduate scholarships
- $2,000 for the Ida O’Dwyer Award.
Please consider supporting the Alumni in any way you can. With your support the Alumni can expand its work in advancing nursing leadership and practice.
Following our very successful centennial luncheon at the Park Hyatt in August, the SVNA held its Annual General Meeting on October 2023.
The Committee farewelled a number of committee members including Di Schrader, Dee Riddington, Cathy Ockleshaw, Liz Ferguson, Marg Batrouney, Georgia Anderson, Joanne Gray, Sue Hewitt and Erin McGuiness.
On behalf of the SVNA, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our outgoing committee members for their contribution. I look forward to their continuing participation and support for SVNA social and fundraising events as well as in their contribution to special interest areas.
I am also pleased to advise that Clare Dyer, whilst stepping down from President, remains on the SVNA Committee. I would like to acknowledge Clare’s leadership of the SVNA during turbulent times, culminating in a most successful centenary luncheon in August.
The newly elected Committee comprises:
President: Nusia Krolikowski
Vice-President: Kathryn Lamb
Secretary: Helen Crowe
Assistant Secretary: Kathleen Steele
Treasurer: Anne Black Blandthorn
Clare Dyer
Daphne Westcott
Victoria Stewart
Joanne Cocks
Bernadette Mills
Barbara Stevens
Jacqui Bloink
Vicky Serle
Ex Officio
Jacqui Bilo Chief Nursing Officer, St Vincent’s Hospital
I look forward to working with the Committee to continue advancing the aspirations of the Alumni
I encourage you to diarise the events proposed for 2024 that are listed under the heading Events and Activities. I invite you to join us in celebrating our history and fundraising at these events to promote and sponsor SVH graduate nurse leadership and practice excellence initiatives.
Best wishes for a merry and safe festive season to you and loved ones,
Nusia Krolikowski
Fancy a trip down memory lane? We all have stories that we can remember and share. If you would like to add your story or memories to this page, email stvsnursesalumni@gmail.com
An extract is below from the handbook given to all new arrivals at the historical Preliminary Training School.
A Nurse must be:
Punctual;
Obedient and loyal to all rules, as the foundation of her work;
Active, yet quiet;
Methodical, reliable, careful, clean and neat;
Observant, intelligent and economical;
Capable of self-control, persevering gentleness, tact, sympathy and common sense;
Careful to pay attention to professional etiquette, remembering what is due to those in authority;
Careful in manner and attention to Visitors or Patients’ friends, a duty Nurses in the pressure of their work are apt to overlook;
Careful to wear her uniform with spotless cleanliness, neatness, and simplicity; hair tidy, and general bearing that of military smartness;
Careful to be always guarded in her behaviour towards Doctors and Students.
Catch up with friends and former colleagues, share news, enjoy annual events and reunions, and keep up with what’s happening at the hospital. The St Vincent’s Nurses Alumni Committee invites you to become a member and help the Alumni achieve its goals.
Membership is open to:
- nursing graduates
- enrolled and registered nurse employees (current and past) from St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne)
- those invited by the St Vincent’s Nurses Alumni Committee to participate.
There is no joining fee.
To join, please email stvsnursesalumni@gmail.com:
Your name
Your email address
Mobile number
Year of graduation
Current or previous St Vincent’s employee
Any other information you wish to share