“The Melbourne District Nursing Society was formed in 1885. In May 1904 it moved to 5 Royal Terrace (now 58 Nicholson St) from Leicester St Carlton, where it had been since 1902.
This information is from the November 2020 issue of the Fitzroy History Society Newsletter:
“The nurses worked in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. The Society had a set of bye-laws which outlined the work conditions for the nurses. Section 111.1 states ‘Each nurse shall be ready to go to her district at 9 am. She will be expected to visit urgent cases on Sundays, and will be required to work eight hours on each week day, to wear the special uniform and live in the Home of the Society’.
Melbourne District Nursing Society trained nurses began using bicycles in 1903 enabling the nurses to visit more patients over a wider area. The Maltese cross on their helmets was red .In 1919 during the influenza epidemic they were provided with cars in order to cope with the increased number of patients.
The Society became the Melbourne District Nursing Service, then the Royal District Nursing Service, then in 2015 it merged with a Queensland organisation to become Bolton Clarke.”
