ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0043 Canberra Mothercraft Society Records

Scope and Content Notes 

The Canberra Mothercraft Society was founded in 1926 (as Women’s and Infants Health society) and emerged as The Canberra Mothercraft society in February 1927.  The Society has played a unique role amongst Canberra’s Health and Welfare Organisations. 

Growing up with the National Capital, the Society survived the tough times of the Depression and World War 11.  It worked on to reach a peak of responsibility in 1969 when it administered 32 Mothercraft clinics scattered throughout the ACT, 2 Occasional Care Centres at City and Manuka, and the Queen Elizabeth 11 Home for Post Natal Care. 

Since 1927, its nursing sisters and other staff have given professional help and reassurance to thousands of mothers, babies and pre-school children, as well as providing one of the major preventative Public Health services in the Territory.  The Society pioneered Canberra’s first Home Help service in 1942 and participated in the achievement of the present Emergency Housekeeper Service.  That same year it initiated Canberra’s first public Playgroup conducted at Griffith (Manuka Baby Health Centre) and subsequently played a significant role in the formation in 1943 of the Canberra Nursery Kindergarten (later the Canberra Pre-School Society). 

Series List

Series 1:           Minutes & Constitution etc

Series 2:           General Correspondence

Series 3:           General Financial Records

Series 4:           Miscellaneous, Newsletters, Newspaper Clippings, Reports, Photos, History, Industrial Relations etc

Series 5:           Other Societies

Series 6:           Occasional Care Centres-Business files

Series 7:           Queen Elizabeth II Home-Business files

Series 8:           Queen Elizabeth II Home-Miscellaneous

Series 9:           Queen Elizabeth II Home-Correspondence

Series 10:         Queen Elizabeth II Home-Staffing, Patients Records, etc

Series 11:         Queen Elizabeth II Home-Financial Records

Series 12:         Queen Elizabeth II Home-Minutes & Reports

Box List