ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection
HMSS 0299 Dode Ford Canberra Hospital Photographs
Call Number |
HMSS 0299 |
Collection |
HMSS 0299 Dode Ford Canberra Hospital Photographs |
Date Range |
1948-1949 |
Quantity |
0.09m (1 manuscript box) |
Access Conditions |
open |
Copying conditions |
with attribution |
Related Collections |
Dolace Frances Soulie, known as Dode, was born in Northcote, a suburb of Melbourne, on 13 December 1920. When she and her friend Nancy Gamble were discharged from the RAAF Nursing Service in 1946, they completed their Midwifery and Infant Welfare Courses and planned to go to England. However, they decided they should see the national capital first, so worked for a year at Canberra Community Hospital from early 1948 until sailing for England just before Christmas 1949.
Nan worked in general wards and Dode became Night Sister and later transferred to Midwifery Ward. They appreciated the air of good will between medical and nursing staff, which is evident in many of the photographs in the album that show Matron, Sisters, Nurses and doctors spending leisure time together.
Dr Nott was the medical superintendent and there were only six private practitioners in Canberra until the arrival of Dr Wearne who, according to Raie Druce the Theatre Sister, was a highly skilled surgeon. He also had a small racing stable and when Raie and Dode were invited to visit he had a horse in a sling hoping to mend a fractured bone in one leg.
Dr Nott bred champion red setters, and whenever Raie and Dode were off duty together they delighted in walking the dogs – except for the time when Fin discovered a fowl yard and had some fun. Dr Nott, with aspirations to be elected to the ACT’s new Advisory Council, was not amused. Neither were the golfers when the dogs bounded across the greens of the original Canberra Golf Club, behind the Hotel Canberra.
Matron Bennett, Sister Curley (deputy) and Sister Waldock (in charge of outpatient and pharmacy) made working at the Hospital very pleasant and the nurses were well trained. Three of the nursing staff were siblings, but two had to adopt different names to avoid confusion as all staff at that time were referred to as Nurse (surname).
Dode has happy memories of the prunus trees planted alternately white and deep pink along the streets, and of walking to Civic through undeveloped areas and seeing wildlife, including the occasional sunbaking snake. Although Nan left Canberra a little before Dode, and Raie married Fred Taylor, they all kept in touch. As at February 2012 Dode was the last surviving member of the trio.
As a parting gesture Dr Nott gave Dode a letter of introduction to the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, Norman Mighell, who arranged for Dode to attend the Trooping of the Colour and a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
The album is broadly arranged by season, and reflects both nursing and recreational activities. Dode married Arthur Rex Ford, a widower of Longueville, Sydney, in 1966.
BOX LIST
PAGE |
PHOTOGRAPHER |
DESCRIPTION |
1 |
G. M. Duncan |
Canberra Hospital seen from the forecourt; pen and ink drawing, 1945 |
2 |
Dode Soulie |
Autumn: Government House, Yarralumla from the long lawn |
2 |
Dode Soulie |
Autumn: Nan Gamble at the War Memorial |
2 |
Dode Soulie |
Autumn: Canberra Community Hospital, Acton, from the circular drive |
2 |
Dode Soulie |
Autumn: Pool of Reflection and Hall of Memories, Australian War Memorial |
2 |
Dode Soulie |
Autumn: Australian War Memorial main entrance |
3 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Views: six views of Canberra Community Hospital, including the 3-storey Obstetrical Ward with verandahs |
4 |
Dode Soulie |
Frosty Mornings: four views: a streetscape, two landscapes with trees, a river |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
View from Red Hill lookout |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
View to Parliament House probably from Acton |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
View from Black Mountain, mostly of eucalypts |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
Sister Salter |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
Willows |
5 |
Dode Soulie |
Nurse Gamble in uniform beside a river |
6 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Government House from the long lawn, and three photographs of Cotter River below the dam |
7 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Aerial view of Cotter Dam |
7 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Man fishing below the Cotter Dam wall |
7 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Wooden footbridge across the river below the Cotter Dam |
7 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Cotter Dam spillway |
7 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Cotter Dam: Rapids in the river below the Cotter Dam |
8 |
Postcard |
Tour to Gundagai 13 June 1949: the Dog on the Tuckerbox with four dogs lying near the plinth |
8 |
Postcard |
Tour to Gundagai 13 June 1949: the road and rail bridges across the river |
8 |
Dode Soulie |
Tour to Gundagai 13 June 1949: the Dog on the Tuckerbox |
9 |
Commercial photograph |
Tour to Gundagai 13 June 1949: Snake Gully model, autographed by Frank Rusconi. Letter from Dode to her parents on the back: “Criterion Hotel. This is a little miniature with all the ‘Dad and Dave’ characters. It’s very good. I’m thoroughly enjoying my little visit here. Will write later.” |
9 |
E and D Bayliss, The Newsagency, Gundagai |
Tour to Gundagai 13 June 1949: Rusconi’s Masterpiece in Marble, autographed by Frank Rusconi, the Gundagai artist who built the model from marbles collected in NSW; the full story is on the back of the card |
10 |
Commercial photograph no. 9 |
Hotel Canberra main entrance |
10 |
Commercial photograph no. 30 |
Hotel Canberra from West Block |
10 |
Commercial photograph no. 1 |
Big Gun, Australia’s greatest war trophy (Amiens Gun) |
10 |
Commercial photograph no. 3 |
National Library, Kings Avenue, Barton |
11 |
Commercial photograph no. 6A |
Prime Minister’s Lodge, Yarralumla, from the drive |
11 |
Commercial photograph no. 8 |
St John’s Church of England, Reid, erected 1841 |
11 |
Commercial photograph no. 12 |
Statue of Robert Burns, Forrest |
11 |
Commercial photograph no. 4 |
Canberra Post Office, Melbourne Building, Civic Centre |
12 |
|
Not used |
13 |
Dode Soulie |
Molonglo River |
13 |
Dode Soulie |
Raie Druce on horseback |
13 |
Dode Soulie |
Norman Von Nida on the links, Canberra Golf Club, Acton |
13 |
Dode Soulie |
Institute of Anatomy, Acton |
13 |
Dode Soulie |
Melbourne and Sydney Buildings, Civic Centre, from across London Circuit, then a dual carriageway |
14 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: snow sculpture of a dog on a plinth, similar to the Dog on the Tuckerbox at Gundagai, on a football oval |
14 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: snow-covered landscape featuring a circular pool surrounded by shrubbery |
14 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: Hotel Canberra and circular drive covered with snow |
15 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: two policemen with a snowman ‘under arrest’ in Civic Centre |
15 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: suburban house and street under snow |
15 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: a small snowman sits on a car parked outside a communications hut at RAAF Fairbairn, in falling snow |
15 |
Dode Soulie |
Winter Scenes: a man in RAAF uniform beside the car outside a communications hut at RAAF Fairbarn |
16 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: the ‘pregnant pine’ at Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
16 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: Matron Bennett standing behind a huge snowball at Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
16 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: Nurse Tyler sitting on a huge snowball at Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
16 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: Snow-covered landscape seen from Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
17 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: six scenes including Raie, Nan and Sister Jenkins with a snowman, Nurse Newton holding a snowball, and Nurse Tyler standing by a drinking fountain |
18 |
Dode Soulie |
Hospital Snow Scenes: Sister Malcolm with a snowman, and two views of the hospital forecourt under snow |
18 |
Dode Soulie |
Milepost in the slush of melting snow beside the highway, 31 miles from Yass |
19 |
Dode Soulie |
Cooma en Route to Kosciusko: corner store with a Pioneer Tours bus parked outside |
19 |
Dode Soulie |
Cooma en Route to Kosciusko: two streetscapes, a woman standing near a bandstand, and a snow-covered park |
19 |
Dode Soulie |
Cooma en Route to Kosciusko: kangaroo starving with the sheep, in a snow-covered paddock |
20 |
Dode Soulie |
Thredbo River, a fisherman’s paradise: three river scenes and one of the tour bus on a bridge |
21 |
Dode Soulie |
Snowy River and the scene of the new Snowy River Dam Project: five views |
22 |
Dode Soulie |
Hotel Kosciusko, two views |
22 |
Dode Soulie |
Snow-covered landscape at Kosciusko, three views |
22 |
Dode Soulie |
Alan Skevington and friends, with car; one of the men and the car are those pictured outside a hut at Canberra Airport |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Nan and Dode with a snowman at Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Snow scene |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Snowman at Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Raie Druce skiing |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Gwen Threlkall and staff SSQ RAAF |
23 |
Dode Soulie |
Snow at the entrance to Canberra Community Hospital, Acton |
24 |
Commercial photograph |
Spring-time: Parliament House |
24 |
Commercial photograph |
Spring-time: House of Representatives chamber |
24 |
Commercial photograph |
Spring-time: A typical street in Canberra |
24 |
Commercial photograph |
Spring-time: Institute of Anatomy |
25 |
Dode Soulie |
Royal Military College Duntroon from Mount Pleasant |
25 |
Dode Soulie |
RAAF Fairbairn: DC3 coming in to land; DC3 in the air; communications tower; communications buildings and towers. The small hut is the same as in the photographs of the car in the snow at RAAF Fairbairn |
26 |
Dode Soulie |
An afternoon at Mt Stromlo Observatory with Matron Bennett and Sister Waldock: Matron Bennett, left, and Sister Waldock beside the car; the observatory building; view along the ridge; Matron Bennett, left, and Sister Dode Soulie |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Scene from Dode Soulie’s window at the Nurses’ Quarters, Canberra Community Hospital |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Sister Dode Soulie with Dr David Nott and and his two red setter dogs at Canberra Community Hospital |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Sisters Raie Druce, feeding a baby, and Dode Soulie on the verandah of the Obstetrical Ward, Canberra Community Hospital |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Sister Dode Soulie feeding a baby, with Nurse Swindon, on the verandah of the Obstetrical Ward, Canberra Community Hospital |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Sister Dode Soulie, right, with Sister Nan Gamble outside the Obstetrical Ward, Canberra Community Hospital |
27 |
Dode Soulie |
Raie Druce with Cavalier, Dr Nott’s red setter |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Dode Soulie with Fin Mar Cool, Dr Nott’s red setter, near Parliament House |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Dr Nott and his pride and joy (Fin Mar Cool) |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Dode Soulie with Fin Mar Cool (and horse) at Parliament House |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Fin Mar Cool near the Forestry School, Yarralumla |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Wonderful walks: Dode Soulie with Cavalier and Fin Mar Cool in paddocks at sunset |
28 |
Dode Soulie |
Canberra Community Hospital building |
29 |
Dode Soulie |
Raie Druce with one of Dr Nott’s dogs and a horse |
29 |
Dode Soulie |
Dode Soulie, left, and Sister Hebblewaite walking Dr Nott’s dogs Cavalier and Fin Mar Cool at Red Hill |
29 |
Dode Soulie |
View from Red Hill |
29 |
Commercial photograph |
American Embassy, Yarralumla |
29 |
|
Missing |
29 |
Dode Soulie |
View across the race course at Acton |
30 |
Dode Soulie |
Sisters Soulie, left, and Hebblewaite walking Dr Nott’s dogs Cavalier and Fin Mar Cool at The Lodge |
30 |
Commercial photograph |
The Lodge, Yarralumla |
30 |
Dode Soulie |
Raie Druce with Dr Nott’s dogs Cavalier and Fin Mar Cool |
30 |
Dode Soulie |
John, left, Colin Gum and Ted |
30 |
Dode Soulie |
John outside a house in Canberra |
30 |
Dode Soulie |
Ted, Mrs Muir and Colin Gum |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Dode Soulie with spring blossom trees |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Fingleton (Fin) and Dodie Soulie near King George V Memorial, Parliament House |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Two women, one in nursing sister’s uniform |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Fin and Kav (Fin Mar Cool and Cavalier), Dr Nott’s dogs, swimming in the Molonglo River |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Footbridge at Canberra Golf Course, Acton |
31 |
Dode Soulie |
Golf House and Canberra Golf Course, Acton |
32 |
May Collingridge |
Australian War Memorial, Canberra |
33 |
Dode Soulie |
Interior of Australian War Memorial: two uniform displays and three dioramas |
34 |
|
Not used |
35 |
May Collingridge |
Church of St John the Baptist, Reid, completed 1845, rear view |
35 |
R. C. Strangman |
Church of St John the Baptist, Reid, interior looking towards the altar |
36 |
R. C. Strangman |
Parliament House, Canberra |
36 |
R. C. Strangman |
Parliament House, Canberra, from the Senate side |
37 |
R. C. Strangman |
King’s Hall, Parliament House, Canberra |
37 |
R. C. Strangman |
Senate Chamber, Parliament House, Canberra |
38 |
|
Admission ticket to the Speaker’s Gallery, House of Representatives, Canberra, for the sitting of 22 September 1949; Sister Soulie was introduced by Senator Tangney |