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