Our history
The early years

Dr Ruth White RN

In 1975 work commenced on the development of the ground-breaking nursing curriculum at Sturt College of Advanced Education (Sturt College), Bedford Park, the precursor institution of Flinders University. This was the first tertiary institution in South Australia, and the third in Australia, to offer such a program, designed to prepare students of nursing to obtain a basic Diploma (Undergraduate Level 2).

Dr Joan Durdin RN, joined Sturt College in 1974 and was instrumental in the establishment of the nursing course. Anne Pickhaver was Head of Nursing from 1974 to 1976 under Dr Ruth White RN, who was the first Head of the School of Health Professions, from 1975 to 1981.

In an oration she gave in 1979, Dr White shared information about the first nursing programs, summarised here.

Nursing at Sturt College began in February 1975, with the three-year Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing), and 56 students were enrolled. The course aimed to educate them to a basic Diploma (Undergraduate Level 2). This was the level recognised by the Australian Council of Advanced Awards. Besides this course —which prepared students for registration as a nurse – a bridging course designed for registered nurses to convert their nursing certificate to a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing) began in 1977. In that year also the Diploma of Applied Science (Community Health Nursing) and Diploma of Teaching (Nurse Education) commenced. Registered nurses who entered the conversion Diploma and the Community Health and Education Diplomas were given recognition of prior learning toward their course of study and studied one year part-time and one year full-time respectively. After graduating from the Diploma of Teaching (Nurse Education), the nurse educators entered the Bachelor of Education (Nursing Studies) that was run over three years part-time.

Story from The Advertiser, 7 June 1974

Nursing class of 1981 from the new course at Sturt CAE, which became Flinders University

Prior to 1975, people who wished to become a registered nurse undertook a three-year certificate program in a hospital training school. However, even though this new way of teaching about the nursing profession was offered, not everyone was able to gain their education in a higher education institution. It took 20 years to achieve the complete transition of nursing education to the higher education sector. Over those years there was a binary nursing education system in place in Australia. During this time the Diploma programs were discontinued at Sturt and preregistration nursing education was the offered at Degree level.

Since the initiation of nursing education in higher education, a number of other programs have been developed, including the direct entry midwifery degree course. Flinders University was one of the first institutions in Australia to adopt this forward-thinking contemporary initiative. Flinders University continues to offer undergraduate nursing and midwifery degree programs, as well as a range of postgraduate specialisations and higher degrees by research in both of these disciplines.

Can you help?

To help us compile a living history of the University’s contribution to nursing and midwifery in South Australia we need your help.

Do you have a story to tell?
Do have information or do you know someone with information or photos about Flinders University or Sturt CAE nursing or midwifery?
Do you have some time to spare to help our history committee?

We encourage alumni and current and former staff members to get involved in the project.

Email: nursingmidwiferyhistory@flinders.edu.au

(08)7421 9758

Jane Russell,
Alumni Partner, College of Nursing and Health Sciences