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O’BRIEN, JACQUELINE MOYA (JACI) nee SEALE (1926– ), nursing sister, nurse educator and writer, was
born in Darwin on 10 May 1926, to George Seale and his wife Mary, nee Weedon, of Parap, Darwin. Jaci began
her schooling at the Parap and Darwin Primary Schools and in 1938, with limited opportunities in the Territory,
she considered herself fortunate to be able to attend the Presbyterian Ladies’ College at Pymble in Sydney. She was
returning home at the end of 1941 when the aircraft was returned to Sydney from Gladstone due to the escalation of
the Second World War. Darwin was bombed on 19 February 1942 when she was 15 years old. Shortly afterwards
Jaci’s mother, Mary Seale, died in Sydney. Left in the care of a guardian whilst her father was serving overseas,
Jaci decided to pursue a career in nursing.
Jaci commenced her nursing education at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1944. She realised, with her
usual attention to detail, that in order to specialise she should be appropriately educated and she saw her immediate
future in nursing children. Consequently, in 1948 she undertook a post certificate qualification in the nursing of
children at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney. She then proceeded to the Queen Victoria Hospital
in Launceston where she obtained her midwifery nursing certificate in 1949. As a Territorian Jaci was aware that
these qualifications would be valuable to her when she returned to the Northern Territory.
In January 1950, Jaci returned to Darwin and its re-established hospital following its wartime bombings.
At that time, the hospital was under the auspices of the Commonwealth Department of Health. She was employed
as a Charge Sister in what was then Ward Three, which was a segregated ‘Native Ward’. Whilst employed at the
Darwin Hospital, Jaci implemented the nursing students’ clinical nursing education program. Simultaneously, she
strove to improve the health treatment of Aboriginal people.
From 1951, she spent two years as a Staff Nurse and Nurse Tutor at the Westminster Hospital in London where
she worked in medical and thoracic wards. After a period of private nursing in England, Jaci returned to Australia
and occupied the positions of Ward Sister and Tutor at the Repatriation General Hospital (RGH), Concord, New
South Wales. It was at this time that Jaci and those in authority recognised her talents as a nurse educator. Within a
short period, she was promoted to Principal Tutor at RGH, Concord. Her duties involved supervising six full time
nurse educators and the prime responsibility for the education program for general nurses and enrolled nurses. In
addition, Jaci and her staff were involved in the medical officers education program. Jaci encouraged her staff and
students to pursue extra-curricular activities. To this end, she established the Student Nurses Musical and Dramatic
Society.
During her 11 years in New South Wales, nursing Jaci was active as a curriculum developer in the Royal
Australian Army Nursing Corps (Citizen Military Forces). She was also an examiner of both oral and written
examinations with the New South Wales Nurses Registration Board and for a term she lectured in clinical teaching
at the New South Wales College of Nursing. During this period, she also obtained her Diploma of Nursing
Education at the New South Wales College of Nursing.
In Sydney in July 1964 Jaci married Vernon (Vern) O’Brien, a surveyor who became Surveyor General of
the Northern Territory in 1966. The wedding was held at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Macquarie Street
Sydney. As a tribute of the high esteem in which Jaci was held, student nurses from the Repatriation General
Hospital, Concord, formed a guard of honour.
In 1965, Jaci was appointed Nurse Educator at the Darwin Hospital. She was the first person who had a Diploma
in Nursing Education to be appointed to this position. Jaci was responsible for the complete re-organisation of the
nursing education program and the introduction of a scheme, which was designed to develop the practical skills of
nursing students. During this period, student nurses were required to undertake clinical work whilst studying.
Jaci O’Brien was cognisant that the Darwin Hospital School of Nursing was very small. To ensure that the
hospital’s nursing graduates were eligible for Australian registration, Jaci supported the concept that the Nurses
Board of the Northern Territory secure an outside body to assess its nursing students. The New South Wales Nurses
Registration Board agreed to act as external examiners for Northern Territory student nurses. This action not only
ensured that there was no criticism of a parochial or second rate nurse education program but also enhanced the
credibility of the nurse graduates.
Lyn Sullivan (nee Hillman) and Jill Schoolmeester (nee Dunkley) indicated that if it had not been for the high
academic standard expected by Jaci, many nurse graduates of Darwin Hospital would not have been eligible for
registration. In addition, the overall standard of graduates rarely fell below credit level in the New South Wales
examinations.
Ena Lobley (nee Rose) first met Jaci Seale in 1960 when she commenced her general nursing at the Repatriation
General Hospital, Concord. Ena was to later transfer her nursing education to Darwin Hospital where she once again
benefited from Jaci’s nursing knowledge and skills. Ena recalled that as Principal Nurse Educator, Jaci’s presence
in the school and wards commanded respect not only from students but all of her colleagues. This respect was
not only reflective of the traditional era that nursing occupied but also the high esteem in which Jaci was held as
a person.
Throughout her association with Jaci, Ena always thought of her as being a ‘lady’ and mentor. This view
was endorsed by Carol Goodhand (nee Schoolmeester) and Jill Schoolmeester. Patricia Magee recalled the first
time she lectured in a classroom environment Jaci met her prior to the occasion, chatted informally thus ensuring
that she was relaxed. As an educator, Jaci always gave encouragement and inspired self-confidence in Patricia.