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the Territory, retiring in 1978. After his retirement, he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services
to the Northern Territory.
He died suddenly on 13 July 1988, aged 75, on a visit to Darwin to see his son with whom Shirley now lives.
Family information.
ANN RICHARDS, Vol 3.JONES, EILEEN ROSEMARY nee TUFFIN (1929– ), nursing sister, was born on 25 February 1929 at
Smithtown, Macleay River, in northern New South Wales, the younger of two children of Robert Henry Tuffin
and his wife, Valerie, nee Chadwick. The Chadwicks were pioneers of the Macleay River area and her father’s
family were early settlers in the Port Macquarie area. Eileen’s father initially was a farmer and later a wholesale
produce merchant. Her primary school education was frequently interrupted due to illness and numerous periods
of hospitalisation. Her secondary education was at St Clare’s College, Waverley, New South Wales. After three
years, she left high school to take up a position in the Salaries branch of the Department of Public Instruction, now
Department of Education, Sydney.
Her general nursing education was undertaken at the Sydney General Hospital. This hospital was steeped in
history as its first Lady Superintendent, Lucy Osburn, was selected by Florence Nightingale to come to Australia
with four other Nightingale nurses to establish a traditional nursing education program. Eileen commenced her
general nursing in 1947 and completed the four-year course in 1951. As a student nurse, Eileen received 12/6 (twelve
Shillings and six Pence) per week plus board. A normal week consisted of either 60 hours night duty or 56 hours
day duty. It was the norm for students to attend lectures in their own time irrespective if this happened to be on
rostered days off or after night duty. At that time, all student nurses were expected to reside in the hospital under
strict supervision. Immediately after completing her general nursing program Eileen commenced the Midwifery
Nursing program at the Royal Hospital for Women, Paddington, New South Wales.
On completion of this course in 1952, Eileen and two friends accepted nursing positions with the Commonwealth
Department of Health, Northern Territory Medical Service. She took up her position at the Darwin Hospital on
5 February 1952 specialising in midwifery nursing. Late in 1952, Eileen was transferred to work at the Katherine
Hospital for a number of months. At that time, there was no local doctor. The medical superintendent of Darwin
Hospital, Dr Bill Alderman, visited the hospital on a regular basis. The registered nurses were therefore required to
provide a diverse range of health services to the population of Katherine district and surrounding areas, including
a regular clinic session at Pine Creek. The licensee of the Pine Creek Hotel made a back room available for the
clinic.
On her return to Darwin Hospital Eileen continued working mainly in the midwifery areas though from time
to time she was required to relieve in other areas. She married Norman Francis Jones in Christ Church Cathedral,
Darwin on 24 March 1954. At that time, it was permissible for married women to be employed as registered nurses
in the Northern Territory. The marriage ended in divorce some 20 years later.
In July 1955, Eileen accompanied her husband to Adelaide, South Australia. Eileen was not happy unless she
was working. So within a short time of arriving in Adelaide she was employed within two nursing specialties,
namely in the Labour Ward and as an Operating Theatre Sister at the Williza Private Hospital. She stayed there
until she commenced her infant welfare nursing certificate course at Torrens House. During the later part of her
stay in South Australia, Eileen’s husband returned to Darwin and she joined him on 1 July 1957. On her return,
she sought employment as a registered nurse at Darwin Hospital but in the two years that she was absent from
Darwin, the Northern Territory Medical Service had endorsed a policy that married women were not to be employed
as Registered Nurses at Darwin Hospital.
Not to be thwarted by bureaucracy, Eileen sought employment with the Welfare Branch of the Northern
Territory Administration that at that time looked after Aboriginal affairs. Her first appointment was to establish
a health centre at Hooker Creek, now Lajamanu. A year later, she was transferred to Maningrida to establish a
health centre. The role Eileen played in the establishment of the health service at Maningrida is outlined in the
book The End of Dreaming written by Ingrid Drysdale and Mary Durack. In later years, Eileen was also to work at
Yuendumu, Barunga and Belyuen Settlements.
In those years, the role of a remote area nurse was very diverse. The nurse was on call 24 hours a day seven
days a week. In addition to being nurse and midwife, the person was expected to fulfil the roles of pharmacist,
dentist, veterinarian, cook and cleaner when no one else was available. Eileen reminisced that at Lajamanu she
was required to cook two meals a day to ensure that all pre-school children, antenatal and breast feeding mothers,
and anyone else in the community who was ill received adequate nutrition. A doctor came from Darwin every six
weeks otherwise if Eileen required medical advice or support she had to rely on using the radio to speak to a doctor.
Eileen stated that during this period it was normal to record baseline information in the health records otherwise
verbal communication was acceptable. This practice changed in the 1970s when everything had to be recorded,
often in duplicate or triplicate. She recognises the medico-legal importance of documentation but believes this
era heralded in the paper warfare between personnel working in remote communities and a range of government
bureaucracies.
Eileen reared four babies whilst working in remote communities; two were raised at Lajamanu and another
two at Maningrida. The mothers of these babies were either hospitalised at the East Arm Leprosarium or had
died. To be assigned this child rearing role reflects the standing and important position Eileen occupied in the
community, as it is usually allocated to an aunty or older tribal woman. At Lajamanu, the nurse was never asked to
assist a mother in the delivery of her child. Childbirth was considered a private matter by the Warlpiri; a pregnant