Life of Martha Entwistle : Australia's first convict mental health nurse

Journal article

Raeburn, Toby, Liston, Carol, Hickmott, Jarrad and Cleary, Michelle. (2018). Life of Martha Entwistle : Australia's first convict mental health nurse. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 27(1), pp. 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12356
AuthorsRaeburn, Toby, Liston, Carol, Hickmott, Jarrad and Cleary, Michelle
Abstract

The present position paper provides an account of the life of Martha Entwistle, the earliest recorded convict nurse who worked within the Castle Hill Asylum. In our review of primary historical sources, Australia's first convict mental health nurse was found to be a resilient woman who endured several traumatic life experiences. Her nursing within Australia's first mental health asylum was highly valued by the superintendent of the service. She nursed in a harsh colonial environment, short of adequate resources, during an era of fast-paced industrial and technological a change. Martha Entwistle's experiences provide a historical account of the role of the early convict mental health nurse. Her life story enables modern-day nurses to reflect on the advances made in mental health nursing and contexts of care for nurses today.

Keywordsasylum; convict; history; mental health; nurse
Year2018
JournalInternational Journal of Mental Health Nursing
Journal citation27 (1), pp. 455-463
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISSN1445-8330
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12356
PubMed ID28577320
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85020109535
Page range455-463
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online03 Jun 2017
Publication process dates
Accepted23 Apr 2017
Deposited21 May 2025
Additional information

© 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

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