Helen (Ella) Tolmie - medical pioneer

Helen Tolmie was born in 1866 in Invergordon, Scotland and came to Australia while still very young in the late 1860’s. Her father, Roderick Tolmie, once in Australia, became manager of Wallan Station in the Dulacca district.

The committee of the Toowoomba General Hospital decided in 1889, to commence training their own nurses and Miss Tolmie was the first probationer engaged. Once her training was complete she remained at the General Hospital in the position of Sister until 1896.

During this time, Sister Tolmie led the movement which instigated the Hospital Help Society, was proactive in the establishment of the Victoria Wing of the General Hospital and, with the aid of Dr Freshney and others, established the Mothers’ Hospital.

Nurse Tolmie is also credited with assisting the first appendicectomy in Toowoomba. In 1896, Nurse Tolmie undertook a course in midwifery at the Lady Brown Hospital in Brisbane but soon returned to the Toowoomba General Hospital as the unanimously appointed Matron in 1897.

Matron Tolmie resigned in 1917 in order to take up a position at the Military Hospital at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. Although working tirelessly with the wounded soldiers, her greatest regret was not having had the opportunity to serve overseas.

She had been urged to stay in Australia as many wounded soldiers were returning and many young nurses needed to be trained. Matron Tolmie and the other nurses at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital were sent to the Kyogle district of New South Wales to help during the pneumonic influenza epidemic.

She then acquired St Andrew’s Private Hospital on the corner of Clifford and Herries Street, Toowoomba, where she served the community until her retirement in 1942.

Matron Tolmie is most remembered for her friendly and caring nature, her devotion to the sick and her tireless charitable works and was often likened to Florence Nightingale. She died on January 27, 1945 and is buried in the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery.

Sources

LH files – LH/Hospitals, Toowoomba and Darling Downs
LH files – LH/Tolmie, Helen (Ella)
McDowell, Vikki – “The History of Toowoomba General Hospital 1983
McInnes, Duncan – “Toowoomba General Hospital” 1952?