Monash Memo - 22 August 2001

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Post honours nursing hero

An appeal for the establishment of the Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care was launched in a moving ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne last week

The chairman of the Australian Services Nurses National Memorial Fund, Ms Ita Buttrose, and Victorian president of the RSL Mr Bruce Ruxton launched the appeal to honour the memory of the heroic wartime nurse.

Sister Bullwinkel, best known as a leader of female PoWs, survived three years of captivity under the Japanese during World War II. She was the sole survivor among 22 nurses gunned down in the shallows of Banka Island after a ship evacuating them from Singapore sank in 1942.

Vice-Chancellor Professor David Robinson said Monash was honoured to play a role in establishing the Vivian Bullwinkel Professorship, which would enhance the status, research capabilities and practice of palliative care nursing, both nationally and internationally.

“The appeal in support of the Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care Nursing is a tangible way in which the broader community can honour the memory of a great Australian,” Professor Robinson said.

The innovative research and teaching position is being set up through Monash’s School of Nursing in collaboration with the Peninsula Hospice Service and the Royal District Nursing Service.

An estimated $250,000 a year is required for the Vivian Bullwinkel Chair position. While Monash, the Peninsula Hospice Service and the RDNS have already made financial contributions, support from corporate partners and individuals is needed.

In launching the appeal, Ms Buttrose said it was fitting that “this remarkable woman” should be honored with a living memorial. 

“This significant combined effort in education and research provides an important opportunity for the development of palliative care practice in Australia,” Ms Buttrose said. “It will also emphasise the valuable contribution nurses make, especially in the care and treatment of the terminally ill.”

According to School of Nursing head Associate Professor Tony Barnett, Sister Bullwinkel’s dedication epitomised the type of person who should fill the chair.

“On her return to Australia, Vivien Bullwinkel continued to dedicate her life to comforting the sick and dying,” he said.

“It is therefore fitting that the Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Palliative Care will focus on the needs of the dying, exploring ways their lives can be made more comfortable.”