History of Nursing in South Australia

Jean Ashton was born at Woodside, South Australia. Later her family lived at Booborowie in the mid-north where she attended primary school. After a ten year career in dressmaking, she began training at the Adelaide Hospital in 1929. This was followed by a course in Infectious Diseases nursing at Northfield, and midwifery at the McBride Hospital. After appointments at Lameroo and Jamestown Jean did infant welfare training in Hobart while awaiting call-up for the Australian Army Nursing Service. In 1941 she went with the 13th Australian General Hospital to Malaya and was among those who escaped from Singapore just before its capture by the Japanese in February 1942. When the ship 'Vyner Brooke' was sunk in Bauka Strait, Jean and fellow nurses were interned by the Japanese. She was among 24 nurses (from a total of 65) who survived until their release in September 1945. After recovery from her wartime experiences Jean resumed infant welfare work.