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Sutherland, Selina Murray Macdonald (1839 - 1909)

Born
26 December 1839
Parish of Kildonnel, Sutherland, Scotland
Died
8 October 1909
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Philanthropist, Nurse and Welfare worker

Summary

Selina (also spelt Sulina) Sutherland was the first person in the State of Victoria to be licensed under the 1887 Neglected Children's Act. The Act sanctioned private licensed individuals to remove children from unfit homes and take them under their own guardianship. The daughter of Baigrie and Janet (née MacDonald) Sutherland, Selina Sutherland was born in Scotland, spent some time in New Zealand before settling in Melbourne, Australia, in 1881. Initially she worked as a nurse and, along with Mrs Maria Armour, founded the Scots' Church Neglected Children's Aid Society in 1881. For the next 28 years Sutherland was involved with helping Melbourne's poor. Following her death on 8 October 1909 a public appeal was held to erected a granite memorial for her grave.

Details

Events

28 August 1864
Emigrated to New Zealand on the Eastern Empire
1879
Principal founder of Masterton Hospital
1879 - December 1880
Matron of Wellington Hospital
1881
Settled in Melbourne, Victoria
March 1883
Established the Society in Aid of Maternity Hospital Patients
17 February 1885
Founded the Melbourne District Nursing Society
May 1886
Appointed by the Presbytery of Melbourne the first Lady Missionary to the Presbyterian Churches in Victoria
1888
The first person to be appointed in Victoria to receive children under the Neglected Children's Act, part 8
1891
Wrote a paper on slum life in Melbourne for the second Australasian Conference on Charity
1892
Interrupted a meeting of the Melbourne Ladies' Benevolent Society, with a group of poor people whose needs she felt the Society was failing to meet.
1894
Established the Presbyterian Neglected Children's Aid Society
1895
Established the Victorian Neglected Children's Aid Society
1897
Visited the United Kingdom during the Queen Victoria's Diamond Jublee and presented to Queen Victoria

Sources used to compile this entry: Hilton, Della, 1931-, Selina's legacy: from VCAS to Oz Child, Oz Child-Children Australia, Oakleigh, Vic., 1993, 184 pp; Johns, Fred, John's Notable Australians, 1906, George Robertson & Company Proprietary Limited, Adelaide, 1905, 218 pp; Swain, Shurlee, 'Selina Sutherland: Child Rescuer', in Lake, Marilyn and Kelly, Farley (eds), Double time : women in Victoria - 150 years, Penguin, Ringwood, Vic., 1985, pp. 109-116.

Related entries

Archival resources

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

  • Victorian Children's Aid Society records, 1893 - 1976, MS 10051, Boxes 1-53.; Victorian Children's Aid Society (1893 - 1991); State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Hilton, Della, 1931-, Selina's legacy: from VCAS to Oz Child, Oz Child-Children Australia, Oakleigh, Vic., 1993, 184 pp. Details
  • Jessop, J. C., Selina M. Sutherland : her life story and work, 2 edn, Sutherland Homes for Children, [Elsternwick, Vic.?], 1967, 20 pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Swain, Shurlee, 'Selina Sutherland: Child Rescuer', in Lake, Marilyn and Kelly, Farley (eds), Double time : women in Victoria - 150 years, Penguin, Ringwood, Vic., 1985, pp. 109-116. Details

Online Resources

See also

  • Johns, Fred, John's Notable Australians, 1906, George Robertson & Company Proprietary Limited, Adelaide, 1905, 218 pp. Details
  • Swain, Shurlee, 'The Victorian Charity Network in the 1890s', PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, 1977, 439 pp. Details

Anne Heywood

Created: 1 October 2003, Last modified: 30 April 2009

Comments

I am thrilled to read the details about my grt grt aunt Selina as are my entire family in NZ. My late mother and I visited the homes in Diamond Creek in 1987. I have the broach presented to Selina by the very 1st of her 'neglected children'. It is a family heirloom and Selina is seen to be wearing it in most of her photos. It is our desire one day to return to Melbourne for another visit.

maree elizabeth gutry - 15 May 2011, 4:24 AM EST

Hello Maree. I wonder if you are my namesakes sister my cousin from the Forbes family? I would like to get hold of any history of the Grants & Stevensons& of course Selina. If you can help please contact, thanks Christine.

Christine Gavin - 21 September 2011, 11:20 AM EST

Some of her most charitable efforts weren't just reserved solely in Australia but were carried out in NZ, particularly in the Wairarapa.
Another great-great grand-son of Robert Grant

j holms - 28 December 2011, 12:45 AM EST

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