1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: Joining me on the line is the Australian College of 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Nursing CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward. 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 2: Good morning to you Kylie. 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 3: Today Katie and I got it wrong the first time, 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 3: so it's a Vina Brooks. 6 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: Oh, thank you the Viner brook I do apologize. So 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: commemorating a number of different things. Tell us exactly what 8 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: you are going to be commemorating. 9 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, certainly it's fair to say that nurses from 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 3: all over Australia have embarked on Darwin this week. They're 11 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 3: in town that's lying in today. But today is an 12 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 3: important day because more than one hundred nurses from across 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 3: Australia will be paying their respects to the nurses who survived, 14 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 3: but those who lost their lives in the sinking of 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 3: the Viner Brooks, the bombing of Darwin and the Banker 16 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 3: Island massacre and our military nurses are actually in a 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 3: room right now having a day of professional development. So 18 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 3: it's great to see so many milk nurses in town. 19 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 3: Two oh. 20 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And you know, when you talk about nurses, very often, 21 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, our minds sort of goes straight to 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: hospitals or those clinical settings. But when you think about 23 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: our military nurses, what an incredibly difficult job theres would be. 24 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 3: They're so brave, they're so courageous. I mean, nurses to 25 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 3: me represent the best of humanity. And then you get 26 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 3: these incredible human beings that then go and take their 27 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 3: nursing expertise and join the military and serve and sacrifice 28 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 3: and protect our nations, not only in humanitarian efforts that 29 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 3: obviously in more conditions and in conditions of danger. They're 30 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 3: very remarkable. 31 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: And what is planned today for that service? 32 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're going to meet up at the Dawin Museum 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 3: and have a service in honor of the nurses he 34 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 3: lost their lives. As I mentioned, there were sixty five 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 3: nurses eighty years ago who boarded the viner Brook. It 36 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 3: was the last ship to leave the shores of Singapore, 37 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 3: and there was not quite two hundred people, most of 38 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 3: them were civilians. But the reason that there were so 39 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 3: many nurses. They were actually supposed to board the ship 40 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 3: before and they would have made it back to Australia, 41 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 3: but they wouldn't leave their patients. And that says everything 42 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 3: about nurses, doesn't it. It really does, It really does. 43 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 3: And so twelve, when so they left on the twelfth 44 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 3: of February. Fourteenth of February, two days later, when the 45 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 3: Viner Brook was bombed at sea by the Japanese, twelve 46 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 3: nurses lost their lives and then the others swam to 47 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 3: swam to shore. So the nurses that lost their lives, 48 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 3: their bodies were never found, you know, families never just 49 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 3: been left with a little bit of you know, that 50 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: emptiness inside. But the others swum to two shores. But 51 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: those that made it to the shore. Twenty two nurses 52 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 3: made it to the shores of Radji Beach and they 53 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 3: were unfortuntionally witnessed soldiers and civilians bayonetted to death. And 54 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 3: then the nurses were told to line up on the 55 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: shore of the water and had to march into the water, 56 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 3: knowing that the soldiers, Japanese soldiers behind them had machine 57 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: guns and they were walking into their depths. Now we 58 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 3: wouldn't know this story only that Lieutenant Colonel Vivian balwick 59 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 3: Or was shot in the hip, baked her death, laid 60 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 3: in the water until she couldn't hear any noise, and 61 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 3: then got herself to shore founder an English soldier who 62 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 3: was injured. She cared for him for three days, even 63 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: with her own wound, moved them and then surrendered and 64 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 3: was a prisoner of war for three years. And that's 65 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 3: the only way we know that this is the worst 66 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 3: massacre in austraight as history. 67 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: That is incredible, absolutely, you know, an incredible story. 68 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: And I've no doubt that you know, even you know 69 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: at this. 70 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: At the service, there's probably going to be quite a 71 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: few emotional nurses when you think, you know, when you 72 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: think about what those military nurses have been through, but 73 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: here a story like that, it's unbelievable. 74 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 3: You know, we're going to have military nurses that have 75 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 3: served in Afghanistan, that have been injured, that have had 76 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 3: their own sacrifices living today are absolute heroes for the profession. 77 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 3: But you're absolutely right. I mean, I don't ever want 78 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 3: while I'm in the position that I'm in leading the 79 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 3: nurse in profession industry, I don't want to ever lose 80 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 3: sight of the past. You know, the nurses that died 81 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 3: on the banks of Raji Beach on that day on 82 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 3: the sixteenth of February, and even those that didn't make 83 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 3: it to the beach, and those that died in as 84 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 3: prisoners of war they back then, eighty years ago, Katie, 85 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 3: nurses couldn't marry, couldn't have families. If you chose nursing, 86 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 3: you gave that up or you weren't allowed to do 87 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 3: it to be a nurse. So they're not survived by 88 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 3: loved ones or children. And if we don't keep them 89 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 3: memories alive. Now it's eighty years, they're in their twenties 90 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 3: and thirties, are at the cunning, at the edge of innovation. 91 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 3: They went and fought for their country. I worry that 92 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 3: we'll lose their memory forever, which is why I've started 93 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 3: the full Winkle Project to make sure that we cement 94 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 3: them in history. And we should never forget the women 95 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 3: who fought for us as well as the men. 96 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, I could not agree with you more. My 97 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 1: mum's a nurse and has been for fifty years, so 98 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: I always have a special place in my heart for nurses. 99 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: I think they do an incredible job. 100 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: Yes, but then when you you know, when you actually 101 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: look at the vital role that our nurses have played 102 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: during the various wars, it is it's unbelievable. 103 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 3: And look, my mum's a nurse. They bring up pap 104 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 3: great kids. 105 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: I tell you what, there's no faking being sick, is there, Kylie? 106 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: When your mum's a. 107 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 3: Nurse is no, No, you don't miss around. 108 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 2: You've pretty much got to be falling apart exactly. 109 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,799 Speaker 1: Hey, just tell us how many people are you expecting 110 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: to attend? I know that it's not only obviously about 111 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: the service sets prepared that is being organized, but it's 112 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: also you know about this conference that's happening. 113 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: How many people are attending. 114 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I'm really excited to say because we couldn't 115 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 3: actually in February honor the nurses of Diviner Brook because 116 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 3: of COVID and so it was really important that we 117 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 3: didn't let this go by. But you're right. As of 118 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 3: tomorrow our National Nursing Forum starts. There will be over 119 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 3: six hundred nurses here and another couple of hundred online. 120 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 3: So some of these nurses, Katie, have not had a 121 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 3: break since COVID began, or really you know, the last 122 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 3: year and a half two years, a lot of nurses 123 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 3: got pulled back on their annual leave and so some 124 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 3: of them are self funding and taking annual leaves to 125 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,559 Speaker 3: come here and get the professional and personal development. For others, 126 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 3: it will be the first break that they've had in 127 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 3: a couple of years. So, you know, Darwin's a beautiful 128 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 3: destination and I can already feel it giving us a 129 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 3: big hug with the warm weather, and it's really nice 130 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 3: to get back in the room with our colleagues and 131 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 3: share some stories and support each other. 132 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: Oh how wonderful is this the first time that it's 133 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: happened in Darwin. 134 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 3: It is absolutely yeah. And I've actually wanted to bring 135 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 3: it to Darwin last year and we couldn't. We could 136 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: only hold it online. So it's been really important because 137 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 3: Darwin's always welcomed the Australian College of Nursing. The Northern 138 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 3: Territory is very important to us. Years ago the Royal 139 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 3: College of Nursing hosted its annual conference in Alice. This 140 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: is a first for Darwin. 141 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 2: How awesome. 142 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 3: A lot of nurses this is their first time here, 143 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: so it's a bit of a breakaway and get to 144 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 3: see different parts of Australia. 145 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: Oh, it sounds like it's going to be fantastic. Kylie 146 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: just very quickly on the on the event that is 147 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: happening around the remembering all of the nurses that we 148 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: have lost. Is that something that's open to the public 149 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: or is that just for our nurses to attend. 150 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 3: Now, look, if people can get there today at three 151 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 3: o'clock at the Darwin Museum, I would love for the 152 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 3: public to join us, and I think the nursing profession 153 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: would appreciate and welcome that come and mingle. And you know, 154 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 3: everybody I talk to you knows the nurse has a 155 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 3: connection with nursing. Probably sometimes sometime in our lives we're 156 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 3: going to be cared for by a nurser. Yeah, whatever 157 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 3: reason you want to come out this afternoon and join us, 158 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 3: please do it and been honor. 159 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 2: Oh wonderful stuff. 160 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: So great to speak with you this morning, Kylie. I 161 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. 162 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 3: Oh, thank you for your time, Katie, and give you 163 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 3: a give my love to your mom. 164 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: You too look after yourself. Thank you.