In 2011 we said goodbye to one of our long standing staff members Maternal and Child Health Nurse Robyn Fairweather. Robyn commenced her MCHN certificate in 1976 at QEC, and she loved it so much that she stayed. In fact, apart from Maternity Leave, she stayed for almost 35 years, mostly on night duty. Robyn was the perfect night nurse, performing her duties in a calm quiet manner, making her a true ‘lady with the lamp”.
During those early years there was no Worksafe or Occupational Health and Safety, so when she was required to descent the rickety steep old steps to the old boiler she literally ‘took her life in her own hands’. She remembers the time when her nurse’s intuition was working over time, having the feeling that someone was watching the staff going about their duties. Furthermore the cleaners were finding unexplained cigarette butts. Management felt the staff were being paranoid, but sure enough Robyn saw a man one night on the roof, looking in the Mother’s Room window while the Mother’s were Breastfeeding. I can imagine Robyn saying “I told you so”.
Robyn continued on night duty when QEC moved to Noble Park, even though she had to stop at every MacDonald’s she passed, for a coffee to make it home. She enjoyed her work with the families so much, that she wanted it to go on forever, however ill health bought an early retirement. Robyn left QEC, after all those years, in the same way as she had performed her duties, in a calm quiet dignified manner. She is sadly missed by all her colleagues who love her, and we wish her all the best in her well earned retirement.
