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Sister Helen . B. Conigrave, who passed away last year, will be remembered to readers on Upper Eyre Peninsula for her work at the Kimba Hospital where she introduced the Truby King system of mothercraft. Kimba was the first town in South Australia to have a Plunkett circle.

Sister Conigrave served in World War I as sister-in-charge of the Hertfield Military Hospital and was later transferred to Le Havre in France. She was matron in charge of several nursing institutions in Australia and Tasmania where she was widely known for her nursing ability and general interest in mothercraft.

Port Lincoln Times Thursday 08 January 1948 page 9

Helen Bertha CONIGRAVE was the daughter of Phillip CONIGRAVE & Emily BINNEY and was born on the 20th of June 1880 in the family home, Carrington Street, Adelaide, SA.

Her father was born on the 19th of March 1846 in Adelaide, SA and was the son of Benjamin COSIGRAVE & Matilda REEVE.

Her mother was born on the 22nd of June 1855 in Adelaide, SA and was the daughter of Richard BINNEY & Elizabeth NOBLE.

Phillip & Emily were married on the 11th of September 1879 at the residence of Emily’s sister, Mrs Elizabeth LAWRANCE of Hoxton Villa, Bryant Street, South Terrace, Adelaide, SA.

Helen was the eldest child born into this family of 10 children, 4 boys & 6 girls.

Helen’s Siblings;

(1) Jessie May CONIGRAVE (28.07.1881-07.10.1918) married Charles Edward COOPER (06.08.1881-08.02.1936) on 24.03.1909.

Children; Gladys Merle WATSON then FARRANT (13.01.1907-29.01.1982), Harry Thomas (1909-1935), Frank (29.11.1912-06.12.1913)

(2) Leslie Reeve CONIGRAVE (26.07.1882-26.06.1957) married Elsie Adelaide NEWSON (30.12.1882-26.11.1947) on 14.06.1908. 

Children; Lorna, Phillip Reeve (1911-22.07.1982), Leila May (1914-13.05.2002), Doreen Joan TWEEDDALE (24.04.1917-22.10.2004)

(3) Rosa Evelyn CONIGRAVE (11.04.1884-23.04.1960) married Frank Amethyst Sandison PEARCE (31.08.1882-23.05.1955) on 23.04.1920.

Children; Kathleen, Ronald & Trevor.

(4) Winifred Louise CONIGRAVE (12.10.1886-12.10.1967) married Allan Henry YOUNG (13.03.1884-02.03.1940) on 28.03.1914.

Children; Ruth Merle PATTERSON (02.03.1915-?), Margaret Reeve WEIR (28.07.1916-14.05.2011), Allan Glen (17.10.1917-03.06.2007), Donald (25.08.1922-1989), Constance Winifred WILSON (14.12.1923-17.05.2004).

(5) Wilfred Phillip CONIGRAVE (26.07.1888-21.04.1958) married Rachel Miriam LAWRIE (10.07.1885-03.10.1964) on 15.02.1911.

Children; Vinrace Lawrie (10.02.1912-11.10.1974), Robert Reeve (14.04.1915-13.07.1940), Mary Phillipa BYRNE (03.08.1916-08.08.2008), Jeffrey Garfield (13.03.1919-11.06.2006), Brian Noel (1924-08.03.2005), Thomas B (19.03.1925-1925).

(6) Leila Gertrude CONIGRAVE (17.07.1892-21.05.1947) married Raymund Beyer CLIFF (08.05.1884-09.08.1970) on 02.04.1926.

Children; Helen Faye (21.10.1928-08.04.2013) + 1

(7) Stanley Richard CONIGRAVE (20.07.1893-26.03.1973) married Clarice Irene MASON (08.08.1893-01.11.1970) on 09.11.1921.

Children; Betty Muriel EASTON (10.09.1922-23.12.2003), Joyce Reeve HANCOCK (16.10.1924-15.03.2012), Colin Lindsay (31.07.1926-20.10.1969), Janet WRAY.

(8) Hubert Edward CONIGRAVE (20.07.1893-06.04.1979) married Florence Edna MORPHETT (29.06.1897-13.02.1985) on 10.08.1930.

(9) Gwendolyn Rita CONIGRAVE (15.08.1899-25.06.1989) married Dudbridge Reeves GLASTONBURY (08.10.1897-04.10.1957) on 11.03.1930.

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The Conigrave family lived on Carrington Street, Adelaide and Helen’s father was a Coach Painter employed by the Adelaide and Suburban Tramway Company.

When Helen was 9 years her parents purchased a home on the corner of Kensington & Dudley Road, Marratyville and the family relocated.

On leaving school Helen became a trainee nurse and trained in the Adelaide Hospital where she gained her Medical & Surgical Certificate and became a member of the Royal British Nurses Association.

Her father drowned in the Torrens Lake on the 14th of June 1902 and they buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery.

After the death of her father her mother sold the family home and they moved to Montrose Avenue, Norwood.

On the 13th of September 1916 her brother; Hubert, enlisted into the AIF, 27th Battalion, 17th Reinforcement and was allotted the service number 6057.

He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 6th of November 1916.

At the age of 36, Helen enlisted into the Australian Army Nursing Service on the 5th of May 1917 in Keswick, SA.

Just prior to her embarkation an afternoon was arranged by Mrs J.G Kelly, superintendent of the Edith Cavell Army Nurses Club to farewell Helen and 8 other nursing sisters including; E.L Tremlett, L Creasy, E French, E.M Whyte, A Nelson, V.W Beck, M.A Bennett and E Alleyn.

Helen embarked from Melbourne on the 12th of May 1917 on board HMAT Benalla, disembarking in Plymouth, England on the 19th of July.

She served in England and France.

Helen embarked for Australia on the 18th of January 1919 on board the HMAS Margha with returning soldiers and 2 other nursing sisters; A Donnell & F. E Williams.

On Friday morning, the 28th of February 1919, Helen and the passengers on the HMAS Margha were released from quarantine and arrived in Outer Harbour at 11am for disembarkation.

Helen was discharged on the 29th of March 1919 and returned back to her civilian nursing life.

In 1920 Helen successfully applied for the Matron position at the Yass Hospital in New South Wales and began her appointment in November 1920.

She resigned from her appointment in February 1921 as she had gained a position at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Launceston, Tasmania.

In September 1922 Helen successfully applied for the Matron position at the Queenstown Hospital, which she held for nearly 4 years.

In April 1926 a public farewell was held for Helen as she had gained a position as Matron of the Riverton Soldiers Memorial Hospital in South Australia.

Whilst at the Riverton Hospital she successfully campaigned for the erection of a Maternity Wing.

In July 1927 Helen obtained 6 months leave of absence and went to New Zealand to study the famous Plunket Methods of child care and mothercraft under Sir Frederick Truby King.

Sir Frederick Truby King’s specialty was child health and his vision was to help mothers and save babies who were dying from malnutrition and disease. He believed that scientifically formulated methods on nutrition and infant care were the key to reducing the death rate among babies and children.

Helen studied at the Dunedin Plunket Hospital, the mother school for trained nurses.

While she was there she met three other South Australian nurses, all of them, like herself, ex army nurses who had been drawn to study in New Zealand by their interest in mothercraft work and the world fame of Sir Frederick Truby King's methods.

These three nurses with Helen were Miss Patty KING, Miss Irene BLAKE and Miss Anne DONNELL.

In the last month of her stay in New Zealand she was devoted to visiting all the six Karitane Hospitals and seeing the work there.

She lunched, with Sir Frederick Truby King at his house and afterwards he showed her over the great emulsion factory, which was an important part of the work.

The emulsion was prepared cream for adding to milk when babies couldn’t breast feed and it was made on absolutely scientific principles to supply what was lacking in other food.

As a heavy duty had been placed on its importation to Australia, "Sir Frederick Truby King was going to present the formula to one of the Australian States, where a Plunket Society was going to undertake to manufacture it at a certain cost, so that it would not be beyond the reach of any mother.

When Helen left New Zealand she was asked to be spokeswoman for the group in South

Australia, where they hoped the Plunket system would soon be widely known and practised.

Helen returned to South Australia more than ever an enthusiast and gave talks in the country and in the city on what is being done in New Zealand and in the other States, all of which had societies representing the Plunket system.

She also undertook to answer letters by mothers on difficulties of child care and mothercraft whilst at the Riverton Hospital.

Helen believed that in South Australia there was room for a Karitane Mothercraft Hospital, where mothers may go into residence with their babies and be taught to care for them until both mother and baby were thriving.

She was greatly interested, on visiting such an institution in Sydney and found it in charge of Miss Dorothy JACOB, a well known South Australian girl.

In 1928 she gained a position as Matron of the Kimba Hospital, where she remained for 5 years. In September 1933 a farewell was held for her in the Moongi Hall as she was moving back to Adelaide to be the Matron of the Rumont Maternity and Mothercraft Private Hospital.

This hospital was located at 390 Unley Road, Unley and was now Helen’s permanent residence.

On Friday the 4th of April 1947 Helen’s sister; Mrs Gwendolyn Glastonbury tried to contact her several times in the morning as she wished to invite her over for dinner, but could not raise any response.

Gwendolyn then decided to call on her at 4:30pm and when she arrived at Helen’s home she found the hospital locked up and the wire door secured on the inside. Gwendolyn telephoned her husband, Dudbridge, immediately and advised him that she did not feel very happy about things at the hospital and asked him to go to the hospital, she then went to Mr Patterson’s home.

Dudbridge arrived with his brother; Austin, and Mr L Patterson and when they arrived at 5:50pm they managed to gain admittance though an unlocked window.

Dudbridge found Helen in her bed and presumed she was asleep and deemed it unwise to awake her and Helen finding herself in the presence of three men.

He decided to have Gwendolyn brought from Patterson’s home and then they both endeavoured to awaken Helen, but she would not respond.

Helen’s sister in-law, Mrs Clarice Irene Conigrave, also a nursing sister was telephoned and on her arrival she called in Dr. R A Goode.

Dr Goode examined Helen and finding her in a comatosed state, ordered her to be admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Helen never regained consciousness and died at 1:45pm on the 8th of April 1947.

An autopsy was held and the coroner believed her cause of death to have been from Staphylococcal Pneumonia and abscesses in both her lungs.

Helen was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery; Road 4, Path 26, Aspect E, Plot 15 with her parents.

She never married