Sir Henry Parkes and the Relationships That Enabled Nightingale Nursing to Advance Mental Healthcare in Nineteenth Century Australia

This position paper explores famous colonial Australian politician Sir Henry Parkes use of relationships to reform colonial Australian mental healthcare by facilitating the integration of Nightingale-trained nurses into hospitals for the insane in the late nineteenth century. A review of historical sources including primary documents reveals that Parkes exhibited astute political skill by developing relationships with influential healthcare leaders such as Florence Nightingale, Lucy Osburn and Dr. Frederic Norton Manning. As Parkes cultivated friendships with such people, he was able to sow seeds for the deployment of Nightingale nurses including two members from the original group of six nurses sent by Nightingale to Australia in 1868, as well as three nurses trained under their supervision (probationers) into hospitals for the insane. This historical account provides evidence that enables current-day nurses to understand ways in which events of the past have contributed to the development of present-day mental health services and systems. Parkes' legacy also encourages contemporary nurses who are interested in change to consider the importance of forging diverse strategic relationships to bring their own visions into reality.