Research Notes

Mary Jane Ivy Higgs

Known as Ivy. Born 1890. Third child of 13 children born to Henry Arthur Higgs, a miner and Esther Barnett.

Birth and marriage are registered in the name of Mary Jane Ivy Higgs.

Father Henry Arthur Higgs, a miner, died at Bright 31 Oct 1911. COD: Consumption. Buried Bright. Earlier in the same year the last child, Mary Patricia Kathleen was born.

Ivy’s older sister, Esther Myrtle, was the first of the sisters to take up nursing. She trained at Wangaratta Hospital and qualified as a general nurse in June 1913.

DISTRICT NURSES FOR THE FRONT. .... Nurse Myrtle Higgs, of Bright, has gone into the Base Hospital at Melbourne, and sails for the front shortly.

Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 6 January 1917.

Enlisted AANS 4 May 1917, nursed in India and England. Arrived home May 1919.

Younger sister, Mary Monica was also a nurse and trained at Wangaratta Hospital, qualifying 17 May 1924.

1912 – 1915 ER Ivy is a dressmaker living with her widowed mother in Harrietville Road, Bright.

From the ODH House Committee report 20 September 1915 – Since last meeting Nurse Higgs had commenced her training as pupil nurse.

From the ODH minutes of board meeting 21 December, 1915 - The seal of the hospital was affixed to the indentures of Nurse Higgs …

From the ODH Inpatient Register 1 January 1906-28 April, 1925. Admitted as a patient with pleurisy, on 7 November 1916. 25 November 1916 discharged to her mother, Mrs Higgs at Bright.

From the ODH House Committee report 20 November 1916 – That Nurse Higgs was ill and it would be some time before she could resume duty.

From the ODH House Committee report 19 September 1917 – The examinations for Junior Nurses in Anatomy & Physiology had been held. Nurse Higgs & I’Anson passed fully and three other nurses obtained partial passes.

Passed final examinations June 1918 – Ovens &Murray Advertiser, 17 July 1918, page 4.

From July 1917 Una, R.V.T.N.A. EXAMINATION RESULTS.

MAY EXAMINATIONS.

The following are the names of the successful candidates at the final examination of the Conjoint Board of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses’ Association held on 21st and 22nd May: — … Beechworth (Ovens District) Hospital — Mary Jane Ivy Higgs, Gertrude Logan.

From the ODH House Committee report, September 16 1918 - nurse Higgs who had passed her final examination in May last is in charge. Her 3 years training expires on October 7th. It was agreed to recommend to the board that nurse Higgs receive 12/6 per week during the time that she is in charge until her training is completed.

From the House Committee report ODH October 15 1918 - that nurse Higgs who had passed her examination and finished her training had been placed in charge until the 7th of October when Miss Morgan who had been engaged in Melbourne took charge for 3 months as acting matron …

Date of qualification October 1918.

November 1918 Una Journal – General Register, Higgs, Ivy Mary, 152 Power-st., Hawthorn—Cert. Beechworth Hospital, October, 1918. Exam., May, 1918. 152 Power Street was a trained nurses’ home.

1919 ER Ivy and her older sister are both at 152 Power Street, Hawthorn.

1922 at 48 Bangalore Street. Kensington.

June 1923 Una Journal – Special Registrations, Higgs, Ivy Mary, 48 Bangalore-street, Kensington, cert., Women’s Hospital, mid., 6 months, February, 1923.

1924 ER listed as a nurse – residence “Kinross”, Orrong Road, Toorak – most likely a private hospital.

Married farmer, Sydney Marshall Slatter in 1925; 3 children, John Vernon, Sidney Marshall and Lawrence Meredith.

1931 Sydney and Ivy were farming at Narre Warren. However, by 1942 they were farming at Trafalgar in Gippsland where they were to remain for the rest of their lives.

From an article in the Argus dated 29 July 1942 it seems Ivy became an active member of the community and was the Moe group leader of the Red Cross Emergency service and from a Family Notice dated 26 March 1942 she was working with a local GP, Dr. Mitchell.

Ivy died aged 61 on 22 December 1961 at Trafalgar. Probate granted 18 March 1963.