Research Notes
Olive Mary Channon
1894-1971
1894-1971
The second of nine children born to miner, John Alfred Channon and Catherine Ellen Wilson in 1894. Family lived for many years in Atkinson Road, Beechworth from about 1883.
1919 ER is a nurse at Alexandra.
From the ODH House Committee report 14 February 1921 – … Nurse O. Channon was temporarily engaged to help with fever cases.
From the ODH House Committee report:
21 February 1922 – The Secretary reported that by direction of the President he had advertised in the district papers for probationer nurses and 5 applications had been received, the first 3 received were Miss Channon of Beechworth … Miss Channon has commenced duty …
23 June 1922 –… Nurse Channon has decided not to continue her training …
18 July 1922 –… As the institution was shorthanded, Nurse Channon who was leaving has been kept on at 30/- per week pending instructions, she is very suitable and has saved the expense of looking elsewhere for a nurse.
15 August 1922 – The secretary reported that … Nurse Channon had left.
From the ODH House Committee report 19 December 1924 – By permission of the president, I engaged Nurse Channon to take Nurse Goonan’s place at 35/- per week.
From the ODH House Committee report:
16 January 1925 –Nurse Goonan is still away on sick leave and Nurse Olive Channon is still here at 35/- per week.
20 February 1925 – Sister A. Ferguson is still in charge and Nurse Channon is still employed at 5/- per day.
21 March 1925 – Nurse Channon is still employed at the rate of £90-0-0 …
From the ODH House Committee Report:
19 March 1926 - … Nurse Channon has been temporarily engaged.
16 April 1926 – Nurse Channon is still here @£2-2-0 per week.
21 May 1926 – The secretary reported … Nurse Channon’s services were dispensed with on Monday last [17 May].
18 June 1926 – Nurse Channon who has had several years’ experience at the profession is desirous of starting as a probationer so as to complete a 3 years course. She has been here over 3 months and matron says that she is very useful and would probably save you from engaging a special nurse at times.
16 July 1926 – The secretary reported that Nurse Channon and Nurse Elliott had completed their 3 months’ probation and that they were approved of by the medical officers and matron and were willing to complete their indentures.
20 August 1926 –Nurse Channon is awaiting a reply from the RVTNA as she has applied for an allowance off her term of probation on account of the time that she has been engaged by this institution.
21 December 1926 – Nurse Channon wants to sign on as a probationer from 13th of March last. The RVTNA have decided to allow her one year off on account of the time that she has been nursing. … Mr F.H. Mackay moved that it be recommended that Nurse Olive Channon be allowed to sign her indentures …
In August 1926 Mary's younger sister, Ella, an inpatient in the ODH, died from tuberculosis of the hip. This occurs when tuberculosis spreads from the lungs to the hips. Ella previously worked at the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum as a nurse from 1918 until June 1924.
From the ODH House Committee report:
15 March 1927 – Matron has been informed by the secretary of the RVTNA to the effect that they will be satisfied if Nurse Channon completes 2 years per March 13th 1926. …
Recommended that Nurse White’s and Nurse Channon’s indentures be approved …
18 April 1927 – Nurse Channon and Nurse White have completed their indentures. … Nurse Channon commenced her 3rd year on the 13th of last month. She is away on her annual holidays at present.
21 June 1927 – The cooking fees for pro nurses has been risen and Nurse Channon had to pay 30/- and Nurse Creighton 20/-. They ask if the Board will refund one half of this amount as was done in the case of Nurse M. Greenwood and Nurse Morrison. … Recommended that the cooking fees of Nurse Channon and Nurse Creighton be paid and that in future the cooking fees of all probationers be paid by the Board.
From the ODH House Committee report 21 February 1928 – The secretary reported that Nurse Channon had completed her training and she has been retained on the authority of the President at £2-2-0 per week until the young probationers get into the way of things.
Date of qualification June 1929 – Ovens District Hospital & Queen Victoria Hospital.
From the ODH House Committee report 17 December 1929 – Nurse Channon of Beechworth and nurses Carr, Griffin, Boucher and Hoare of this hospital had done excellent work in collecting.
From the ODH House Committee report 19 January 1932 - Matron applied for extra temporary nursing assistance which was recommended. Nurse Channon to be engaged if practicable …recommended no further applications for trainees to be received for the present.
Register of General Nurses, August 1932 lists Olive as being at Atkinson Road, Beechworth ‘Beechworth and Queen Victoria Hospitals, June, 1929’. As does the 1931 March Register of General Nurses (Supp).
From the ODH house committee report 21 March 1933 – Matron’s report was received recommending that nurse Collins be engaged whilst Sister Lane is on holidays. She would accept the same salary as Sister Lane and there would not be any travelling expenses as she was staying with her parents at Back Creek, Yackandandah … with the exception of the appointment of a sister to take Sister Lane’s place during her absence on 3 weeks annual holiday – it was unanimously agreed by the board that Sister Channon of this town be engaged, if available, during Sister Lane’s absence.
Appointed Sister ODH December 1933 - see The Age, 20 December 1933
From the ODH house committee report :
19 June 1934 – Sister Channon had been off for a few days with a swollen face but returned to duty on Saturday evening [16 June].
20 November 1934 – Owing to the death of Sister Channon’s father she was granted her annual leave and on the advice of the Chairman and President and other members, Sister C. Sambell [1] was engaged at £3-3-0 per week until Sister Channon returned last Friday.
Olive's father John aged sixty-six, was admitted to the ODH on 14 October and died five days later from asthma and heart failure. Her mother, Catherine, passed away thirteen years earlier.
From the ODH house committee report :
15 January 1935 – The Secretary reported that the matron had left on her annual 3 weeks holiday on New Year’s Eve and that Sister Channon was acting matron and Sister Sambell was Acting Sister.
15 October 1935 – Sister Channon having applied for her annual holiday, the Secretary was instructed to ask Matron if she could arrange for her to go on holidays on Saturday next.
19 November 1935 – The Secretary reported that Sister Channon had returned from her holidays and resumed duty on the 12th inst. She had applied for a few days extra and with the permission of the chairman and members of the House Committee this had been granted.
From the ODH House Committee report:
21 January 1936 – Matron had left on her annual holidays on the 6th inst. and she had engaged nurse Thompson to act as sister in place of Sister Channon who is acting matron …
16 June 1936 – Sister Channon applied for a fortnight’s leave of absence and matron was agreeable to this and said that arrangements could be made to fill her position for the time. Secretary instructed to ascertain if matron had any one in view to take her place. The matron and secretary had interviewed nurse Ennis and she agreed to stay. The secretary told her that she would receive extra salary for the time and she was agreeable.
20 October 1936 –As instructed I informed Matron & Sister Channon of the Board’s decision in regard to their differences in regard to time off duty viz that the president was appointed to interview them with a view to some understanding being arrived at.
From the ODH house committee report:
19 January 1937 – The secretary reported that matron had gone on her annual holidays on the 6th inst. Sister Channon is in charge.
16 March 1937 – Staff sister – as you are aware Sister Channon has resigned ...an advertisement has been inserted in the Age and Argus twice.
20 April 1937 – Sister Channon completed her term on 31 March 1937.
Argus, 23 March 1937 - BEECHWORTH - Mrs. P. Beckwith and Sister Channon were entertained by the Church of England Women's Society, and presented with souvenirs before, they left for Sunbury and the Community Hospital. Wangaratta, respectively.
ER 1937-1949 nursing sister Wangaratta Base Hospital.
The marriage was quietly celebrated at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Wangaratta, on Tuesday last of Cr. L.M. Vincent, of Wangaratta and Miss O.N. Channon. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. Canon P.H. Dicker. Cr. Vincent who has been twice mayor of Wangaratta, resided in Beechworth for a number of years, and Miss Channon, a native of Beechworth was formerly on the staff of the Ovens District Hospital and the Wangaratta Base Hospital. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 3 June 1950.
Death Five Days After Marriage
WANGARATTA – Sunday
A man who served in three wars – South Africa and the two world wars – and an ex sergeant of police, borough councillor and former mayor of Wangaratta, Cr Leslie Moore Vincent died suddenly at his home in Murdoch Road early this morning. He had been subject to heart trouble and was married to Sister Shannon [sic] of Wangaratta Hospital on Tuesday [31 May]. His first wife died two years ago.
He was the son of the late Mr and Mrs George Vincent, and for several years was stationed as a police officer in Jamieson district and then at Beechworth, before coming to Wangaratta as sergeant in charge of the local station where he retired. Mr. Vincent later entered the borough council and gave some years’ valuable service.
There is no family. The funeral will take place on Tuesday after a service at Holy Trinity Cathedral at 2 p.m. The Age, 5 June 1950.
Olive lived at 79 Murdoch Road, Wangaratta from 1954 to 1968, 3 years prior to her death on 25 May 1971. She was buried in the Wangaratta Cemetery 27 May 1971.
[1] Carmen Mitta Heath Sambell, qualified Melbourne Hospital April 1932. Daughter of Albert Keaston T Sambell & Eleanor Annie Spavin.
©Anne Hanson, 2024 E-mail: Anne Hanson