Boorowa Hospital Auxiliary Gets Ready for Conference

The Boorowa Hospital Auxiliary is getting ready to host the Riverina United Hospital Auxiliary (UHA) Regional Conference at the Boorowa Ex-Services and Citizen’s Club on Thursday the 7th of April 2022.

The Riverina district is vast and includes Adelong-Batlow, Ardlethan, Bookham, Boorowa, Coolamon-Ganmain, Cootamundra, Curlew-Lake Cargelligo, Crookwell, Griffith, Gundagai, Hay, Hillston, Junee, Leeton, Lockhart, Murrumburrah-Harden, Narrandera, Temora, Tumut, Wagga Wagga, West Wyalong, Yass and Young.

Participants at the Conference include State President, Tracy Wilkinson, and the Regional Representative for the Riverina, Liane Preinbergs. The guest speaker is Angus Mitchell, the President of the Boorowa Business Chamber.

Topics for discussion include resolutions to be put to the State Conference, and fundraising, which has become more difficult due to COVID and the need to have public liability insurance and food handling qualifications, for example.

Boorowa’s Hospital Auxiliary is made up of 20 men and women, including Life Members, Mary Corcoran and Phoebe Stewart.

The members principally raise money for the Boorowa Hospital through the Melbourne Cup Lunch, Christmas Hamper Raffle, and Mother’s Day Stall, which is held just prior to Mother’s Day outside Bert’s Baa Baa Shop.

However, you can donate to this great cause at any time by getting in touch with the Treasurer, Yvonne Dockett, on 6385 1807.

It may interest you to learn that the NSW United Hospital Auxiliary (UHA) organisation was first formed by Eleanor Vokes Irby MacKinnon (1871-1936).

In 1929 Mrs MacKinnon was appointed to the first Hospitals Commission of New South Wales. It was there that she helped to form many hospital auxiliaries in 1933, convened three large conferences of hospital matrons in Sydney and arranged regular regional conferences in the country.

She was also responsible for publicity and promoted immunization against diphtheria. Long an admirer of Sister Elizabeth Kenny, in 1934 she helped to set up her clinic for poliomyelitis cases at Townsville, Queensland.

Mrs MacKinnon was awarded King George V’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935. Survived by her sons, she died on the 31st of January 1936 in Royal North Shore Hospital.

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