Vale Joan Durdin (1922-2025)
It was with great sadness that we heard that the renowned Adelaide oral historian, Dr Joan Durdin had passed away. Joan was aged 102 and had led a full life as a nurse and a nurse educator before retiring in 1983. She was the head of the Nursing department at Flinders University in 1974, then known as Sturt CAE. In 1975 Joan oversaw the transformation of nursing education from hospital based training to a tertiary education course, with placements in teaching hospitals. It was the first course of this type in SA, and was followed by courses at Salisbury and Underdale CAEs, and the South Australian Institute of Technology course (City East campus of UniSA) which began in 1986. Joan encouraged the nursing educators of the day to build courses which emphasised a holistic approach to patient care.
In 1983 Joan joined the committee of the South Australian branch of the OHA and contributed her skill and energy to encouraging the practice of oral history amongst the South Australian community. She undertook many oral histories which underpinned her books which included They Became Nurses: A History of Nursing in South Australia, 1836-1980 and Eleven Thousand Nurses: A History of Nursing Education at Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1889-1993. Her last book, Fostering Friendship and Mutual Assistance: The Royal Adelaide Hospital Nurses’ Association was published in 2018. Over 100 oral histories are held at the State Library of South Australia.
Joan was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1985 for services to nursing and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Flinders University in 1994.
Joan was an inspiration to all who crossed her path, and will be missed by many.
Her funeral will be on 27 February at 2pm
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