Were you a valentine's day baby?

In the days of the free settler and pioneers on the Sunshine Coast, medical assistance was often very far away and Pioneer cemeteries tell silent stories of heartbreak and loss as a result of this distance. 

Meet the amazing Sunshine Coast midwives

Meet the midwives who played such a significant contribution in the early days of the Sunshine Coast. Those who safely delivered so many local babies, often in the most difficult circumstances.

Thank you! And to those delivering Sunshine Coast babies today, thank you too.

Nurse Ellen Hume 

In 1888, English born Nurse Ellen Hume moved to Peachester and became a pioneering midwife.

Nurse Hume rode side-saddle from the Beerwah district to Maleny and out to Kilcoy to help people wherever needed and in 1914, she turned her residence into a bush hospital.

Nurse Hilda Probert

Nurse Hilda Probert, also of Peachester, was always on call. Often needed at night, she travelled all hours far afield by horse and sulky.

Nurse Probert would have to catch the horse and harness it before setting off.

A mother of three sets of twins, when called to a confinement she would arrive at the home and take up residence helping the family where she could.

Nurse Adams 

In the early 1900s, a nursing home was established in Maud Street, Nambour by Nurse Adams who held certificates of the London Obstetrical Society, Clapham Maternity Hospital and Central Midwives Board London.

Early in 1909, Nambour’s Dr Malaher employed a trained nurse and advertised ‘accouchements taken’ (confinements for birth).

In 1910, Nurse Laidlaw of Nambour advertised her qualifications in midwifery in the Nambour Chronicle ‘Midwifery cases received, or at homes attended.’

Nurse Sarah Axe

Another caring midwife was Nurse Sarah Axe of the Nambour district who was affectionately known as Granny Axe who, while travelling to a birth, sustained injuries in a sulky.

She insisted on continuing on to help the mother and for the rest of her life was in constant pain and relied on crutches.

A letter written by Dr Malaher about Nurse Axe describes the type of outstanding person she was.

‘The editor Nambour Chronicle 6 January, 1906, Sir, I feel it is my duty, and also my pleasure to publicly thank Mrs W Winterford and Mrs Axe for their kindly help to a poor Aboriginal woman last week. Their conduct in the matter was deserving of the highest praise, and was more conspicuous when set against that of others, who (presumably because there was no money in it) failed to recognise their duty towards a fellow creature and one of their own sex. Mrs Winterford, gave her every attention and help, while Mrs Axe without mention of, or hope of reward on being asked to assist one of her sex in trouble, left her home immediately to do her part.’

Nurse Martha Bade

Sunshine Coast midwife Nurse Martha Bade delivered more than 1,000 babies at the Rosemount Nursing Home in Nambour between 1924 and 1945.

During the Great Depression, Nurse Bade assisted many disadvantaged people living around Nambour. She freely made flannelette nighties and nappies for the babies. Sometimes patients could pay, other times they paid with whatever they could spare.

Nurse Bade passed away in 1974 aged 94 and is buried in the old Nambour Cemetery.

For more heritage stories of the people that shaped our region, visit Council's Heritage website.