Anne Dalgarno
Encyclopedia
Anne Patricia Dalgarno MBE
(6 July 1909 – 6 May 1980) was an Australian politician, nurse and community leader.
Dalgarno was born Anne Patricia Smith in Wrentham
, Suffolk
, to farmer Henry Patrick Smith and Mabel Christina, née Edwards. Cardinal Patrick Moran
was her uncle. She had governesses before attending the Convent of the Holy Family in Littlehampton
, Sussex
, and migrated to Western Australia
with her family when she was sixteen. Smith trained at the Children's and Perth hospitals and became a registered nurse in 1933. She married Kenneth John Dalgarno, a civil engineer, on 1 July 1937 at St Mary's Cathedral
in Sydney
. They had two children before moving to Canberra
in 1948.
Dalgarno established the Nurses Club in 1954 and was a board member of Canberra Community Hospital (1954–59) and president of the ACT
branch of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation. She unsuccessfully ran for the division of Australian Capital Territory
as a Liberal
in 1958 and an independent
in 1966. She was elected as an independent to the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council in 1959 and served until 1967, and again from 1970 until 1974. She was the only woman on the council and encouraged women to become involved in politics.
Dalgarno was an opponent of self-government, supporting a lord mayor as opposed to a chief minister. She presided over the Foundation for Youth Ltd from 1972 and established the Emergency Housing Committee in 1973. Dalgarno, a proponent of Christian values and vigorous opponent of abortion
, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
in 1977. She died at Royal Canberra Hospital
in 1980 of chronic asthma
and was buried in Canberra Cemetery.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(6 July 1909 – 6 May 1980) was an Australian politician, nurse and community leader.
Dalgarno was born Anne Patricia Smith in Wrentham
Wrentham
Wrentham may refer to:Places:*Wrentham, Alberta, Canada*Wrentham, Suffolk, England*Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States of AmericaOther:*HMS Wrentham , a Royal Navy minesweeper...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, to farmer Henry Patrick Smith and Mabel Christina, née Edwards. Cardinal Patrick Moran
Patrick Moran
Patrick Moran is the name of:*Pat Moran, American baseball player*Pat Moran , Australian statistician, also commonly known as Pat Moran*Patrick Francis Moran, Irish-Australian Catholic archbishop and cardinal...
was her uncle. She had governesses before attending the Convent of the Holy Family in Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and migrated to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
with her family when she was sixteen. Smith trained at the Children's and Perth hospitals and became a registered nurse in 1933. She married Kenneth John Dalgarno, a civil engineer, on 1 July 1937 at St Mary's Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The cathedral is dedicated to "Mary, Help of Christians", Patron of Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. They had two children before moving to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1948.
Dalgarno established the Nurses Club in 1954 and was a board member of Canberra Community Hospital (1954–59) and president of the ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
branch of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation. She unsuccessfully ran for the division of Australian Capital Territory
Division of Australian Capital Territory
The Division of Australian Capital Territory was an Australian electoral division in the Territory of the same name. The division was created in 1949 and included the whole of the city of Canberra and surrounding rural areas....
as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
in 1958 and an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
in 1966. She was elected as an independent to the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council in 1959 and served until 1967, and again from 1970 until 1974. She was the only woman on the council and encouraged women to become involved in politics.
Dalgarno was an opponent of self-government, supporting a lord mayor as opposed to a chief minister. She presided over the Foundation for Youth Ltd from 1972 and established the Emergency Housing Committee in 1973. Dalgarno, a proponent of Christian values and vigorous opponent of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1977. She died at Royal Canberra Hospital
Royal Canberra Hospital
Royal Canberra Hospital was the first hospital in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It opened in 1914 on the Acton Peninsula, as the Canberra Community Hospital. It grew to become the major hospital in Canberra before being closed in 1991 and later demolished in 1997.- Early Years 1912–1939 :In...
in 1980 of chronic asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and was buried in Canberra Cemetery.