Bagley, Amelia (1870–1956)

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Bagley, Amelia (1870–1956)

New Zealand hospital matron, midwife, and nursing administrator. Born Oct 2, 1870, at Dunedin, New Zealand; died Jan 30, 1956, in Auckland; dau. of Benjamin Bagley and Amelia (Prictor) Bagley.

Trained at Dunedin Hospital (1892–95); after working at Auckland Hospital (1895–1902), became matron of Masterton Hospital (1903–05); following passage of Midwives Act (1904), trained and became one of 1st registered midwives in New Zealand (1905); appointed assistant inspector in Department of Hospitals and Charitable Aid (1908); after setting up nursing stations at Te Karaka and Te Araroa, and dealing with outbreaks of typhoid and smallpox, was appointed supervisor of native health nurses (1913); served as matron of hospital ships (1917–18); and assisted with influenza pandemic of 1918; established basis for specialist branch of nursing and its own postgraduate training course (1928).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 3).