Address given at the annual Sister Henrietta Stockdale Commemoration <i>St Cyprian’s Cathedral, 6 October 2015</i>

  • David Morris

Abstract

Sister Henrietta Stockdale’s name is inscribed in the liturgical calendar of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa for this day, 6 October, which is the anniversary of her death in Kimberley in 1911. We have marked 6 October in an ecumenical way for a good number of years now, in partnership with the Anglican Church and the Historical Society of Kimberley and the Northern Cape, drawing the wider community into commemorating the life of this saintly pioneer of professional nursing. Today, the nursing college that is named in her honour plays an even greater role than ever before in these proceedings. It also initiated the inaugural Sister Henrietta Stockdale Memorial Lecture. The McGregor Museum hosts a temporary exhibition of documents and artefacts which illustrate her career. Probably the aspect of this day that Sister Henrietta would appreciate the most would not be the attention focused on herself, but rather the presence of nurses and the fact that nurses are being trained – professional nurses – a legacy which fulfills her vision.

Author Biography

David Morris
Chairman Historical Society of Kimberley Northern Cape; Head of Archaeology McGregor Museum Kimberley; Lay Canon Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman; Extraordinary Professor Heritage Studies Programme Sol Plaatje University
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Legal and Ethical Column