Dear ozmidders,
If you know anything of Joan Donley would
you please read the below email and article written by Elaine Odgers Norling.
Thanks in advance
Jo
From: Elaine Odgers
Norling [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, 20 January 2006 4:17
PM
To: H.A.S JO
Subject: article on Joan
Dear Jo, could you put
this on OZ midwifery asking for comments additions and corrections so that we
have the best chance of it being right for the HAS newsletter. I have a number
of photos I will post to you.
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JOAN DONLEY.
HOMEBIRTH ADVOCATE, FEMINIST, ASTUTE ACTIVIST, MATRIARCH, MENTOR, ROLE MODEL, PIONEER,
SOCIALIST, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER.
Aim: INDEPENDENT MIDWIFERY INTERNATIONALLY.
In 1991 I stayed with Joan at her home in Auckland.
She had been attending many Australian Homebirth Conferences and her
presentations were always impressive. She understood the bureaucratic machinery
and was a great inspiration to midwives and mothers both in New Zealand and Australia and indeed much of the
world.
Our countries had similar difficulties in regard to childbirth practices so her
practical and tactical ways of dealing with problems was always helpful. At her
home I saw her reverence for what she ate and her understanding and use of
herbs many of which she cultivated in her backyard plot. Aged 76 she was still
attending every meeting relevant to midwives and childbearing parents. We went
to small gatherings in homes & halls as well as a formal meeting in the
hospital. Respect for her was palpable as was the unease she created in the
bureaucrats.
There had been many battles lost and won with a notable betrayal highlighted by
30 silver coins being flung at the offenders feet !
Over the years we communicated as friends and fellow activists, we last met at
the Second International Homebirth Conference in Sydney in 1992 and our last
long phone conversation was in 1997 when I had a brief stopover at Auckland
airport. The news of her death on Dec 4 2005 has saddened all who knew her and
respected her tireless work, fortunately her writings and achievements live on
and keep informing us all. Her legacy, a better deal for midwives and the
families
they serve. She always would say "nurses serve doctors, midwives serve the
needs of women."
The following list gives but a brief overview of a life treasured by so many
around the world an inspirational read !
Any information to fill the gaps or correct errors, is most welcome.
1915 born Elsa Joan Carey in Regina, Saskatchewan
Canada
Trained as a nurse.
Worked in general/ maternity wards in Vancouver
and Pender Bay British Columbia.
Married Bob Donley a fisherman and became one of the first women to have a license
for hand lining cod.
They had 5 children Robert, Derelys, David, Adrian & Patrick and she became
Grandmother of Robert, Geoffrey, Michael, Tamarin, Mandy, Shaun, Graeme,
Steven, Matthew, Lauren,
Hayden & Vanessa and then
Great Grandmother of Madeleine, Hunter, Chloe & Riley.
1964 With their five children they moved to New Zealand.
1970 Marriage broke down.
1971 Aged 55 Joan begins her midwifery training.
1974 Joan was one of only 3 homebirth midwives in New Zealand when she catches first
baby at home it is
her granddaughter Mandy.
Joan caught around 800 babies during her midwifery years this included four of
her grandchildren.
1978 Founder member New Zealand Homebirth Association
1979 Basic midwifery training is discontinued in NZ.
1980's Joan sees the NZ Nurses Assn as "our main
enemy".,,,"setting hospital based midwives against domiciliary
midwives".
The Nurses Amendment Bill is challenged....... we have "women in Auckland really well
politicized".
1981 Founder member NZ Domicillary Midwives Society.
1983 The Bill is introduced meaning midwifery as a profession will eventually
be eliminated.
As a result homebirth mothers formed "Save the Midwives Society" and
many hospital midwives joined.
All the debate and publicity saw an increase in the demand for homebirths. Joan
says "homebirth is a
subversive and political activity....we have to fight for it..... don't delude
ourselves".
1984 Joan visits Canada, USA and in Australia she ends her presentation
with the reminder
"we are well aware that Big Brother is watching, it IS 1984"
Active member Auckland Homebith Association but withdraws from N.Z. Homebirth
Association
as it is too hierachical.
1986 Joan authors Save The
Midwife [ New Women's Press] which explores "
NZ midwives and midwifery and traces the
takeover of childbirth by medical men armed with forceps and sedation and their
relentless undermining
of the status of the midwife so that now the very survival of her profession is
at stake".
A book for the thinking parent.
1987 Joan reports there are 250 births a year in Auckland with 8 midwives.
N.Z. holds its 8th Homebirth conference as does Australia.
Yr ? Joan is a consultant to Canada's
department of health regarding the implementation of its
Direct Entry Midwifery Registration.
N.Z. Midwifery Standards Review Process for midwives with the active
involvement of consumers came from
Joan's efforts.
1988 Joan plays a key role in establishing the NZ College of Midwives. [ later
her work is recognized with Life Membership]
1989 Awarded the O.B.E [Order of The British Empire] for services to midwifery
and childbirth. A first in the field.
Yr ? Awarded the Women's Suffrage Medal.
N.Z. government introduces the Certificate of Midwifery, this became a Diploma
and in 1993 this became
a Bachelor of Health Science degree.
Yr ? Author of NZ Homebirth
Herstory.
1990 changes in legislation, pushed through by the then Health Minister Helen
Clark [later to be the Prime Minister of N.Z.],
meant midwives could care for women throughout pregnancy and childbirth without
the involvement of a doctor.
1992 Visits China and continues her studies of traditional medicine and
acupuncture, her aim drug free labour, she
believed 85 % of women are able to birth naturally.
2nd International Homebirth Conference Sydney Joan is a special participant
along with some of the other
world greats. Sheila Kitzinger, Janet Balaskas, Elizabeth Davis, Wendy Savage
Ina May Gaskin,
Beverley Lawrence Beech to name a few.
1996? Awarded the Honorary Master of Health Science Degree.
1998 The NZ College of Midwives establishes The Joan Donley Research Centre
which in 2002 became the
Joan Donley Research Collaboration.
1999 at age 83 Joan was still lecturing overseas and teaching midwifery studies
at Auckland Institute of Technology.
Yr ? author Vitamin K paper
about deficiency, research and alternatives. [pub AIMS UK]
2000 author Compendium For A
Healthy Pregnancy And Normal Birth. " a legacy
of her wisdom....
written with wit and humour"."
2005 The N.Z. College of Midwives has 2000 members with 70% of births attended
by midwives, this is the highest
rate in the world, 10% being homebirths
2005 4 December Joan died aged 89 after some years of ill health following a
stroke.
Her life and work will leave its mark for generations.
We grieve the loss, but celebrate her her life.
Now as Australian we must ask of ourselves, how is it that our midwifery status
and service lags so far behind NZ.?
How is it that Australian families are still so disadvantaged by their health
services ?
Why have we such a high caesarian / intervention rate at births?
Remember Joan's words we must be "well politicized". On that front we
still have far to go.
"homebirth is a
subversive and political activity....we have to fight for it..... don't delude
ourselves".
Elaine Odgers Norling
21 Circulo Drive,
Copacabana 2251
Australia
02 43822164
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
