As Silverchain proudly marks its 130th anniversary, we celebrate the remarkable people who shaped our beginnings. One such trailblazer was Dr Gertrude Mead, whose vision and dedication helped lay the foundations of our organisation.
Born in Adelaide in 1867, Gertrude Ella Mead first trained as a nurse before becoming a doctor, graduating from Melbourne University in 1897. After studying further in England and Dublin, she returned to Australia, settling in Perth in 1901.
Dr Mead was the third woman to register as a doctor in Western Australia and ran a private practice from her home. She quickly became well-known actively working with groups focused on the health of women and children. She played a key role in starting the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women and helped create the Children's Protection Society of Western Australia.
Dr Mead had a close relationship with Silverchain from its inception through pages of the Western Mail newspaper. She was a close friend of Muriel Chase (pictured below) who in 1905 started the Silver Chain League, writing as Aunt Mary in the Children’s Corner for the Western Mail. She called for young children to subscribe to the League by paying a shilling each year. These children were known as Silver Links. Initially the funds from the Silver Links subscriptions were used to purchase Christmas gifts for the vulnerable children of Perth. Although a success, Muriel had other plans.
In 1907, when the Silver Links was deciding how to use its money, Dr Mead's strong voice made a big difference. She wrote a powerful letter, published in the Western Mail, arguing for a district nurse instead of just funding a hospital bed for children. Dr Mead pointed out how important a district nurse could be in looking after sick children in their homes, using the successful example of the District Trained Nursing Society (known today as RDNS Silverchain) in South Australia. Her convincing words led to the decision, and Sister S.L. Copley was hired as the first Silver Chain League nurse in Perth.
In 1912 Dr Mead was elected to the Silver Chain committee. She was the first person on the committee not working to be an employee of a newspaper. All the other committee members, including the first two presidents and the secretary, worked for either the West Australian or the Western Mail newspapers, as did Muriel Chase.
Dr Mead closely followed new developments in caring for mothers and babies. She also played a vital part in Silver Chain's expansion into residential aged care, pushing for the creation of cottage homes (pictured below) for older people who could no longer live independently in their own home. She even helped choose the first cottage home in Highgate in 1916.
It wasn’t long before Dr Mead was responsible for the supervision and work of the cottage home’s Matron, and the conduct of the home in an honorary capacity. The cottage homes went on to be a great success, unfortunately though Gertrude did not live to see this happen. She passed away in 1919. However, her work left a lasting mark. One of the original homes was named after her showing how much she influenced the organisation. For many years a plaque dedicated to her memory was placed (pictured below) on the veranda. The plaque is now part of the Silverchain Heritage Collection.
Dr Gertrude Mead's story truly shows the spirit of Silverchain's 130-year journey: a deep commitment to compassionate care, a drive to innovate and dedication to meeting the changing needs of the community. Her vision helped guide the organisation in its early days, and her legacy continues to inspire Silverchain's ambition to create a better home care system for all Australians.
Read more about Silverchain’s pioneering history here.
