Hester Maclean was an Australian-born nurse, hospital matron, nursing administrator, editor and writer who spent most of her career in New Zealand. She served in World War I as the founding Matron-in-Chief of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, and was one of the first nurses to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal.
Early life
Maclean was born in Sofala, New South Wales, Australia on 25 February 1859. Her parents were Emily and Harold Maclean. She was educated at private schools and was inspired by her father's nurse to become a nurse herself. Maclean trained at Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, completing her certificate in 1893.
Career
After completing her training, Maclean nursed in a number of hospitals in New South Wales and Victoria, including the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne and Kogarah Hospital in Sydney. In 1905 she travelled to England and trained in midwifery. On her return to Sydney, she successfully applied for the position of Assistant Inspector of Hospitals in Wellington, and moved to New Zealand in 1906 to replace Grace Neill, who was retiring. She held the position for 17 years. During her tenure, Maclean was responsible for establishing schemes for rural district nursing, native health nurses and school nurses. She also oversaw the extension of the St. Helen's hospitals for midwifery training. As Assistant Inspector, with Jessie Bicknell and Amelia Bagley, she played a major role in the implementation of the Midwives Act 1904 and setting midwifery standards. She also established the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and led the first large contingent of New Zealand nurses overseas in World War I, embarking with 50 nurses on the Rotorua in April 1915. Among other tasks, Maclean designed the NZANS's uniform. In 1907, Maclean proposed the establishment of a journal for nurses to exchange ideas and keep up to date with the latest international developments in nursing. She produced and funded the magazine herself, with the first issue appearing in January 1908. Maclean continued to operate the journal until her retirement in 1923; she then sold it to the Registered Nurses Association, but retained the position of editor until her death. After some encouragement during her travels around the country on inspections, the four provincial nursing associations amalgamated in 1909 into the New Zealand Trained Nurses Association. Maclean was elected the first national president and remained active in the organisation for the remainder of her life. In 1923, Maclean retired from the Department of Health and wrote her autobiography, Nursing in New Zealand, which was published in 1932. Maclean died in Wellington on 2 September 1932 and is buried in Karori Cemetery.
