In 1870, a hospital stay could leave you more sick than when you went in.

The transformation of Perth’s major Colonial Hospital, now Royal Perth, can largely be attributed to one woman, Sister Mary Ann Nicolay. Inspired by Britain’s pioneer nurse, Florence Nightingale, Matron Nicolay introduced trained nurses and standards of infection control which began the evolution of the profession in Western Australia to the standards we depend on today.

Hear the story of this remarkable and determined woman…

Episode produced by Two Feet and a Heartbeat for the City of Perth Cultural Collections.