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It is rare to find someone who has worked in the same industry for forty eight years but Fiona Grogan is one of those people who has remained in her chosen career of nursing throughout her working life. Many would say nursing is a calling more than a career and this probably explains why Fiona has remained in this caring industry. Fiona was raised in Currabubula, a small village thirty kilometres north-east of Tamworth.
She commenced her nurses training at Tamworth base hospital from 1972 to 1975 before moving to Sydney to train in midwifery and child and family at Canterbury Hospital where she worked in the labour ward for ten years. Fiona and her three daughters, Heather, Claire and Marnie, moved to Cootamundra in December 1984 and Fiona commenced working at the Mercy hospital in 1985 as a midwife, moving to the Cootamundra district hospital while the Mercy hospital was being renovated. Fiona has wonderful memories of the nursing friends she made while working in the hospitals and remembers fondly working with Dr Ward “Wardy” who, as all locals will remember, was quite a wonderful character!
Eventually Fiona moved into Child and Family health in the early nineties and I am sure many mothers gratefully remember Fiona’s care and attention following the birth of their babies at the baby health clinic in Burke Street! The community health centre was then moved to Hurley Street where she managed the community health and did child and family for many years and subsequently added Audiometry (hearing tests) to her skills. The centre was moved to Health one where she managed both until she commenced managing the Child and Family Health team for the Murrumbidgee until her retirement this month. When asked if she preferred hands on or management Fiona said “ I always liked having a combination but I think it was always the mothers and babies and the children. I definitely loved hands on with families, it is always great in a small community like Cootamundra to get to know the families and follow the growth of the children, catching up with them in high school for immunisations and see the children growing up and then seeing those kids having their own children, it’s quite aging really !”
IGA Specials end 8pm Tuesday 20 October 2020.
Fiona reminisces about the wonderful friends she has made over the years and the great fun she had. One such occasion was a fund raising event for the hospital performing ‘Rome, Sweet Rome’ in March 1997. The hospital organised fabulous fund raisers and a cross section of the community would volunteer to perform in the annual shows at the Public School hall each year to raise funds for the hospital. Not much talent but loads of enthusiasm and sold out crowds, great laughs for a worthy cause.
Fiona was recognised for her contribution to children and family services in a rural community by the CWA in 2012. Fiona finally decided to retire this year to enjoy her family and to hopefully travel once restrictions have eased. She was farewelled at the Country Club by colleagues and friends this month and was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers by Veronica Ward. I am sure that without Covid restrictions there would have been a huge crowd in attendance to wish Fiona well and thank her for her many years of care and attention. Community nursing is a vital role in our town and Fiona was a magnificent example of how the job should be done. On behalf of all the people Fiona has helped over her many years of Nursing we wish her good luck in retirement and a huge thank you.
JM