As Silverchain celebrates 130 years of care, connection, and innovation, we pay tribute to two nurses who shaped our legacy: Sister S.L. Copley and Sister A. Conlon. On International Nurses Day, we honour their contributions and recognise the vital role that community nurses play in providing in home health and aged care.
Trained at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, Sister Copley worked as a private nurse in the early 1900s. She also worked as a district nurse in Broken Hill. After receiving a recommendation for a new role, she travelled to Perth.
In 1907, Sister Copley became Silverchain’s first district nurse. Armed with a bicycle, a uniform, and a strong desire to help, she began visiting and caring for people in their homes.
Sister Copley provided care to everyone, from tiny babies to the elderly. One of her first clients was a 14-day-old baby with a paralysed arm. In her busiest month, she made 125 visits to just 11 clients. Through her letters published in the Western Mail’s Children’s Corner, she shared her weekly stories and requested donations to support her work. She taught families how to care for their loved ones when they fell ill.
A few decades later, during the 1920s and 30s, Sister A. Conlon brought that same spirit of care and connection to Hindmarsh in South Australia. Known for her kindness and tireless dedication, Sister Conlon became a beloved figure in the community. With her “baby” Citroen car—a gift from the locals—she travelled the streets to visit clients, ranging from elderly farmers suffering from painful illnesses to young footballers recovering from injuries.
A newspaper article published in 1924 described how she brought “wonderful gentleness and care” to everyone she met. She didn’t just treat symptoms; she offered a listening ear, kind words, and reassurance during times of hardship and loneliness. A later article, published 12 years on, showed that her commitment never wavered. Her story serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of community nursing.
Although Sister Copley and Sister Conlon worked at different times and places, they shared the same goal: to care for those who needed it most. While Sister Copley relied on her bicycle to reach patients, Sister Conlon drove her car. Today, nurses utilise digital tools and telehealth, and some even use smart glasses to provide care from afar.
The role of a community nurse has evolved significantly. Nurses today continue to overcome complex care and social challenges, and at the same time embrace new ways to improve care. With such a significant history of nursing, and as industry leaders today, Silverchain advocates for nurses to be empowered to work to their full scope of practice, particularly in the community settings where we deliver our care.
On this International Nurses Day, we honour the legacies of Sister Copley and Sister Conlon, along with the thousands of nurses who have followed in their footsteps. Although our methods of delivering care have shifted from bicycles to cars to new and emerging technology, at Silverchain, our ambition remains the same: to create a better home care system for all Australians.
Thank you to our expert and compassionate nursing team across Australia whose dedication makes a significant difference in the health and wellbeing of tens of thousands of people each year.
Read more about our pioneering history here.
