Dec2010 VALE Alice Winn
14 March 1918 – 26 October 2010
Alice Laboo was born at Gold Creek, Eumundi and departed this life on 26-10-2010 aged 92½ years.
When Alice was due to make her debut she made her own dress. She also made the dresses for the other thirteen girls as well – free of charge. That was to become her motto, ‘give and forget the gift’ which is also the motto of the CWA. Over the years she would proudly hold every office in the CWA.
When Alice was due to make her debut she made her own dress. She also made the dresses for the other thirteen girls as well – free of charge. That was to become her motto, ‘give and forget the gift’ which is also the motto of the CWA. Over the years she would proudly hold every office in the CWA.
She married Richard Winn of the Samsonvale sawmilling family in December 1942 and claimed that life was never dull from that moment on. It was Richard’s sister Rhonda, also a nurse, who had introduced Alice to her family and it was said that Alice could barely believe that Rhonda had four brothers aged between twenty and thirty. Of course the rest is history.
It was very quickly recognized that Alice would become a valuable addition to the community with her expertise in nursing. Unofficially, for many years she was regarded as the local doctor (and vet) tending all who needed it. In the early years she travelled to accident sites on foot or horseback. Sometimes she travelled during the night to tend her patients. On one occasion, way back in the mountain ranges where the timber getters were working, she set a man’s hideously broken leg using strips of tree bark as splints.
Rearing four children in the early years with no power, no phone, no car, and little tank water must have been an arduous task but to women of those times it was normal. From early times she insisted that the children would have a good education so one by one her family, Dianne, Richard, Rhylle and Julene were off to boarding school (amid lots of tears) for four or five years each.
With her day to day workload lightened Alice, then aged 50, took the opportunity to go back to her beloved nursing profession at the RBH where she had trained. She returned to the Intensive Care Wards 2B and 4B for a few years … and in 1995 when Rhylle was a patient there (and she then seventy seven) she contacted some of her former colleagues to monitor his progress.
Those who knew Alice will remember a sociable, generous, well-dressed lady with an infectious laugh and a young-at-heart approach to life. She was an inspiration to all around her.
It was very quickly recognized that Alice would become a valuable addition to the community with her expertise in nursing. Unofficially, for many years she was regarded as the local doctor (and vet) tending all who needed it. In the early years she travelled to accident sites on foot or horseback. Sometimes she travelled during the night to tend her patients. On one occasion, way back in the mountain ranges where the timber getters were working, she set a man’s hideously broken leg using strips of tree bark as splints.
Rearing four children in the early years with no power, no phone, no car, and little tank water must have been an arduous task but to women of those times it was normal. From early times she insisted that the children would have a good education so one by one her family, Dianne, Richard, Rhylle and Julene were off to boarding school (amid lots of tears) for four or five years each.
With her day to day workload lightened Alice, then aged 50, took the opportunity to go back to her beloved nursing profession at the RBH where she had trained. She returned to the Intensive Care Wards 2B and 4B for a few years … and in 1995 when Rhylle was a patient there (and she then seventy seven) she contacted some of her former colleagues to monitor his progress.
Those who knew Alice will remember a sociable, generous, well-dressed lady with an infectious laugh and a young-at-heart approach to life. She was an inspiration to all around her.
