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Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association

Australian, 1904 - 1934

BiographyThe Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association was first constituted in 1901 as the Victorian Trained Nurses' Association [VTNA]. Its role was to improve and protect nursing by registering trained nurses, to introduce a uniform curriculum of training and examination, to look after the welfare of nurses by establishing a benefit scheme and generally to promote the interests of nurses.

The inaugural meeting of the VTNA was held at the Melbourne Hospital on 19 April 1901 and the first Council was elected on 12 June 1901. The prefix 'Royal' was obtained by Royal Charter in 1904 from Edward VII. The charter was sought at the suggestion of the first President of the VTNA, Dr Springthorpe, after Queen Alexandra expressed interest in the work of nursing associations.

In 1934 the RVTNA changed its name to the Royal Victorian College of Nursing [RVCN] which reflected its greater involvement with nursing education. It had transferred its role of registering nurses to the Government's Victorian Nursing Council [VNC] in 1924.

While the VTNA, RVTNA and RVCN were formed initially to register and then to educate nurses, there were also varous attempts to look after the industrial aims of nurses. A rival body, the Trained Nurses' Guild, was formed in 1921-22 to seek registration in the Arbitration Court and arrange an Award for nurses. This was unsuccessful and the Guild disbanded in 1922. The RVCN Employees' Association [RVCNEA] was formed in 1943.

In 1949 the ANF, Federal Branch also ventured into the industrial arena and revived the Trained Nurses' Guild, soon to become the Australian United Nurses' Association with both Federal and State branches, including AUNA, Victorian Branch.

The AUNA, Victorian Branch and the RVCNEA amalgamated in 1953 to form the Australian Nursing Federation/Employees' Section [ANF/ES] Victorian Branch. Around 1970 the ANF/ES began to go by the name of the ANF, Victorian Branch still representing the industrial aims of nurses.

In October 1975 the RVCN amalgamated with the Royal Australian Nursing Federation (Victorian Branch), which had previously been the RANF Employees' Section or the body which represented the industrial aims of nurses. They now formed the new Royal Australian Nursing Federation, Victorian Branch. The Royal prefix was dropped both federally and in Victoria in the 1980s.

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