50 Years of Nursing

On Friday 24 October 2025, Flinders University proudly celebrated 50 years of our innovative nursing program.

In 1975 work began on the ground-breaking nursing curriculum at Sturt College of Advanced Education, Bedford Park which later merged with Flinders University. This was the first tertiary institution in South Australia and the third in Australia to offer such a program, designed to prepare students of nursing to obtain an undergraduate Diploma.

Since the initiation of this program nursing education has continued to this day offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses, training more than 21,000 nurses in the past 50 years.

The milestone was marked by a stunning event at The Conservatory, Ayers House, attended by alumni, staff and industry partners.

The evening opened beautifully with a Welcome to Country delivered by Robert Taylor, setting a reflective and respectful tone for the celebrations ahead.

We were honoured to welcome Adjunct Professor (Practice) Alison McMillan PSM, Australia’s Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, who delivered the Joan Durdin AM Oration, reflecting on the extraordinary contributions of nurses to health and society.

This year’s Oration held extra significance, the first since Joan’s passing at age 102 and was made even more special by Joan’s niece and nephew joining us from Sydney to hear our Vice-President Executive Dean, Professor Tracy Humphrey announce that our new City Campus nursing labs will be named in Joan’s honour, a fitting legacy for such a pioneering figure in nursing education.

The event was masterfully MC’d by Professor Sebastian Doeltgen, Flinders University College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean of Education.

Watch the commemorative video here.