Six Sisters who helped shape Australia’s healthcare
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Margaret A. Clark’s new book In Good Company tells the story of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary and their long legacy of care in Australia.
On a hot November day in 1885, six Catholic Sisters stepped off a ship in Sydney with little more than their faith and a singular mission — to care for the sick and dying in a young colony struggling to build its healthcare system. More than a century later, their story and the extraordinary legacy they left behind has been captured in a new historical work, In Good Company by historian Margaret A. Clark.
Launched in Sydney by the Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley AC KC, the book traces the remarkable journey of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary whose mission helped shape Australia’s healthcare landscape.
Clark’s work is the result of seven years of research and its origins are personal. As a child she encountered the Sisters at Lewisham Hospital in Sydney where her father was a visiting surgeon. Those early impressions appear to have sparked a deeper curiosity about the women who quietly filled hospital wards with service.
Historical records are often dominated by accounts of inaugurations, funding, renovations and expansions. But what makes Clark’s authoritative work remarkable, and enjoyable, is that at its heart it is a story of human grit and gumption. Rather than recounting institutional milestones alone, Clark turns her attention to the lives behind the buildings.
The narrative focuses on the women who sustained these institutions through long days of nursing the sick and dying while also welcoming new members into their community and training them in both professional care and the spiritual ethos that shaped their mission.
Central to the story is the vision of the congregation’s foundress, Venerable Mary Potter, whose desire to extend compassionate care around the world led to the creation of the Little Company of Mary. Australia became one of the congregation’s most significant centres of activity as the Sisters established hospitals and services that would support communities across the country.
The book traces how that vision translated into practical care through the Sisters’ involvement in nursing, specialised healthcare and the training of generations of nurses. Their work extended beyond hospital wards into aged care and home care services, reflecting a mission that placed the dignity of the sick, the poor and the dying at its centre.
Today that small mission has grown into Calvary Health Care, a major provider of hospitals, aged care and community services across Australia.
More than a chronicle of institutions, In Good Company tells the story of a mission lived in practice. It is a reminder that Australia’s healthcare system was shaped not only by policy and infrastructure but also by the quiet commitment of women whose compassion transformed care for generations.
In Good Company is a compelling read for anyone interested in history and the human stories that quietly shape institutions and nations.
In Good Company is available for $69.95 from calvarycare.org.au
