HAGUE

Nurse Grace Slapp July 1927
Source: Amber Hague

Grace Isabel Hague (nee Slapp) was born on 23 Nov 1892 at Pleasant Valley, Ilford. She was the youngest girl and third youngest child of 11 children born to John Slapp and Ann Bush.

She went to school along with her elder sisters and brother's at Warangunah School, traveling on horseback, or walking over the hills, out over the back paddock, passed the dairy, of ‘Pleasant Valley’, Ilford.

She cared for her parents until her mother passed away in 1920. She left the family in 1924. She visited family and friends before taking on a live-in position at "Pixie Ladies College" at Bathurst.

In 1926 Grace was accepted for a Pupil Nursing Staff position at The Crown Street Woman’s Hospital, in Darlinghurst, Sydney.

In 1926-27 Grace moved to a dear church friend’s residence at St Paul’s Rectory at Redfern to study and train at the Crown Street Woman’s Hospital. The course she took was Obstetrics and General Nursing (12 months). She passed all the required exams and was awarded a registered nursing certificate.

Nurse Grace Slapp (back right) 1927-29 at maternity clinic
Source: Amber Hague

In 1927 Grace took on a job as anObstetrics nurse at Catherine Hill Bay and surrounds, and delivered a generation of babies. She also met her future husband who was a minister at the local Catherine Hill Bay Methodist church. Grace married James Hague on 29 August 1929 (NSW BDM 10473/1929).

Following her connections through family at Blackheath and their high-profile friends, and her husband's position in the Methodist church, they moved to Sydney's Redfern area in late 1929. Grace resided at the Ryde parsonage while teaching nursing around the area and at the Sydney Women’s Hospital.

After James' involvement in politics, which was against church rules, he was moved to Helensburgh circuit in 1930 where he continued the political associations. He was discharged from church duties in 1931 and returned to Cabramatta where his unwell mother resided. Grace sent an unhappy letter about her husband’s photos being taken off the mantelpiece at the Parsonage at Helensburgh and received a stern reply that they were taken off for a reason. No reason was given.

Grace returned to her Aunt Bessie’s home in Blackheath (Ruth Thew nee Slapp) for a short while before moving to Gulgong in late 1932 to work as a nurse at ‘Brislington Private Hospital’ Gulgong. One of her nurse friend’s (Nurse Stott) families owned the hospital at the time.

Grace’s son John Hague was born 21 Feb 1933 at ‘Brislington Private Hospital’ Gulgong.

Grace took over the management of ‘Brislington Private Hospital’ Gulgong in 1936 until 1940. She received a citation for having one too many patients at the hospital, showing her good character for helping others. A lack of patients paying their bills meant she could no longer stay open.

Grace’s son, John remembers they held an auction sale for the furniture they did not wish to take back to Cabramatta. It poured rain the day of the auction sale and probably the only day it rained that year. One of the reasons his mother decided to leave was that many patients (or their husbands) could not, or would not, pay the fees for midwifery service. Gulgong was a ‘poverty pocket’ of the State, in those days, so many of the patients could not pay. John remembered a long line of ‘ragged’ people, walking inline up the hill on 'dole day' to collect their food stamps and pension payments.

John Hague and girlfriend at Brislington House, approx 1926
tenant Jack Burn in background

John Hague at Brislington, Sept 1936

Source: Amber Hague

John Hague at Brislington, ca 1937

Source: Amber Hague

Other people were prosperous because wool was selling for a high price. One such grazier was a frequent visitor to ‘Brislington’ to see a girl Grace had employed. This girl and grazier were married and their sons still farm at Gulgong. The family is well known there.

Grace and her son later moved to Cabramatta where her husband owned a house and shop. James’ mother had passed in 1933 so he had taken over and painted and repaired the shop. Grace continued to work as a nurse at Cabramatta area from 1941 to 1946.

The National Emergency Services contacted Grace in 1943-44 to manage a team of 26 nurses to be trained in wound management and dressing. A total of 31 personnel were directed by Grace Hague to staff a First Aid Post at Cabramatta area. Grace was also required to help run a medical radio with a doctor for WW2. She underwent training in radio signals using shellac records on her gramophone.

Grace and James later opened a bicycle shop at Cabramatta until retirement.

At 65 Grace retired to her residence in Concord, Sydney. Her husband James was committed to Ryldamere Hospital several times with his final stay 2.5 years long. He passed there in 1961.

Grace reconnected with family for several years afterwards and passed suddenly at her Concord home on 27 June 27 1967.

Source: Amber Hague