Frances Donaldson

by Lily Whiting

Dr Frances Donaldson is the Tasmanian Senior Australian of the Year for 2023, after a rewarding 64 years of working in the Tasmanian healthcare system. From a junior nurse to studying medicine, 12 years in prison health and now leading the COVID@home service, those scrubs aren’t getting hung up anytime soon.

Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m from Cygnet and I now live in Hobart.

Why Hobart? Hobart is where I work and where most of my loved ones live.

Tell us a little about your work? I have spent some 20 years as a nurse, rising to Director of Nursing before finishing my medicine study in 1982 and working as a GP since. I worked for 12 years as a Correction Health Practitioner in Tasmania’s prison system, and at the moment work/lead as a virtual COVID doctor in the state wide COVID@HOME PLUS programme treating people in the comfort and safety of their homes.

Since mid December 2021, we have treated more than 27,000 adults and children. This programme is an excellent Tasmanian nurse-led programme and I’ve very much enjoyed working in it for the past three years.

Congratulations on being Tasmania’s Senior Australian of the Year for 2023. Was being nominated a pleasant surprise? Being nominated and then chosen to be the 2023 Senior Tasmanian Australian of the Year was a great honor! I look forward to continuing to advocate for better health outcomes for the elderly and those who are in the prison system.

As the first female nurse accepted into medicine in Tasmania, what drives you? Yes it was such a privilege to be the first Tasmanian female nurse selected to study Medicine at UTAS and I will never stop working hard to improve the health of Tasmanians.

What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed in healthcare? There have been so many changes in the 64 years since I first started nursing but a few developments stand out to me. Advances in antibiotic therapy, vaccinations and pharmaceutical therapies have been particularly outstanding to witness while radiology techniques like ultrasound, CT and MRI and treatments like endoscopy, laparoscopy, transplantation and antivirals have made our work as a nurse far easier and much more enjoyable for the patients we think!

What do you love doing outside work? Gardening, patchwork, reading and crosswords.

Who do you admire? Medical professionals such as Victor Chan and Richard “Harry” Harris.

Favourite podcast or tv show? British Crime Drama Vera.

Secret vice? Salted caramel ice-cream.

What are you reading now? Not Dark Yet by Peter Robinson.

What gets your goat? People who are rude on the telephone.

What are your daily news/social media habits? ABC News, Facebook and Twitter.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: A breakfast at home – can’t beat it.

Lunch: The Den.

Dinner: Peppina.

Favourite team? West Coast Eagles.

Parting words? Be vigilant about your health, stay COVID safe and vaccinate.

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Extras

Hobart Happenings

by Stephanie Williams

OFF SEASON: Bits And Pieces

Not many people have a garden named after them but one of the founders of modern organic gardening in Tasmania, David, can enjoy the spoils of the David Stephen Neighbourhood Garden (formerly Kickstart CG) in New Town.

Hobart Happenings

Hobart Happenings in March 2024

Hobart Happenings

Hobart Happenings in February 2024

Stay up to date with everything happening at the Hobart Magazine.

Even though Tasmania is known for its mild summers, it doesn’t take much to get sunburnt. Tasmania experiences extreme ultraviolet (UV) levels, but contrary to popular belief this isn’t due to the hole in the ozone layer, which is actually south of the continent.While higher UV levels often occur at the same time as higher temperatures, the two are not linked. Instead, UV levels are determined by the angle of the sun in the sky: the higher the sun, the higher the UV. In December and January, the position of the sun over Tasmania gives the state a UV index of 11 or more on most days, which is classified as “extreme” on the UV index. Tasmania’s lack of humidity and generally clear skies contribute to the stinging feeling of the sun. UV can reflect off buildings and water, making it possible to get a higher dose of UV from these reflected rays, even in the shade.

Having just spent a year in Antarctica, Dr Meg is ready to get back to her patients and passion projects in Hobart.

Setting up shop during a pandemic was a risky move, but if the crowd at Dāna Eating House (Dāna) on a Friday night is anything to go by, it’s one that’s paid off. With tables of diners chatting and laughing over drinks, the music and conversation buzzes off the monstera-leaf-green walls. Low-hanging rattan lights and worn wooden floorboards give the newly opened South-East Asian fusion venue in Hobart’s CBD a relaxed vibe.

These women have been suiting up Tasmania’s front-line workers for more than 30 years.

A simple cave provided the perfect hideout for one of Tasmania’s most brutal bushrangers – and you can easily walk to it from Fern Tree. Sarah Aitken went in search of the story of Rocky Whelan.

Thank you to Luke Brokensha for mobilising his friends and local residents recently to host two rubbish clean ups along the Hobart Rivulet after heavy rains.

The warm weather returns...hello summer.

Need a laugh? Check out @theinspiredunemployed feed on Instagram.

Moto Vecchia Cafe in Bellerive and Czegs Cafe in Richmond have joined the Clarence City Council dementia program, creating dementia-friendly spaces for all patrons.

It’s hard to believe it’s not standard practice to have a working phone in every aged care room - shared phones make private conversations impossible and increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Tacks on the tracks. Mountain bikers beware of tacks being left on certain tracks on the mountain.

Just when you think your cousins are alright. NZ Opposition Leader Judith Collins took aim at Tassie during her recent (unsuccessful) campaign, calling us Australia’s “poor cousin.” She also seems worried about us nabbing tech businesses, “It’s a lovely part of the world but do you necessarily want to go there with your high- tech business? Possibly not,” she said. We beg to differ!