Constance Fairhall

{{Infobox person

| name = Constance Fairhall

| image = File:Constance_Fairhall_(1906-1993).png

| caption = Fairhall from a 1934 missionary magazine

| other names = Paul

| honorific_suffix = MBE

| birth_name = Constance Grace Fairhall

| birth_date ={{Birth date|1906|03|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Worthing, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1993|03|30|1906|03|11|df=y}}

| death_place = Worthing, England

| education =

| occupation = Missionary nurse

| nationality = British

}}

Constance Fairhall MBE (11 March 1906 – 30 March 1993), also known as Paul,{{cite book |date=2001 |last=Breward |first=Ian |title=A history of churches in Australasia |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |page=283 |ISBN= 9780198263562}} was a missionary nurse from Tunbridge Wells, England. In 1936 she established hospitals to treat leprosy and TB on a small island near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where she served for 37 years.{{cite news |date=1970-11-25 |work=Papua-New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Sister Fairhall has called it a day |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250247393?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=23 |location=Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea }} She published three books about her experiences.

Personal life

Fairhall was born in Worthing, England to Albert Thomas Fairhall (1863-1946) and Grace Fairhall, née Holder. She had two sisters and a brother from her father's first marriage. Fairhall attended Tunbridge Wells High School for Girls and joined the Mount Pleasant Congregational Church aged 15.{{cite book |date=2001 |last1=Herda |first1=Phyllis |last2=Reilly |first2=Michael |last3=Hilliard |first3=David |title=Vision and reality in Pacific religion |publisher= University of Canterbury |location=Canterbury, New Zealand |page=176 |ISBN= 1740761197}} She was a Sunday School leader and Girl Guide leader. When she was 18 her mother died. Fairhall cared for her father for two years, before moving to London to train as a nurse.{{cite book |date=2001 |last1=Herda |first1=Phyllis |last2=Reilly |first2=Michael |last3=Hilliard |first3=David |title=Vision and reality in Pacific religion |publisher= University of Canterbury |location=Canterbury, New Zealand |page=176 |ISBN= 1740761197}}

In 1970, after nursing in Papua New Guinea for 37 years, she returned to Tunbridge Wells.{{cite news |date=1957-04-27 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=She just asked for an island |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1988_1957-04-27/page/n7/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=8 |location=London, UK }}

Papua New Guinea

Fairhall was a state registered nurse. She trained at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, graduating in 1931, and the Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh.{{cite magazine |date=January 1933 |author= |title=New recruits for the new year |magazine=The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society |location=London, UK |publisher=insert |page=20}} {{cite magazine |date=19 August 1944 |author=WGA |title=Nursing in New Guinea |magazine=Nursing Times |location=London, UK |edition=Vol 40 No. 34 |publisher=London Missionary Society |page=576}} She joined the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1932 and began nursing in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in 1933,{{cite magazine |date=February 1934 |author=Constance Fairhall |title=Health work in Papua |magazine=The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society |location=London, UK |publisher=London Missionary Society |page=34}} where she initially worked at a mission hospital in Hanuabada on the outskirts of Port Moresby.{{cite news |date=1970-11-25 |work=Papua-New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Sister Fairhall has called it a day |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250247393?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=23 |location=Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea }}

With the encouragement of Papua New Guinea's lieutenant-governor Hubert Murray and the support of the local government,{{cite news |date=1948-08-28 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=Finding new health by the coral sea |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1536_1948-08-28/page/n5/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=7 |location=London, UK }} she "persuaded the people of Papua to lend her Gemo Island" (official name: Hanudamava),{{cite book |date=1973 |last=Stuart |first=Ian |title=Port Moresby: yesterday and today |publisher=Pacific Publications |location=Sydney, Australia |page=279 |ISBN= 9780858070097}} a 128-acre island, 3 miles off the coast. In 1936 she established isolation hospitals on the island for people with tuberculosis and leprosy.{{cite news |date=1947-03-29 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=Hope returns to Gemo |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1462_1947-03-29/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=5 |location=London, UK }}

World War II

When war broke out, some missionary nurses including Fairhall volunteered to stay to care for the injured. However, it was deemed that "the presence of white women would add too heavy a responsibility to the problems of the men",{{cite magazine |date=19 August 1944 |author=WGA |title=Nursing in New Guinea |magazine=Nursing Times |location=London, UK |edition=Vol 40 No. 34 |publisher=London Missionary Society |page=576}} so in February 1942, together with Anne Cole, Fairhall was one of the last two civilians to be evacuated from Port Moresby to Australia.{{cite book |date=1965 |last=Saunders |first=Gerry |title=Bert Brown of Papua |publisher=Michael Joseph |location=London, UK |page=93 }} During the war, Gemo was occupied by Australian troops and the hospital buildings were used as a prison.

Between 1942 and 1944, Fairhall joined the Australian Army Nursing Service, and spent time at a field hospital near the Adelaide River, Darwin.{{cite magazine |date=19 August 1944 |author=WGA |title=Nursing in New Guinea |magazine=Nursing Times |location=London, UK |edition=Vol 40 No. 34 |publisher=London Missionary Society |page=576}} In 1944, having herself contracted TB, Fairhall travelled to the UK to recuperate.{{cite news |date=1944-06-17 |work=The Australasian |author= |title=Invasion: Lyndall's find Sister Fairhall's report |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142419089?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=13 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}{{cite magazine |date=19 August 1944 |author=WGA |title=Nursing in New Guinea |magazine=Nursing Times |location=London, UK |edition=Vol 40 No. 34 |publisher=London Missionary Society |page=576}} She received invitations from the Federation of Congregational Women and the Guide International Service to join a volunteer team in Yugoslavia, but Fairhall remained in the UK to work with the LMS.{{cite book |date=2001 |last1=Herda |first1=Phyllis |last2=Reilly |first2=Michael |last3=Hilliard |first3=David |title=Vision and reality in Pacific religion |publisher= University of Canterbury |location=Canterbury, New Zealand |page=185 |ISBN= 1740761197}}

Return to Papua New Guinea

Fairhall returned to Papua New Guinea in 1947, reopening both hospitals before moving on to other regions.{{cite news |date=1947-03-29 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=Hope returns to Gemo |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1462_1947-03-29/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=5 |location=London, UK }}{{cite news |date=1952-02-14 |work=The Central Queensland Herald |author= |title=Visit to lepers and TB patients |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75336478?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=31 |location=Rockhampton, QLD, Australia }} Between 1947 and 1962 she travelled the country, working in "15 different areas, teaching, counselling and generally helping,"{{cite news |date=1970-11-25 |work=Papua-New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Sister Fairhall has called it a day |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250247393?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=23 |location=Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea }} including Port Moresby (1949), Koaru (1952 to 1953), Kapuna (1953 to 1955) and Delena (1958 to 1960).{{cite book |date=2001 |last1=Herda |first1=Phyllis |last2=Reilly |first2=Michael |last3=Hilliard |first3=David |title=Vision and reality in Pacific religion |publisher= University of Canterbury |location=Canterbury, New Zealand |page=186 |ISBN= 1740761197}}{{cite news |date=1954-03-20 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=Gallant nurse in a lonely land |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1826_1954-03-20/page/n7/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=8 |location=London, UK }}

When a community complex was built in Hohola, Fairhall was invited to take charge of the clinic and welfare centre,{{cite news |date=1970-06-15 |work=Papua-New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Reward for their work |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250229626?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=3 |location=Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea }} which necessitated her resignation from the LMS. In 1962 she joined the Papua New Guinea government's Department of Social Development and Home Affairs. She also worked on the provisional committee of the local YMCA and was a lecturer of medicine at the Bomana Mental Hospital.{{cite news |date=1964-09-03 |work=Territory of Papua and New Guinea Government Gazette |author=D M Cleland |title=Appointment of visitors |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/249074439?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=659 |location=Port Moresby, PNG }} During this work, she met and worked with Dame Rachel Cleland.{{cite book |date=1996 |last=Cleland |first=Rachel |title=Grass roots to independence and beyond: the contribution by women in Papua New Guinea 1951-1991 |publisher=Claremont |location=Western Australia |page=246 |ISBN= 0958935416}}

In June 1970, Fairhall was awarded an MBE "in recognition of her work as a welfare officer with the department of Social Development and Home Affairs in Papua and New Guinea."{{cite news |date=1970-06-26 |work=Kent and Sussex Courier |author= |title=Award for retired missionary |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19700626/706/0038 |page=38 |location=Kent, UK }}{{cite news |date=1970-06-15 |work= Papua New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Archbishop Strong knighted |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250229610?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=1 |location=Port Moresby, PNG }}

Return to England

After returning to England in 1970, Fairhall worked with overseas missionary students at St Andrews Hall, Birmingham.{{cite news |date=1970-11-25 |work=Papua-New Guinea Post-Courier |author= |title=Sister Fairhall has called it a day |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250247393?searchTerm=%22Constance%20Fairhall%22 |page=23 |location=Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea }} She returned to Mount Pleasant Church in Tunbridge Wells.{{cite news |date=1971-02-26 |work=Kent and Sussex Courier |author= |title=Mount Pleasant |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19710226/797/0034 |page=34 |location=Kent, UK }} Between 1972 and 1980 she worked as an assistant warden at Lomas House, a home for retired missionaries, in Worthing.{{cite news |date=1987-04-03 |work=Worthing Herald |author= |title=Taste of China |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005194/19870403/113/0008 |page=8 |location=Worthing, UK }}

In her will she bequeathed her body to the University of London's School of Anatomy.{{cite book |date=2001 |last1=Herda |first1=Phyllis |last2=Reilly |first2=Michael |last3=Hilliard |first3=David |title=Vision and reality in Pacific religion |publisher= University of Canterbury |location=Canterbury, New Zealand |page=192 |ISBN= 1740761197}}

Books

Fairhall published three books about her experiences in Papua New Guinea:

Where Two Tides Meet (1945) – Pub. Edinburgh House Press{{cite news |date=1947-03-29 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=Hope returns to Gemo |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1462_1947-03-29/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=5 |location=London, UK }}
Island of Happiness (1952) – illustrated by Helen Jacobs. Pub. British missionary societies{{cite news |date=1952-02-16 |work=The Children's Newspaper |author= |title=An island where everyone is friendly |url= https://archive.org/details/The_Childrens_Newspaper_1717_1952-02-16/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22Constance+Fairhall%22 |page=4 |location=London, UK }}
Some Shape of Beauty (1961) – Pub. London Missionary Society