Dyason, Jennifer Mimi (Civilian Nurse, b.1939)

Collection relating to the Vietnam War service of civilian nurse Jennifer Mimi Dyason (later Hunter), Vietnam and Australia, 1968 – 1988.

Collection consists of 2 wallets with 40 items including letters, newsletters, booklets, and other ephemera.

Wallet 1 of 2 contains 2 folders.
Folder 1 of 2 contains 9 items from 1967 including one green folder stamped United States of America War Office which holds a Certificate of Achievement from the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion and two ‘Recognition of service certificate’ from Advisory Team 53, Military Assistance Command Vietnam. Also included are two business cards, three farewell party invitations in 1967, and a blank certificate of practical supervision at Bien Hoa Hospital from the Australian Surgical Team.

Folder 2 of 2 contains 11 items including a passport, a booklet titled ‘Who are the Viet Cong?’, newspaper clipping from 16 October 1967 on Australian’s in Nui Dat, and an undated cartoon ‘to our cadres – soldiers in VC ranks‘. Also included are 7 items relating to Dyason’s participation in the Australian Bicentennial Historic Records Register in 1988, this includes brochures and letters.

Wallet 2 of 2 contains 2 folders.

Folder 1 of 2 contains 19 items including letters regarding her acceptance as a member of Australian Surgical Team, the letter dated 13 May 1969 details the pre travel requirements including medical examination, vaccines, personal preparations, and travel documents, the letter dated 21 April 1969 details the photographic display entitled ‘The Healing Hand’ which portrays the work of Surgical teams in Vietnam and an upcoming Medical Aid to South Vietnam conference. Also included are 7 news bulletins dated between May to December 1969. These news bulletins include the movement and changing of staff, social news including birthdays, and statistics of surgeries and treatments performed.

Folder 2 of 2 contains 1 item, this is the training program documents from the Vietnamese language and Background Culture Course held at the Alfred Hospital from 24 April to 10 July 1969 and notes by Dyason.

Jennifer Dyason was a civilian nurse who served with the Australian Surgical Team, Vietnam. The severe lack of medical facilities and staff in Vietnam led the South Vietnamese Government to request urgent civilian medical aid through USAID and SEATO programmes. Australia was one of the fifteen countries to provide medical aid during the war. Dyason served in Long Xuyen as part of a medical team from Prince Henry’s Hospital, Melbourne, from February to October 1967, and in Bien Hoa with a team from the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, from July 1969 to February 1970.