Australia's first mental health nurse

A Tale of Two Entwistes

Twissle Times, number 105, Mar 2026

This is the second in a series of three articles that chronicle how a family in rural Lancashire was torn apart in the early 19th century by the adverse social impacts of the industrial revolution. The first article narrated the tale of Harry Entwistle whose life of crime resulted in his eventual execution at Lancaster Castle in 1819. This second article is about his wife Martha, who experienced a nightmare journey to Australia from 1812 until 1814 before creating history as Australia's first nurse dedicated to the care of the mentally ill.

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