TREVENEN, Lena MBE
Establishment & support of district nursing.
Lena Elizabeth Trevenen nee Lavers was born in Ballarat on the 23rd April 1895. She was one of eight children. Lena attended Macarthur Street Primary School, then Pleasant Street when Macarthur Street became too crowded. Her schooling was complete at the end of Grade 8.
Lena’s contribution to Ballarat was to be in the area of district nursing even though she had no nursing training. As she was later to recall, “the first part of district nursing started about 46 years ago, in a very small way. They had one sister and one bicycle and she went around Ballarat during little things for people – just helping them . I suppose you could call it full-time – salary was only two pounds a week”. Lena moved into a house in Barkly Street in 1915 and the district nursing service was administered from there until 1971.
In 1987 at 92 years of age, Lena retired as secretary of the then Ballarat and District Nursing Society, after 52 years as secretary.
In 1962, Lena was awarded an MBA (Member of the British Empire) for her work with the District Nursing Society, the Mary Helen Auxiliary, the Ballarat Youth Centre Council, the Alexander Babies Home Auxiliary and her work for overseas missions through the Barkly Street Methodist Church. Lena gave a life-long commitment to the provisions of nursing to the Ballarat region.
Lena died in Ballarat on the 9th October 1992 and is buried at the Ballarat Old Cemetery JX Section 05 Row 1 Grave 1