The first edition of The Australian Nurses’ Journal of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation (RANF), now ANMF, was published in July 1971.

The national journal was established in a bid to enhance communications across the country and support ongoing efforts to strengthen and maintain the status of the nursing profession.

Steered by then RANF federal president Olive Anstey, universally recognised as one of the founders of modern Australian nursing, the beginnings of the national publication were filled with hope and ambition.

“In this vast country of ours, communications have always been a problem,” Ms Anstey wrote, in her opening message to members.

“Now, we have the most effective solution to the problem – providing you support it, write for it.

“This challenge is an individual one, the responsibility a collective one, to prove to Australia and abroad that we have the professional skill and creative ability to use such a powerful medium as the press to strengthen and maintain the status of the nursing profession so that it can be a dynamic force now and in the future.”

The first issue received significant interest and broad commendation. Letters to the editor sent in from across the country highlighted numerous benefits, including the ability to keep up with events taking place across other branches, share common interests and goals, and learn about opportunities for education and professional development.

Sending “sincere congratulations” to the editorial team, one nurse from Queensland suggested future issues should focus on a hot topic at the time – nursing uniforms.

“The subject of nurses uniforms has made headlines in local papers recently,” the nurse wrote.

“We would be interested to read of the advantages and disadvantages in the various materials currently being used in the manufacture of nursing uniforms.”

While the national journal officially arrived in 1971, it had been several years in the making.

For many years, the Federation investigated ways to produce a truly national magazine, believing that it could help unify objectives and boost achievements. A prototype was produced in 1967, following a survey to establish whether the nurses of Australia wanted a national journal.

Over the past 50 years, the journal has remained a vital resource for nurses, midwives and carers, offering a platform to share professional knowledge, clinical updates, and engage in industrial actions campaigning for better working conditions and wages. Originally focused on union news and practical advice for nurses, the journal’s content expanded to include academic research, in-depth features on critical nursing issues, professional columns, and examination of legislation affecting nurses and midwives.

Over time, the journal has also undergone various updates in its format and style, reflecting broader trends in publishing. In July 1993, it changed name from The Australian Nurses’ Journal to the Australian Nursing Journal (ANJ). In line with the change to the Federation’s name in 2013 from ANF to ANMF to recognise midwives, the journal, too, changed, rebranding as the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal (ANMJ).

More recently, the ANMJ has embraced digital transformation, transitioning to a quarterly print edition while expanding its online presence through a dedicated website. This shift has ensured that nurses, midwives and carers stay informed with real-time healthcare updates, union news, and professional and industrial developments from around the nation and worldwide.

As the ANMJ continues to evolve in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape, it remains true to its roots – a voice for nurses, midwives and carers – championing their contributions, highlighting their challenges, and driving the professions forward into the future. We’re sure Olive Anstey would be proud.