Biographical entry Wilson, Grace Margaret (1879 - 1957)

Summary

Grace Wilson served as a nurse in both world wars. In the First World War she was principal matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital in England, Lemnos, Abbassia and France. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross in 1916 for her work in the Australian Army Nursing Service and was appointed as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1919 for her work in France. In the Second World War Wilson was matron-in-chief of the nursing service with the Australian Imperial Forces. She served in the Middle East until ill health forced her to return to Australia in August 1941.

Details

Events

1905 - 1908

Education - Nurse training at the Brisbane Hospital

July 1914 - October 1914

Career position - Matron at the Brisbane Hospital

October 1914 - April 1915

Career position - Principal Matron with the 1st Military District, Australian Army Nursing Service

April 1915

Career position - Transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as Principal Matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital

May 1915 - August 1915

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in England

August 1915 - August 1916

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Lemnos, Greece

1916

Award - Royal Red Cross (RRC) received

October 1916

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbassia, Egypt

October 1916 - April 1917

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Brighton, UK

April 1917 - September 1917

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France

September 1917 - April 1918

Career position - Temporary Matron-in-Chief at the Australian Imperial Force Headquarters in London

April 1918 - May 1919

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France

1919

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military) (CBE)

May 1919 - January 1920

Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, UK

January 1920

Life event - Returned to Australia

November 1920 - January 1933

Career position - Matron at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne

August 1925 - c. 1940

Career position - Matron-in-Chief of the Army Nursing Reserve

1929

Award - Florence Nightingale Medal received from the International Committee of the Red Cross

January 1933 - c. 1940

Career position - Matron at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne

September 1940 - August 1941

Career position - Matron-in-Chief of the Nursing Service with the Australian Imperial Force, serving in the Middle East

September 1943

Career position - Executive Office of the Nursing Control Section of the Department of Manpower Directorate in Victoria

Archival resources

Australian War Memorial Research Centre

• Grace Wilson, Portrait, May 1915, A05332; Australian War Memorial Research Centre. Details
• Grace Wilson, Portrait, c. 1942, 044158; Australian War Memorial Research Centre. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• McCarthy, Janice, 'Wilson, Grace Margaret (1879-1957), Nursing Sister and Army Matron-in-Chief', in John Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 12, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1990, pp. 522-523. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120587b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• 'Wilson, Grace Margaret, Biographical Entry', in Australian Women's Archives Project, National Foundation for Australian Women, 2003, http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0159b.htm. Details
• National Library of Australia, 'Wilson, Grace Margaret', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-769074. Details

See also

• Alexander, John A. (ed.), Who's Who in Australia 1944, vol. 12, The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, Melbourne, 1944, 906 pp. Details