Nellie Constance Morrice MBE ARRC (31 March 1881 – 11 April 1963) was an Australian army and civilian nurse. Following her overseas military service in World War I, she was secretary of the New South Wales Bush Nursing Association for 23 years, overseeing significant growth in its coverage.
Nellie Morrice | |
|---|---|
 Morrice, c. 1918 | |
| Birth name | Nellie Constance Morrice |
| Born | 31 March 1881 Ealing Forest, near Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 11 April 1963 (aged 82) Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1910–1919 |
| Rank | Matron |
| Battles / wars | First World War |
| Other work | Secretary, NSW Bush Nursing Association |
Early life
editNellie Constance Morrice was born on 31 March 1881. Her parents were Sarah Mary (née Hale) and grazier David Morrice. She was the seventh born in a family of 11 children.[1]
Career
editMorrice trained to be a nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, commencing in November 1903. She became a staff nurse in 1906 and was awarded her certificate in 1907 having worked in theatre, providing instruments and dispensing medication. She then completed midwifery training before working with private patients from 1907 to 1909, including as senior sister at a private hospital in Randwick.[1]
War service
edit
Morrice joined the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) in May 1910. She signed up as a sister with the Australian Imperial Force in November 1914 and left Australia on 28 November per HMAT Kyarra.[2] On arrival in Egypt, she nursed with the No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Mena House, working under matron Nellie Gould.[3][4]
During her time in Egypt, Morrice handmade a doll for her niece, complete with nursing uniform, which she named "Sister Helen". The doll is held in the collection of the Australian War Memorial.[3]
She volunteered for transfer to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital on Lemnos in September 1915 where she nursed the soldiers wounded at Gallipoli.[4] She was promoted to head sister in March 1916, before sailing to England in October, where she served briefly in Dartford and Brighton. From November 1916 she served at Ismailia, next posted in April 1917 to Abbeville in France with the 3rd Australian General Hospital. October 1917 saw her working under matron Adelaide Kellett at the 25th British General Hospital, a 2400-bed facility fully staffed by Australian nurses.[5][2]
Morrice left France in December 1918 and returned to Australia on HMAT Demosthenes, working as matron. She received her discharge on 9 July 1919.[5]
Post-war work
editMorrice joined Georges Heights Military Hospital in Mosman as matron and served there until she was made secretary of the New South Wales Bush Nursing Association (BNA) in 1924.[2]
Under her leadership, the number of bush nursing centres grew from 26 to 62, but nursing award changes and World War II saw a number of closures when no nurse could be found to fill the role.[6][7] At the time of her retirement in January 1947, 31 remained open, while several had been transferred to health department management.[6]
Morrice died at her home in Chatswood on 11 April 1963.[1]
Awards and recognition
editMorrice was awarded the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) for her service in Flanders and France.[8][9] In the 1934 Birthday Honours she was appointed a Member of the British Empire for her work as secretary of the NSW Bush Nursing Association.[10] Her investiture, by Governor-General Sir Isaac Isaacs, took place at Government House, Sydney on 15 September 1934.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c Page, Vilma, "Nellie Constance Morrice (1881–1963)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 24 April 2024
- ^ a b c "Morrice, Nellie Constance (Sister, b.1881 – d.1963)". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Beginning in Egypt: Sister Nellie Morrice". Anzac Portal. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b Morrice, Nellie Constance (7 June 1919). "Narrative of Head Sister Nellie Constance Morrice 7/6/1919 (transcript)" (PDF). RSL Virtual War Memorial. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Sister Nellie Constance MORRICE MBE, ARRC". Virtual War Memorial Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Bush nursing chief's love of the inland". The Sun. No. 2283. New South Wales, Australia. 12 January 1947. p. 12. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Award Blamed for Nursing Shortage". The Farmer and Settler. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 11. New South Wales, Australia. 14 April 1944. p. 9. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Sydney Nurse Honoured". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 163. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 24 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. No. 173. Australia. 7 November 1918. p. 2111. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "King Honors Record Number of Women!". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. II, no. 1. Australia. 9 June 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Investiture". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 173. New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 25 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
edit- The Collection of Sister Nellie Constance Morrice – photographs, with descriptions, held by the Australian War Memorial
- The story behind the "Sister Helen" doll video