SAGE, ANNIE MORIAH (1895-1969), army matron-in-chief, was born on 17 August 1895
at Somerville, Victoria, fifth child of Edward Arthur Sage, butcher, and his wife
Mary Anne, née Murray, both Victorian born. Educated at Somerville State School,
Annie worked as an assistant in a grocer's shop before training at the Melbourne
Hospital and studying midwifery at the Women's Hospital, Carlton. She was
registered as a midwife in September 1924 and granted her nursing certificate in
November 1926. After gaining a qualification in infant welfare from the Victorian
Baby Health Centres Association, she obtained a diploma of public health from the
Royal Sanitary Institute, London. Back home, she was employed (from 1933) in child
health, lecturing at training colleges and technical schools, and broadcasting to
mothers. In 1936 she became matron of the V.B.H.C.A.'s training school.
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Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
During Annie Sage's distinguished military nursing career in World War II she introduced the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service Training Scheme and was closely involved in the planning and establishment of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps as an integral part of the Australian Regular Army and the Citizen Military Forces.
After the war she took an active and leading role in the establishment of the War Nurses Memorial Centre and the Centaur War Nurses Fund. Through her work with the (Royal) College of Nursing she made a very important contribution to postgraduate nursing education. She was also active in the negotiations that brought about the 1958 Nurses’ Act which gave wider power to the registering authority, the Victorian Nursing Council. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her war work with the Australian Army Nursing Service in the Middle East in 1942 (for 'exceptional tact and administrative ability') and she was awarded the CBE (Military Division) in 1951.
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17 August 1895
Born: daughter of Edward Arthur and Mary Anne (née Murray) Sage
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September 1924
Registered as a midwife
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November 1926
Granted her nursing certificate
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1936 - 1939
Matron of the Victorian Baby Health Centres Association Training School
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19 December 1939 - 23 January 1947
Member of the Australian Army Nursing Service
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April 1940
Sailed for the Middle East and served at Gaza Ridge, Palestine, and at Kantara, Egypt
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1941
Matron-in-Chief of the Australian Imperial Forces
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1942
Appointed a member of the Royal Red Cross
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4 February 1943 - 1952
Mation-in-Chief of the Australian Military Forces
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23 March 1943
Promoted to colonel
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September 1945
Flew to Sumatra to assist with the repatriation of the 24 Australian nurses imprisoned by the Japanese
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June 1946
Accompanied the Australian Military Forces to London for the Victory March
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1947
Awarded Florence Nightingale medal
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1947 - 1951
Lady Superintendent of the Women's Hospital, Carlton, Victoria
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1949 - 1950
Founding president of the College of Nursing, Melbourne
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1950 - 1952
Treasurer of the College of Nursing, Melbourne
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1956
Became a partner in a grocery shop at Somerville, Victoria
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1957 - 1962
Honorary colonel of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
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1967
Honorary fellow of the College of Nursing, Melbourne
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1969
College of Nursing established the Annie M Sage scholarship
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4 April 1969
Died and was cremated with Anglican rites with full military honours
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Australian Women's Register
Annie Moriah Sage's distinguished military nursing career in the Second World War included the introduction of the Australian Army Medical Women's Service Training Scheme and she was closely involved in the planning and establishment of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps as an integral part of the Australian Regular Army and the Citizen Military Forces. After the war she took an active and leading role in the establishment of the War Nurses Memorial Centre and the Centaur War Nurses Fund. Through her work with the (Royal) College of Nursing she made a very important contribution to postgraduate nursing education. She was also active in the negotiations that brought about the 1958 Nurses' Act which gave wider power to the registering authority, the Victorian Nursing Council.
CBE (Military Division) 1951. Educated Royal Melbourne Hospital; midwifery training, Melbourne Women's Hospital; infant welfare training, Victorian Baby Health Centre and Diploma, Sanitary Institute of London; Health Visitor and School Nurse certificates, Sanitary Institute of London. Matron, Victorian Baby Health Centres Training School 1931-39; Royal Australian Army Nursing Service 1939; Matron 2/2nd Australian General Hospital 1940; Matron-in-Chief, Australian Imperial Forces 1941; Matron-in-Chief (rank of Colonel), Royal Australian Army Nursing Service 1943-47; Lady Superintendent, (Royal) Women's Hospital, Melbourne 1947-51. Royal Red Cross Medal 1942; Florence Nightingale Medal 1947; International Geneva Red Cross Award 1947. Foundation member, first president and honorary fellow, (Royal) College of Nursing, Australia.
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1951
Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
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Encyclopedia of Australian Science