LAIDLAW, ANNIE INA (1889-1978), navy matron, was born on 23 January 1889 at Lake
Wallace, near Edenhope, Victoria, second of three daughters of native-born parents
James Adam Laidlaw, grazier, and his wife Annie, née Gilchrist. Ina was educated
at Alexandra Ladies' College, Hamilton. On 11 November 1913 she started training
at the (Royal) Children's Hospital, Melbourne; three years later she was retained
as a staff nurse.
View the full record at
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
Annie Laidlaw devoted her life to nursing and served in both world wars. She completed her nursing training at the Children's Hospital (later Royal), Melbourne. In 1917 Laidlaw joined the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) and served in military hospitals at Bombay and Poona.
After the war Laidlaw returned to the Children's Hospital as ward sister. In 1925 she was granted a year of leave to complete midwifery training at the Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney. Returning to Melbourne, Annie became assistant lady superintendent (assistant-matron) at the Children's Hospital. In 1930 she was promoted to lady superintendent of the hospital's orthopaedic section at Frankston. She held this position for 12 years.
Selected to head the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS) in 1942 she was in charge of the Flinders Naval Depot hospital as well as being in charge of the RANNS. After her discharge from the navy Laidlaw returned to her position at the Children's Hospital until 1950.
From 1951-52 she worked in London. On her return to Melbourne she took the position of Matron at the Freemason's Homes of Victoria, Prahran until her retirement in 1957. Aged 89, Annie Laidlaw died on 13 September 1978 at McKinnon, Victoria.
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23 January 1889
Born: daughter of James Adam and Annie (nee Gilchrist) Laidlaw
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1914 - 1917
Trained as a general nurse at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic.
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30 June 1917 - 21 May 1919
Member of the Australian Army Nursing Service
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1919 - 1925
Ward sister at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic.
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1925
Midwifery training at the Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney
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January 1926
Appointed assistant lady superintendent (assistant-matron) at the Children's Hospital
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1930 - 1942
Promoted to lady superintendent (matron) of the Children's Hospital orthopaedic section at Frankston, Victoria
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1 October 1942 - 15 March 1946
Served with the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
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March 1943
Promoted from superintending sister to matron
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1946 - 1950
Worked with the orthopaedic division of the Children's Hospital
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1951 - 1952
Home sister at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, London
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1953 - 1957
Resident matron at the Freemasons' Homes of Victoria, Prahran
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1957
Retired and lived in the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia's home for nurses at RSL House, St Kilda
View the full record at
Australian Women's Register
Annie Laidlow trained as a nurse at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. She served in India with the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) during the First World War. Between the wars Laidlow continued to work at the Royal Children's Hospital, rising to the position of lady superintendent of the Orthopaedic Section. When the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service was established in 1942, Laidlow was appointed superintending sister and head of the service. She was later promoted to matron. In 1946 she returned to her position at the Royal Children's Hospital. Laidlow later worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, London, and the Freemason's Home of Victoria.
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1913 - 1916
Education - Nurse training at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne
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1916 - 1917
Career position - Staff Nurse at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne
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1917 - 1919
Career position - Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) and sent to India where she worked in hospitals in Bombay and Poona
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1919 - 1925
Career position - Ward Sister at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne
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1925
Education - Midwifery training at the Hospital for Women, Sydney
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1926 - 1930
Career position - Assistant Lady Superintendent (Assistant-Matron) at the Children's Hospital in Melbourne
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1930 - 1942
Career position - Lady Superintendent of the Orthopaedic Section of the Children's Hospital in Frankston, Victoria
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1942 - 1943
Career position - Superintending Sister of the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
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1943 - 1946
Career position - Matron of the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
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1946 - 1950
Career position - Lady Superintendent of the Orthopaedic Section of the Children's Hospital in Frankston, Victoria
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1951 - 1952
Career position - Home Sister at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, London
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1952 - 1957
Career position - Resident Matron at the Freemason's Homes of Victoria, Prahran
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1957
Life event - Retired
View the full record at
Encyclopedia of Australian Science