Abbott, Joan Stevenson (1899-1970)

Also known as
Abbott, Joan Stevenson (1899-1975)
Abbott, Judy (1899-1975)
Field of activity
Nurse and Servicewoman; army matron; army nurse; nurse (general); Nurse and Nurse educator
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-762091

Biographies

ABBOTT, JOAN STEVENSON (1899-1975), nursing sister and army matron, was born on 11 December 1899 at Normanby Hill, Brisbane, fourth surviving daughter of John William Abbott, a native-born engine driver, and his Scottish wife Isabella, née Stevenson. Entering Brisbane General Hospital as a probationer in 1920, Joan won the 1923 gold medal for theoretical and practical work, gained her general certificate in 1924 and obtained her midwifery certificate at Lady Bowen Hospital, Wickham Terrace. She completed the State child-welfare course, worked in baby clinics in 1926-28 and later at a private hospital, and was engaged as tutor sister in 1929 by the Brisbane and South Coast Hospitals Board. A strict disciplinarian, she expected much from her trainees and endeavoured to improve nursing standards. Abbott worked briefly in Canberra Community Hospital in 1937 before travelling to England.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Judy Abbott was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class on 18 February 1943 for her leadership while matron with the 2/6 Australian General Hospital in the Middle East and Greece. After the war Abbott won the 1946 Florence Nightingale International Foundation scholarship, and studied at the Royal College of Nursing, London for 18 months. In 1948 she returned to her pre-war position on the tutorial staff at the Brisbane Hospital. Abbott was appointed principal matron of the Citizen Military Forces and served with the 1st Camp Hospital, Brisbane, for a short time during the Korean War. From 1954 until 1956 she was president of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association (Queensland Branch) and a member of the Queensland State Nurses and Masseurs Registration Board. Nearing the end of her career, she worked as a staff nurse with the Commonwealth Savings Bank for five years and then in a doctors' surgery before retiring in 1970. Judy Abbott fractured her spine in 1975 and suffered quadriplegia. After her death on 27th November her body was given to the school of anatomy, University of Queensland.

  • 11 December 1899 Born: daughter of John William and Isabella (née Stevenson) Abbott
  • 1920 Probationer at the Brisbane General Hospital
  • 1923 Awarded gold medal for theoretical and practical work
  • 1924 Completed general nursing certificate
  • c. 1924 Obtained midwifery certificate at the Lady Bowen Hospital, Wickham Terrace, Brisbane
  • c. 1925 Completed State child-welfare course
  • 1926 - 1928 Worked in baby clinics
  • 1929 Employed as a tutor sister by the Brisbane and South Coast Hospitals Board
  • 1937 Employed briefly by the Canberra Community Hospital
  • c. 1937 - c. 1940 Travelled in England
  • 19 August 1940 Enlisted in the Australian Army at Windsor, Qld. Appointed matron of the 2/6 Australian General Hospital
  • 31 March 1941 Disembarked with 55 nurses and masseuses to Greece
  • 20 April 1941 Ordered to evacuate to Alexandria, Egypt
  • October 1941 - March 1942 Temporarily located at Jerusalem
  • May 1942 - August 1942 2/6 A.G.H. expanded from 600 to 1500 beds
  • November 1942 Nursing staff handled 615 admissions and 235 discharges in one day
  • February 1943 Repatriated to Australia
  • 18 February 1943 Awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal, 1st Class
  • 12 April 1943 Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and posted to the Queensland Lines of Communication Area
  • January 1944 Became principal matron
  • 1946 Winner of the Florence Nightingale International Foundation scholarship and studied for 18 months at the Royal College of Nursing, London
  • 1948 Member of the tutorial staff of the Brisbane Hospital
  • 1 July 1948 Appointed principal matron of the Citizen Military Forces at the Northern Command headquarters
  • 1954 - 1956 President of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association (Queensland Branch)
  • 1955 - 1958 Member of the Queensland State Nurses and Masseurs Registration Board
  • 1957 Awarded the Florence Nightingale medal
  • 1962 Appointed honorary Colonel of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
  • 27 November 1975 Died: Bethesda Hospital and her body was given to the school of anatomy, University of Queensland

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Joan Abbott was a nurse and midwife at hospitals in Brisbane and Canberra. She also served as a matron in the Middle East while enlisted by the Australian Army Nursing Service. As matron she was in charge of fifty-five nurses and masseuses while they served in Greece, Egypt and Palestine. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class for her leadership and dedication when her Gaza Ridge hospital was expanded from 600 to 1500 beds in 1942. Joan Abbott finished her full-time duty in 1946 at the high rank of lieutenant colonel. In the same year she was awarded the Florence Nightingale International Foundation Scholarship to pursue eighteen months study at the Royal College of Nursing, London. Abbott later received the prestigious Florence Nightingale Medal - the Red Cross's highest international distinction award for the nursing - in 1957. After returning to Australia Joan Abbott continued her nursing duties, firstly as staff nurse for five years with the Commonwealth Savings Bank, then with a doctor in a private medical practice.

  • 1920 Career position - Probationer at the Brisbane General Hospital
  • 1924 Education - General (nurse) certificate
  • c. 1924 Education - Midwifery Certificate completed at the Lady Bowen Hospital in Wickham Terrace, Qld
  • c. 1925 Education - Sate Child-Welfare Certificate completed in Queensland
  • 1926 - 1928 Career position - Worked in baby clinics
  • 1929 - 1937 Career position - Tutor Sister with the Brisbane and South Coast Hospitals Board
  • 1937 Career position - Midwife at the Canberra Community Hospital, Australian National Territory (NT)
  • c. 1937 - c. 1940 Career position - Travelled to England
  • August 1940 - August 1943 Career position - Matron with the Australian Army Nursing Service 2nd and 6th Australian General Hospital in Greece, Egypt and Palestine
  • 1943 Award - Royal Red Cross (RRC) received
  • 12 April 1943 Career position - Made Lieutenant Colonel and posted to the Queensland Lines of Communication Area
  • December 1943 - 1946 Career position - Matron then Principal Matron with the Australian Army Nursing Service in Qld
  • 1946 Career position - Retired from army service
  • 1946 - 1948 Career position - Florence Nightingale International Foundation Scholarship for study at the Royal College of Nursing, London
  • 1948 Career position - Principal Matron with the Citizen Military Forces at the Northern Command headquarters
  • 1948 - 1950s Career position - Tutor at Brisbane Hospital
  • 1954 - 1956 Career position - President of the Australian Trained Nurses' Association, Queensland division
  • 1955 - 1958 Career position - Member of the Queensland State Nurses and Masseurs Registration Board
  • 1957 Award - Florence Nightingale Medal received from the International Committee of the Red Cross
  • 1962 Career position - Honorary Colonel in the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps

View the full record at Encyclopedia of Australian Science

Related people and organisations

Australian Women's Register

Resources for Joan Stevenson Abbott

Selected resources (7)

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Australian Women's Register

  1. ABBOTT, JOAN STEVENSONWorld War 2 Nominal Roll Department of Veterans' Affairs : ABBOTT, JOAN STEVENSON
    Department of Veterans' Affairs
    [2002]
    Series: http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=36440
  2. Abbott, Joan Stevenson (1899-1975)Australian Dictionary of Biography Online 13 : Abbott, Joan Stevenson (1899-1975)
    Fulloon, Gillian
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
    Series: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130003b.htm
  3. Where are the Women in Australian science?
    Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html
  4. Who's who in Australia 1944
    Alexander, Joseph A
    [1944]
    Published: The Herald and Weekly Times

Encyclopedia of Australian Science

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  1. Nedlands 60 Club.
    The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Thursday 31 March 1938 p 6 Article
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