WILSON, GRACE MARGARET (1879-1957), nursing sister and army matron-in-chief, was
born on 25 June 1879 in South Brisbane, eldest child of John Pearson Wilson,
clerk, and his wife Fanny Campbell, née Lang, both Scottish born. Educated at
Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, Grace entered Brisbane Hospital as a probationer
in 1905 and gained her certificate in 1908. In London she trained in midwifery at
Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital before joining the staff of the National
Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic (Albany Memorial).
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Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
During World War I Grace Wilson was Principal Matron of No 3 Australian General Hospital serving in Egypt, Lemnos and France. She was appointed a Commander (Military) of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1919 for army nursing service in France. Grace Wilson was mentioned in dispatches five times as well as being awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal (2 May 1916) and the Florence Nightingale Medal.
After being educated at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, Grace Wilson commenced her nursing training at Brisbane Hospital and continued at Queen Charlotte Hospital (London). Upon completion she became a sister at Albany Memorial Hospital (London) and then returned to Australia to be Matron at the Brisbane Hospital.
During World War I Wilson was Principal Matron No. 3 Australian General Hospitals in Egypt, Lemnos and France. She then became temporary Matron-in-chief for the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF). Wilson was mentioned in dispatches five times, awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal and Royal Red Cross Medal as well as being appointed a Commander (Military) of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1919 for army nursing service. In 1937 she led the A.I.F. Nurses' Contingent to the Coronation.
During her career Wilson was matron at Rosemount Military Hospital, Brisbane, and the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and was sister-in-charge at Somerset House Private Hospital, Melbourne. From 1933 to 1940 she was matron at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and at the outbreak of World War II became matron-in-chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service (A.A.N.S). From 1940 to 1941 Wilson was matron-in-chief of the Nursing Service with the A.I.F., before becoming executive officer with the Nursing Control Section at the Manpower Directorate.
Matron Grace Margaret Wilson died in 1957.
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Australian Women's Register
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.
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1905 - 1908
Education - Nurse training at the Brisbane Hospital
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July 1914 - October 1914
Career position - Matron at the Brisbane Hospital
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October 1914 - April 1915
Career position - Principal Matron with the 1st Military District, Australian Army Nursing Service
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April 1915
Career position - Transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as Principal Matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital
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May 1915 - August 1915
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in England
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August 1915 - August 1916
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Lemnos, Greece
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1916
Award - Royal Red Cross (RRC) received
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October 1916
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbassia, Egypt
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October 1916 - April 1917
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Brighton, UK
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April 1917 - September 1917
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France
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September 1917 - April 1918
Career position - Temporary Matron-in-Chief at the Australian Imperial Force Headquarters in London
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April 1918 - May 1919
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France
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1919
Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military) (CBE)
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May 1919 - January 1920
Career position - Principal Matron with the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, UK
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January 1920
Life event - Returned to Australia
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November 1920 - January 1933
Career position - Matron at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne
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August 1925 - c. 1940
Career position - Matron-in-Chief of the Army Nursing Reserve
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1929
Award - Florence Nightingale Medal received from the International Committee of the Red Cross
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January 1933 - c. 1940
Career position - Matron at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
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September 1940 - August 1941
Career position - Matron-in-Chief of the Nursing Service with the Australian Imperial Force, serving in the Middle East
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September 1943
Career position - Executive Office of the Nursing Control Section of the Department of Manpower Directorate in Victoria
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Encyclopedia of Australian Science