O'CALLAGHAN, Monica Margaret
| Service Number: | Staff Nurse |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 November 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Nurse |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) |
| Born: | Irvinebank, Qld., 2 December 1887 |
| Home Town: | Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Nurse |
| Memorials: | Irvinebank Roll of Honor, Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Nov 1917: | Enlisted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov 1917: | Involvement Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Canberra embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 16 Nov 1917: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), SS Canberra, Sydney |
Help us honour Monica Margaret O'Callaghan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Monica was one of 500 AANS Nurses to served in India. She was posted to the King George War Hospital in Poona where she served until 1919. A month after she arrived she contracted measles. Following her return to Australia and dischardge she married local Herberton man and chemist, William Collins, who went on to be a long serving mayor of Cairns 1927 - 1949.
In the early 1920's William and Monica had a grand house on Collins Avenue, Edge Hill known as 'Collins Estate' - Collins Avenue is named after them. Monica's continuing concern for the well being of returned servicemen is reflected in her donation of three blocks of land to the Cairns RSL as a 'haven' for ex-servicemen who had nowhere to go. This property became known as 'Warhaven' and housing units were eventually built.
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