Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

OBITUARY.
MRS. MYLES KELLY.

Mrs. Myles Kelly, a former A.I.F. nurse, more popularly known to the Diggers as Matron Brown, died in Coffs District Hospital recently.

Mrs. Kelly, who was 60 years of age, had been ill about three months. She went to Sydney to undergo an operation, but returned a few weeks ago to Coffs Harbour, when she was taken from the train to the hospital and remained a patient until her death.

Deceased was a member of the well known Brown family, pioneers of Northern New South Wales. She was born at Tamworth and was trained as a nurse at the Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney. She was one of the first Australian nurses to volunteer her services when the Great War started, and in 1914 went to Egypt with the first Australian, contingent. She nursed the Egyptian Khedive at his palace through a month's illness, and later was transferred to the English Nursing Services and went to India. From there she went to hospitals in France and then to Birmingham, where she had charge of the Diggers' Hospital in that city. She was there when the Armistice was signed. Then she toured England, Ireland and Scotland.

On her return to Australia deceased was placed in charge of Canberra Hospital, and afterwards was appointed by the Federal Government to organise Federal Hospitals in New Guinea, Darwin and the Mandated Territories Prior to this, however, she established'a private hospital at Dorrigo when she visited relatives there, but did not remain long before again again taking up duties that offered wider scope for her marked ability.

She was at Darwin when she married Mr. Kelly in 1924. They remained in the Northern Territory, and in North Queensland until about twelve months ago, when they came to Coffs Harbour to live. A year or two ago the large building used by deceased as a hospital at Dorrigo was moved to Coffs Jetty and re-erected there.

Cairns Post Tuesday 10 September 1940 page 3