Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Minnie Maud McNAB was born in 1879 at Moorabool, Vic – the daughter of Alexander Richardson McNAB and Grace McINTOSH, who married in Vic in 1866.
Alexander died in 1885 at Ballarat, aged 52. Grace remarried in 1888 to Alex McGILLIVRAY and died on the 10/10/1911 at Elaine, aged 62.

Siblings (born Moorabool): Margaret b.1866 – d.1873 (6); Elizabeth Richards b.1869 – d.1873 (4); Katherine Ann b.1871 – marr D. MAILER – d.1953; Grace b.1874 – marr PEARSON – d.1940; Jane Alexander (Jean) b.1876 (Nurse) – marr Edward H. MACARTNEY 25/2/1904 Vic – d.1909 WA; Elizabeth Porteous b.1881 (Needleworker) – d.1957

Minnie trained in nursing at the Alfred Hospital, graduating in 1903
Alfred Hospital nurse 1905
Matron of Dr Fred Bird’s private hospital at 43 Spring St, Melbourne from 1908 to 1914

WW1 Service:
When war broke out Dr Bird offered his services to the Australian Government and was accepted as an honorary surgeon to the expeditionary force. As part of his surgical team, he took four of his nurses with him at his own expense. Joining Minnie were Muriel Robertson, Adelaide Hartrick and Doris Green. The team sailed as part of the First Australian and New Zealand Convoy, embarking in Melbourne on the flagship Orvieto on the 22/10/1914.
On arrival in Egypt Minnie and the team were stationed at Mena House, and on the 22/1/1915 together with her 3 nursing companions she joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve (QAIMNSR), and was posted to the Military Hospital, Citadel.

Still serving with Dr Bird’s team, Minnie boarded the HMHS Sicilia on the 8/4/1915 which sailed for Lemnos Island on the 12th – AANS nurse Elsie Gibson who was also on board at the time, noted in her diary that “we call them the Lady Birds.”
During the Landing of troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April, the Sicilia catered to the casualties of the British 29th Division at Cape Helles. Dr Bird later commented on that day: “There were 300 beds on the Sicilia – and in a space of less than three hours 1300 very bad cases were put on board, most of them being accommodated on the decks and elsewhere. For 52 hours at a stretch the whole staff continued operating on the cases, and at the end of that time, though their heads and hands were all right, their feet were so swollen that it was impossible to continue.”
During her time on the Sicilia Minnie nursed Major (Dr) Samuel Jabez Richards, AAMC, from the 14th of July until his death from pneumonia on 21st of July 1915.
She also served on the hospital ship Grantully Castle, and in India.

Awarded the Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class (AARC) 1/5/1916
Mentioned in Despatches 21/6/1916 for her service on hospital ships

Embarked Bombay 18/4/1917 – disembarked Basra 26/4/1917 and posted to No.3 British General Hospital
Admitted to 3rd B.G. Hospital as a patient 3/5/1917 – 7/5/1917 with Sandfly Fever
Joined for duty with 31st British Stationary Hospital, Baghdad 23/5/1917
Mentioned in Despatches 2/11/1917
Appointed Assistant Matron 1/12/1917
Joined for temporary duty – Isolation Hospital, Baghdad 24/5/1918
Admitted O.C.D. 29/7/18 – discharged hospital 17/8/1918 and returned for temporary duty at 31 BSH

Mentioned in Despatches 15/4/1918
Awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class (RRC ) for services in Mesopotamia 26/8/1918

Left Unit to proceed on leave to India 24/8/1918 – embarking 1/9/1918 – returning from leave and disembarking 31/10/1918
Rejoined 31 BSH 10/11/1918
Admitted to hospital 11/1/1919 – discharged 10/2/1919

Report 14/1/1919 – M. Walker, QAIMNS, Matron 31 B.S.H.:
“Sister Minnie Maud McNab QAIMNS Reserve has served under me for eighteen months as Sister and Assistant Matron, the duties of the latter she performed to my entire satisfaction.
I consider her a thoroughly well trained nurse, most kind and attentive to her patients, she is energetic, reliable, punctual, tactful and good-tempered.
Her powers of administration and initiative are excellent, and she has great ability in instructing the Orderlies.
I recommend her for further service if required, promotion, and for full gratuity.”

Transferred to the UK for duty on the A.T. Vasna 21/2/1919
Reported for duty at Berrington War Hospital, Shrewsbury 24/4/1919
“Sister McNab reported here April 24th 1919. During the three months she has proved herself capable and efficient in Medical and Surgical work. Very good manager, and keeps good discipline in her ward.
She is tactful and good tempered – also energetic and reliable.
She is quite fitted for promotion.”

Appointment terminated 21/7/1919 on the completion of her contract, at which time she took a holiday in Scotland.
Re-posted for temporary duty to the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich 8/9/1919 whilst awaiting repatriation.
Returned to Australia via India, sailing on SS Macedonia 1/11//1919, and transhipping at Bombay to the Northumberland
Temporary engagement terminated 6/12/1919 (36 days after embarkation)

Next of Kin listed during her service overseas:
1. Sister: Mrs D. Mailer, (various addresses in Vic)
2. Friend: Sister Miss A. Hartrick, QAIMNS Reserve, Station Hospital, Wellington, India (also originally from Dr Bird’s Unit)

Matron – 25 Flinders Lane, Melbourne in 1924
Matron of the Church of England Grammar School, South Yarra in 1925
Appointed Lady Superintendent of the Talbot Colony for Epileptics in February 1928 – resident of 14 Thomas St, Kew
Hospital Management – living 20 Alfred St, Kew with her sister Elizabeth in 1931

Matron at “Travancore” special school for troubled children, Flemington St, Newmarket 1933, 1938 – where she was head of the house staff and had charge of the boarders
Living 62 Walpole St, Kew in 1943, 1949 with her sister Elizabeth – and 8 Spring Rd, Malvern in 1954

Minnie died on the 19th of July 1961 at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Vic, aged 82.
She was cremated at Springvale Crematorium on the 21/7/1961 and her ashes scattered.

******************

Kalgoorlie Miner (WA), Sat 6 Mar 1909 (p.4):
Obituary – Much sympathy was expressed yesterday for the bereaved relatives when it became known that Mrs Jean Macartney, wife of Mr E.H.B. Macartney, surveyor, had expired at her residence, Lewis-street, Lamington Heights, at 3 o’clock in the morning. …………..
For some little while the late Mrs Macartney was attended to by her sister, Nurse McNab, matron of Dr Fred Bird’s private hospital, Melbourne, who came over to Kalgoorlie for the especial purpose of giving her services to her suffering relative. The deceased lady had been herself a member of the nursing profession. …………
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90649940

Geelong Advertiser (Vic), Wed 10 Mar 1915 (p.5):
ELAINE
The Misses McNab, both in the Mt Doran team, have a sister with Dr Bird’s hospital in Egypt; she is his head sister, and they were at first stationed at Mena House, but soon after took a private house, which they turned into a hospital of 73 beds, and they had been fairly busy, and had but little time for sightseeing. When last she wrote she was unable to say where they were, or where they were going to.

The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld), Sat 23 Oct 1915 (p.5):
THE LATE DR S.J. RICHARDS
……………………………………
“…I insisted upon his being removed to the hospital ship Sicilian [sic], ……..
Major Wilcocks, Indian Medical Service, an able and most pleasant man, had him under his charge, and he was nursed by Miss McNab, one of Dr Fred Bird’s nurses.” ……………

Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 May 1916 (p.4429):
The undermentioned Ladies are awarded the Royal Red Cross Decoration: –
QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S IMPERIAL MILITARY NURSING SERVICE (RESERVE)
2nd Class
Miss M.M. McNab, Staff Nurse

The British Journal of Nursing, Jul 1, 1916:
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
General Sir John Maxwell, K.C.B., Commanding the Force in Egypt, included in his Despatches on the military operations in the Egyptian Command, for the information of the Secretary of State for War, published as a Supplement to the London Gazette of June 21st, a separate Despatch, containing the names of those he wishes to bring to favourable consideration on account of the services they have rendered.
ON HOSPITAL SHIPS
STAFF NURSES – QAIMNSR: ……Miss D.M. Green, Miss A.L. Hartrick,……Miss M.M. McNab, ………..Miss M.A. Robertson.

The Ballarat Star (Vic), Wed 11 Jul 1917 (p.8):
ELAINE HONOR ROLL
…………………………………
It is a remarkable coincidence that Sergt. Headlam, the returned soldier-bugler, who was present at the unveiling of the roll, and sounded “The Last Post” at the ceremony, had been nursed by Nurse McNab, and in meeting her sister at the function he gave her this interesting information, and spoke very highly of the service being rendered in the war by the nurses.
The names on the list are: – Marion McNab [sic], ………

Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 August 1918 (p.9966):
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Royal Red Cross to the undermentioned ladies of the Nursing Services in recognition of their valuable services with the British Forces in Mesopotamia:
Awarded Royal Red Cross, 1st Class
Miss Minnie Maud McNab, A.R.R.C. Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.

The Argus (Melb, Vic), Fri 3 Feb 1928 (p.16):
MATRON OF TALBOT COLONY
The council of the Talbot Colony for Epileptics has appointed Miss M.M. McNab lady superintendent. The position had become vacant through the resignation of Miss Olive Templeton. Miss McNab was a trainee of the Alred Hospital. She has had much experience in the management of private hospitals and during the war she had distinguished service abroad. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross first-class, and was four times mentioned in despatches.

The Age (Melb, Vic), Tue 17 Dec 1935 (p.3):
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREAT
Afternoon at Travencore
……………………………………….
As well as providing the party for the children yesterday, the auxiliary has this year provided funds so that Matron McNab may purchase toys for the children who will be at the school for Christmas, as well as funds for picnics and visits to the beaches and the Zoo during the holidays.

The Age (Melb, Vic), Sat 16 Apr 1938 (p.4):
Victoria’s Great Social Services
Travencore’s Fine Work
Among those for whom the social services of the State are organised and administered with a high degree of efficiency and understanding are those most helpless units of society the mentally backward children. …………
Matron McNabb is keenly interested in her work. One of her chief concerns is the future of those who receive the institution’s training, and then have to leave on reaching the age limit. ……….
The matron’s eyes lighted up as she displayed wooden toys and small ornaments and baskets made by the children………
The institution was opened in 1933 with 25 problem children from the Children’s Welfare department, and the matron admitted that the early days had been “somewhat hectic.” “The children came prepared to give the nurses a ‘good time,’” she said, “and soon showed that they had no respect for anyone who could not manage them.”………………
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205924831

The Age (Melb, Vic), Wed 17 Aug 1938 (p.12):
TRAINING THE SUB-NORMAL CHILD
EFFICIENT INSTITUTION – VALUABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
……………………………………………
Associated with the Education department, Travencore has a head mistress, Miss B.C. Scott, and a staff of three. There is also a matron, Miss M. McNab, who is head of the house staff and has charge of the boarders. ………………………
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205136231

The Age (Melb, Vic), Thur 20 Jul 1961 (p.14):
DEATHS
MCNAB – On July 19, at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Matron Minnie Maud McNab. For funeral arrangements, see tomorrow’s papers.