Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Elizabeth Henry (Sister)
Researched and Written by The Cardwell and District Historical Society, Cardwell Queensland.
Elizabeth Henry was born in 1879, the daughter of Tully Valley pioneers Isaac and Barbara Henry, who had arrived in the north in 1881. Elizabeth was educated by tutors and at the Lower Murray Provisional School and then at St Patrick’s Convent at Townsville. Elizabeth trained as a nurse at the Royal Brisbane Hospital from 1905 to 1909 and also practiced at Chillagoe Hospital. She joined the Australian Nursing Service (Tropical Force Detail) and was commissioned in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force 3rd Battalion in 1914, taking her oath at Brisbane on 24 December. She was then 35 years old.

Two days later she embarked on the Australian Transport vessel Morinda from Brisbane, to serve at Rabaul, New Britain, for three years. She then served at the Colaba War Hospital, Bombay, India. She also was posted to hospital ships, including the Ellora which plied between Marseilles and Mesopotamia evacuating the wounded, and during this period she was Acting Matron. She nursed on the Indian Transport Service ships between Bombay and Marseilles. She received the British War Medal for distinguished service. She re-enlisted in November 1918 and continued her service until February 1920. In 1921 she came back to Queensland and ran St Luke's Hospital in Cairns with her elder sister Barbara.

Elizabeth Henry returned to the family property, Bellenden, in 1930, which she continued to run after the death of her brothers. Like her sister Barbara, she was a foundation shareholder of the Tully Sugar Mill in 1931. She was a well respected grazier, a fine artist, and was also a botanist who had mosses named after her. She died aged 82 in 1961 as the result of a blood clot after being gored by a beast and was buried in Murrigal Cemetery with military honours.