Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

A NURSE'S CHATTY LETTER.
NOVEL RAILWAY TRAVELLING.
Nurse Ivey (a sister of Mr F. Ivey, of Burnie), who accompanied the Victorian Bushmen's Corps, writes from the Queen's Hotel, Salisbury, as follows : — ' Beira is quite tropical, black boys galore, swarms of them ; just a very few white men ; no white women to be seen out of doors. The English, on getting up in the morning have a cup of coffee, go to work, home at 11 for breakfast, sleep till near 4 ; afternoon tea, start business again at 4 p.m.,
and dine in the evening. We went to Government House to tennis and afternoon tea, and a ball. The latter I enjoyed very much ; tea and tennis, slow, very. An 'At Home,' followed by a dance, was also attended by the Bush women (I am sure that is what they call us). The Governor asked
for a waltz. We were photographed (and promised a copy each) with the Government House party. A Mrs Dalrymple invited us to breakfast and
a bath. Several other functions we attended, and all the people have done their utmost to give us a good time. We left 'Beira, with all its dirt, heat, and beauty, on Saturday, the 21st, for Bamboo Creek, 60 miles distant. Taking train 7.10 a.m., reached Bamboo Creek 7 p.m.; had dinner at the creek, and left the same night, or next morning rather, at 2 a m.; went nine miles, when the engine broke down. Started again Sunday 12, but
every mile or so stopped for wood or water, or to get up enough steam to descend a small rise. It was too funny. Just imagine an express stopping half-way up a rise to got up a enough steam, then to run back half a mile, to finish the hill. This happened quite six times. Once we stopped three hours to allow two other trains to pass us (single line). After the three hours wait we started, wont about two miles, when one of the men discovering ho had left his watch behind, the engine was reversed, and went back for it. It took us from Saturday 7 a.m., till Tuesday 7 p.m. to
travel 382 miles. We slept one night in the train. At Umtali Mrs Goode gave us tea and beds for the night. Five of us slept at Mr Laveley's ; had his beautiful house all to ourselves, with the exception of the boy. Mr Laveloy is the railway king of Beira, has wealth untold, and about half a dozen beautiful establishment & in this part of the country. He invited us to luncheon, or tiffin ; lent his special car and houses. We are stayin at the hotel for about a week, then we go to Marandellas to form a base hospital.

The North Western Advocate and the Emy Bay Times Thursday 14 June 1900 page 4

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT
A REFUGEE CAMP.
The following is an extract from a letter from Nurse Ivey dated from Springfontein, 2nd May:— We have a refugee camp legs than a quarter of a mile away—5000 or 6000, mostly women and children; a few old men. The women are huge; one has to see them to realise how enormous they
are, and how dirty. They are compelled to keep’’their camp clean by the military, but they are so filthy. Yet with all their dirt they always keep their hands, faces, and necks protected from the sun: stockings and gloves on their hands; huge mufflers round their necks and chins. I thought this was to prevent their becoming dark like the Kaffirs; like the British, they hate them so.”

The Ballarat Star Monday 15 July 1901 page 6

Nursing Sister Ivey, formerly matron at the Warrackanbeal Hospital and lately nursing in South Africa, has been commended by Lord Kitchener in his latest despatches.

The Horsham Times Tuesday 05 August 1902 page 2