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Miss Agnes Macready, daughter of the late Rev. Henry Macready, who was trained at the Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, was one of Sir Thomas Fitzgerald's nursing staff in Melbourne, and matron of the Bowral Hospital, went to South Africa at her own expense in the 'Warrrnambool' and was understood to be the first to go from here to nurse the wounded. He has been given the rank of Nursing Sister (equal to the Military Lieutenant) and placed in charge of a ward in the military hospital at Port Napier, Pietermaritzburg.

Among the passengers on board the troopship Harlech Castle, which arrived on Sunday morning from the seat of war, was Nurse Macready, of New South Wales. The nursing Sister's experience is a splendid tribute to her unselfish devotion to duty and her intensely Catholic spirit. She was the first Australian nurse to leave for the front, her departure dating October 24, 1899, and, what is more, she defrayed the whole cost of her journey. Miss Macready landed at Natal and joined General Buller's column in its advance upon Ladysmith. At first she was attached to the Maritzburg Hospital, and then as the troops moved north ward she advanced to Estcourt and Lady smith. Nurse Macready was a witness of all the terrible results of the battles of Colenso, Spiou Kop, and Pieter's Hill, and has most vivid recollections of the shocking sights following those disastrous engagements. "My experience," she remarked on Sunday, "has shattered all the romance, of war." After the reoccupation of Ladysmith and flight of the Boers from Natal Nurse Macready proceeded to Pretoria to nurse the enteric fever cases, which at that time were numerous and virulent. Just before leaving for home she was engaged in the camp of the Boer prisoners at Simons Town. During her sojourn at the seat war Miss Macready contributed some interesting accounts of her experiences to the Sydney "Catholic Press."

Southern Cross Friday 13 September 1901 page 6

Nurse Macready and the Boer War.
Nursing Sister Macready, returned to Sydney on Sunday, after two years' active nursing work in the campaign. Nurse Macready was the first Australian nurse to arrive in South Africa. She left Sydney in October, 1899. Speaking cf the Boer, Miss Macready says he has an unshakeable belief in the justness of his quarrel. Ho values the independence of his country above all things, and in his heart is prepared to fight on until beat on past recovery. And when he is beaten he will not be conquered. That may appear a paradox. Yet Mus Macready says it represents the spirit of the Boer And it is because ho values so highly his independence that ho deeply felt the hand the Australians took in the war. He was prepared to admit that the English soldiers were doing nothing but their duty as they saw it, but believing that the Australians were living under conditions similar to those which existed in South Africa, the average Boer looked upon the Australian interference as unjustifiable. Of the immediate and final termination of hostilities, Miss Macready is not very hopeful. Her belief is that Great Britain has a most difficult problem to face in South Africa, The fooling among Boer men and women alike is most bitter towards Great Britain, and the restrictions which military government moans' is she adds, beginning to cause irritation to the South Africander. The Boers themselves will never forgot nor forgive the burning of their farms. The refugee camps are also likely to prove difficult things to handle. Behind the establishment of these camps was the idea that by taking the women away the Boers could not so readily obtain food, and would be robbed of one of the sources of information. What has really happened is that the Boers relieved of the immediate necessity of looking after the women and children, have greater freedom to travel from place to place, and prosecute war as opportunity oilers.
Nor does Nurse Macready look to the future with feelings of hopefulness. So derailed is the country, she says, that years will be required to resettle it in anything like it a former shape, and the Boer women, even if an apparent ending is made, will foster in the minds of their children the hatred for the English which they now have in common with their husbands. Under the pen name of "Arra Luen" Nurse Macready, while at South Africa contributed a series of most interesting articles to a Sydney weekly paper. They touched upon many phases of the Boer war which were not otherwise presented to New South Wales readers.

Clarence and Richmond Examiner Saturday 28 September 1901 page 3