Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

ARMY NURSE HONOURED
Medal Award

An Australian army nurse, Miss Edith Cornwell, of Victoria, has fallen the distinction of being awarded by the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva the Florence Nightingale medal for distinguished service on the battlefield. Only 57 similar medals have been awarded, and of these two are held by nurses living in Victoria. Miss Evelyn Conyers. R.R.C. and Miss Grace Wilson, R.R.C., who is principal matron of the Army 'Medical Service, and matron of the Alfred Hospital. The Medal is of picturesque and tunsual design, with a figure of Florence Nightingale on one side. It is worn on the right side, as it is not a military decoration. Lady Isaacs presented the medal to Miss Cornwell when visiting Melbourne recently. Miss Cornwell has had a most distinguished nursing career. She trained at the Alfred and Women's Hospitals, Melbourne, and enlisted in December, 1914. After a few months as matron of Osborne House. Geelong, she embarked in April, 1915 on the Kyarra, a nurse and troopship. She was appointed sub-matron of No. 1 Auxiliary Hospital, Luna Park, Heliopolis, Egypt, and afterwards was matron of the second auxiliary hospital at Atelier. During subsequent years of the war she served as matron in- turn at an Australian base hospital at Croydon, England and in France. After the war she was matron of the Caulfield Military Hospital, and later of the Returned Soldiers' Sanatorium, Wentworth Falls, New South Wales. Ten years ago she became matron of the Victorian Child Welfare Depot at Royal Park. Miss Cornwell has several decorations, including the R.R.C. second class, Egypt, 1916 and the R.R.C., first class, France, 1918. She was also mentioned in despatches. She is one of the best known of Australian nurses, and has been described as one of the best loved of the valiant band of Army Nurses.

News Adelaide Wednesday 27 September 1933 page 10