STIMSON, Katie Valerie
| Service Number: | Staff Nurse |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 October 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Nurse |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) |
| Born: | Leeor, Victoria, Australia, 12 October 1882 |
| Home Town: | Glenelg, Holdfast Bay, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Nurse |
| Died: | Grange, South Australia, 13 November 1967, aged 85 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
North Brighton Cemetery, S.A. Block B, Path 51, Plot 1050 Buried with her parents and sister |
| Memorials: | Kaniva District Pictorial Honour Roll, Kaniva Serviceton Roll of Honor, Keswick South Australian Army Nurses Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Oct 1917: | Enlisted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 1918: | Involvement Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: SS Ormonde embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 7 Mar 1918: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), SS Ormonde, Melbourne | |
| 17 Mar 1920: | Discharged Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Served in Bombay, India and Hospital Ship HMHS Vita, which had been converted into an Ambulance Transport Ship. |
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Born 12 October 1882 at Leeor, Vic.
Daughter of August STIMSON and Mary nee JONES
Of "Fairfield' Whytes Road, New Glenelg, SA
Occupation prior to enlistment Nurse
Trained 4 years Port Pirie Public Hospital
Enlisted 14 October 1917 at Keswick, South Australia
Embarked 7 March 1918 from Melbourne per ‘Ormonde’
Aged 34 years
Served in Bombay, India
Returned to Australia 24 December 1919 per ‘Medic’
Appointment Terminated 17 March 1920
Did not marry
Died 13 November 1967 at Grange, SA
Aged 85 years
Resided Grange, SA
State Records of SA GRG 26/5/4/1734
Biography contributed by Paul Lemar
Katie Valerie STIMSON was the daughter of Augustus STIMSON & Mary JONES and was born on the 12th of October 1881 in Leeon South, VIC.
Her father was born on the 16th of October 1849 in Oakham, Rutland, England and was the son of William STIMSON & Ann PEARSON.
Her mother was born on the 6th of May 1856 in South Australia and was the daughter of David JONES & Mary ELLARD.
Augustus & Mary were married on the 23rd of March 1876 in the Presbyterian Church, Naracoorte, SA. Mary was 3 months pregnant when they married.
Katie was the third child born into this family of 5 children, 3 boys & 2 girls.
Her father was one of 10 siblings and had arrived in South Australia, from London, on board the Macedon on the 10th of January 1853.
After her parents were married they lived in Binnum, SA for 2 years before moving to Leeor, Vic, where Katie was born.
They were the first settlers to take up land at Leeor, near Serviceton, and her father became a sheep farmer.
On the 26th of July 1907 her brother Robert married Olive FARROW of Kybybolite and Katie was Olive’s bridesmaid.
Only leaving school Katie decided to become a nurse and by November 1911 she had gained a position as a probationary nurse in the Pt Pirie Hospital.
In April 1913 she had to have extended leave as she had contracted Typhoid and was very unwell.
She completed her probationary nursing on the 25th of February 1914 and was appointed charge nurse.
In May 1916 Katie successfully applied for the position of Matron of the Wentworth Hospital, where she remained for 12 months.
In June 1917 her father retired and her parents sold the farm in Serviceton and purchased several house blocks in Whyte Street, Somerton Park. They made number 22 Whyte Street their home and named it “Fairfield”, Frances was the only sibling still living with them. (Stimson Grove & Fairfield Avenue, now form part of this location).
In the same month Katie visited her parents and their new home at Somerton and whilst here, on the 21st of June 1917 Katie completed her questionnaire for enrolment into the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS).
She then resigned her position in the Wentworth Hospital and relocated to Somerton to live with her parents.
At the age of 36, Katie enlisted into the Australian Army Nursing Service, AMF as a Staff Nurse on the 6th of October 1917 in Keswick, SA.
She listed her father of “Fairfield”, 22 Whyte Street, Somerton, as her next of kin.
She served at the Keswick Hospital until the 27th of February 1918, when she was transferred to the AANS – AIF.
Katie embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Ormonde on the 8th of March 1918, disembarking in Bombay on the 26th of March and was billeted on the Hospital Ship HS Egypt, until she was posted to the Gerard Freeman Thomas Hospital in Bombay on the 21st of April.
On the 17th of June 1918 she was transferred to the Colaba War Hospital where she mainly nursed patients from the British Garrisons in India.
She remained here until the 13th of March 1919 when she was transferred to the Hospital Ship HMHS Vita, which had been converted into an Ambulance Transport Ship.
For the next 7 months Katie remained on transport duty between Bombay, Basra, Suez and Marseilles.
She finally embarked for Australia on board HMAT Medic on the 1st of December 1919. Also on board was General Sir John Monash, commander of the AIF.
Katie disembarked in Adelaide on the 24th of December 1919.
They had anchored at the Anchorage and were brought into the Harbours wharf by the launch Vigilant at 09:30am and were met by the Military Band, playing on the wharf.
Katie had made it home for Christmas!
Katie was discharged from the AANS on the 17th of March 1920.
In the same month she returned for a holiday to Serviceton and upon her arrival was given a welcome home social in the local hall.
The residence presented her with a gold broach, on which was inscribed –
“Presented to Sister K. V. STIMSON by her Serviceton friends”.
They also presented her with the R.S.A badge of the League.
In September 1920 Katie gained a position as Matron of the Pt Augusta Hospital where she remained for a few years and received her Midwifery Certificate.
She then moved back to Adelaide and by 1924 she had gained a position as Matron of the Edwardstown Industrial School in Naldera Street, Edwardstown.
The Edwardstown Industrial School had opened in 1898 on the site of the former Girl’s Reformatory at Edwardstown. It replaced the Magill Industrial School as a government receiving home for State children.
Many children had lost or been deserted by one or both parents. Others had been neglected by parents. Some children with physical and/or intellectual disabilities were at the school.
From 1928 it took only boys over six years. Girls and younger boys went to Seaforth Convalescent Home. From the 1930s Edwardstown was also a remand Home for children awaiting court appearances. (In 1950 it was renamed Glandore Industrial School).
Her mother died at their home on the 14th of October 1932 and they buried her in the North Brighton Cemetery.
Two years later, on the 9th of September 1934 her father died at their home and they buried him with their mother, in the North Brighton Cemetery.
They later placed a headstone on their parents grave.
After her father’s death, the family home was transferred to Katie and her sister Frances and they remained here for the rest of their lives.
Katie retied in the mid 1930’s and by 1939 had joined the Glenelg Volunteer Service Detachments.
She took up lawn bowls and played for Glenelg, where she won the championship in 1938-39.
On ANZAC Day 1940 Katie was a guest at Mrs J G Kelly’s home at “Seaford Tower’, Esplanade, Glenelg, for the Army Nurses Fund.
Katie died on the 13th of November 1967 and Frances buried her with their parents in the North Brighton Cemetery.
When Frances died on the 26th of July 1970, she was also buried in this family plot.
Katie does not have a headstone, nor is there any mention of her on her parent’s headstone.
She never married
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