SUMNER, Gladys Nettska

Sister
AANS

Born 1886 in Marylebone, London, England
Daughter of Sydney Frederick SUMNER and Nettska Jean nee McINTOSH
Sister of Claude SUMNER
Of 255 Clarke St, Northcote, Victoria
Occupation prior to enlisting 6 August 1916
Embarked 22 August 1916 from Melbourne per ‘Mooltan’
Aged 28 years
Served in Salonika & England
Suffered from Malaria
Returned to Australia 30 June 1919 per ‘Orontes’
Appointment terminated 10 January 1920
​Matron to one the the houses of the North Shore Grammar School in 1929
Did not marry
​Died 19 May 1970 in Dromana, Vic.
Late of Dromana, Vic.
​
Punch Thursday 31 August 1916 page 21
Punch Thursday 17 February 1916 page 17

SUTHERLAND, Amy Gladys

Nurse
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service

Born 1887 in Malvern, Vic.
Daughter of James Cairstairs Bruce SUTHERLAND and Ann nee MASSEY
NOK listed as sister - Mrs. W SMITH
Resided 79 Leopold Street, South Yarra, Vic.
Embarked from Australia 18 December 1915
Arrived in UK 10 February 1916
Posted QAIMNSR 10 February 1916
To France 11 General Hospital 02 April 1916
To Abbeville 25 March 1917
20 CCS 28 July 1917
2 Stationary Hospital August 1917
3 Aust General Hospital 22 September 1917
2 Stationary Hospital November 1917
64 CCS 03 February 1918
13 CCS 26 April 1918
10 Stationary Hospital 20 May 1918
Barge A369 25 May 1918
3 General Hospital 12 October 1918
2 Stationary Hospital 04 March 1919
To England for demobilization 13 March 1919
Embarked for Australia per 'Osterley' 21 May 1919
Appointment terminated 26 June 1919
Resided 91 Stanhope Street, Malvern, Vic.
Married Arthur George DYER
​Died 16 April 1949 in Bairnsdale, Vic.
Resided Benambra.
​Aged 61 years

SUTHERLAND, Flora

Staff Nurse
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10800963#imageViewerLink

SUTHERLAND, Margaret Ann

Staff Nurse
AANS

Born 08 March 1888 near Millicent, SA
Daughter of William SUTHERLAND and Christina nee McARTHUR
Of Millicent, South Australia
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained 3 years Adelaide General Hospital
Enlisted 26 August 1915 in Adelaide, South Australia
Embarked 27 August 1915 from Adelaide per ‘Morea’
Aged 27 years
Served in Egypt
Returned to Australia 8 March 1916 per ‘Suffolk’
Appointment terminated 27 April 1916 at own request due to death of her father
Married Francis John EDWARDS 31 December 1925 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Millicent, SA
Died 14 January 1959 at Beechworth Mental Hospital of Acute Leukemia.
​Buried Box Hill Cemetery Presbyterain P 162-0015

SUTHERLAND, Mary Isabel Elinor

Staff Nurse
AANS

Born 01 June 1885 at Adelaide, SA
Daughter of Hamilton D'Arcy SUTHERLAND and Elinor nee FORD
Of 46 Hewitt Avenue, Rose Park, SA
Trained at Adelaide Hospital
Enlisted 09 August 1918
Aged 32 years
Reported for duty at No 7 AGH
Volunteered to nurse Influenza and left for Western Australia
Embarked via East West Rail 28 December 1918
Returned via East West Rail 21 July 1919
Demobilized 11 August 1919
Married Eric SINCLAIR-WOOD 20 December 1922 at Christ Church, North Adelaide, SA
Died 06 October 1966 at St. Peters, SA
Aged 81 years
Resided St. Peters, SA
​Cremated Centennial Park Cemetery

SUTTOR, Lilian Charlotte

Lady Dudley's Nursing Contingent

​Born 1874 at Cangoura, Bathurst, NSW
​Daughter of William Henry SUTTOR and Adelaide Agnes Henrietta nee BOWLER

Nurse Lilian Suttor, who is a niece to Mrs. E U Bowler of Forbes, and who is now at the front, will shortly appear before the King and Queen to receive her 1914 decoration.  Nurse Suttor, who is a daughter of the late W.H. Suttor, M.L.C. of Bathurst, left these shores with Lady Dudley's Nursing Contingent.

6842 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 3 JUNE 1919
Miss Lillian Charlotte Suttor, Staff Nurse,
Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.

Forbes Times NSW Friday 19 July 1918 page 4

Nurse
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10800974#imageViewerLink​
Embarked for Australia 08 May 1919 per 'Roda'
Matron of Grafton Hospital for 14 years retiring in February 1934
Died 04 August 1950 in a private hospital in Darling Point,  Sydney, NSW
​
Sister Lilian Suttor, who returned to Sydney recently, after four years' service in France in the Queen Alexandria Nursing Service Reserve, has
been awarded the Royal Red Cross (second grade) Sister Suttor is a daughter of the late Mr. W. H. Suttor, late of Bathurst and Mrs. Suttor of Darlinghurst.

National Advocate Friday 15 August 1919 page 2
Mrs E U Bowler, of Camp Hill, Forbes, has a niece at the front who has shortly to appear before the King and Queen to receive her 1914 decoration. This is Nurse Lilian Suttor, daughter of the Hon. W H Suttor, of Bathurst, who prior to her departure from these shores with Lady Dudley's nursing contingent in the early part of the war was Matron of the Bathurst Hospital. For some time Nurse Suttor has been right up with
the boys behind the firing line in France. Her mother, who is over 80 years of age, is now living in Sydney.

Forbes Times Friday 19 July 1918 page 4
Another Australian Red Cross Nurse has brought honour to the Commonwealth in the person of Sister Lilian Suttor, of the well-known Bathurst clan. She has been awarded the coveted Mons Medal for conspicuous bravery. Sister Lilian Suttor has seen active service since practically  the beginning of the war. When hostilities were declared she was on her way to England, and upon arrival; immediately linked up with the Australian Voluntary Hospital at Wimereux. Here she continued her labour of love, even after the A.V.H. was taken over by the British Government, and became No. 32 Stationary Hospital. What the special act of bravery was which secured the heroine so high an award is not yet known. Sister     Lilian Suttor is the daughter of the late  William Suttor, M.L.C., and Mrs. Suttor,of Springfield Sydney. Her brother, Mr. Gwynne Suttor is well known in Perth.

Western Mail Friday 23 August 1918 page 27
OBITUARY
MISS L. C. SUTTOR.
The death has occurred in Sydney of Lillian Charlotte Suttor, fourth daughter of the late William Henry Suttor, M.L.C. She was at one time matron at Grafton Hospital.  She was born at Cangoura Bathurst.
She trained as a nurse at the Bathurst Hospital. In June,1903, she was appointed matron of the Wellington Hospital. She held that position until April, 1910, when she - was appointed matron of the Bathurst Hospital.  She resigned from this hospital in February, 1913. The late Miss Suttor was on her way to England in 1914 when war was declared. She went to France to nurse soon after arriving in England, and served at the Military Hospital at Wimereux and Rouen. She joined Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service and served at Reserve 4 General Hospital, B.E.F., Etaples, France, and in other places. She joined the A.I.F. for a while and worked at Lady Dudley's Hospital. When this hospital closed she joined the B.E.F. She was awarded a medal as Associate of the Royal Red Cross. She also held the 1915 medal. She served in France until the end of 1918,  returning to Australia in 1919.   Early in 1920 deceased was appointed matron at the Grafton District Hospital, which position she held until 1934, when she resigned owing to ill-health.
She died in a private hospital at Darling Point on August 4.

Daily Examiner Thursday 10 August 1950 page 2
Awarded Royal Red Cross 
2nd Class
Awarded Mons Medal

SWAN, Florence Maude

Staff Nurse
AANS

Born 1892 in Koroit, Vic.
Daughter of James Claude SWAN and Rose Ellen nee DEAL
Of Warnambool Victoria
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained 3 years Melbourne Hospital
Enlisted 23 May 1917
Embarked 12 June 1917 from Melbourne per ‘Mooltan’
Aged 25 years
Served in Salonika
Returned to Australia 6 September 1919 per ‘Indarra’
Appointment Terminated 26 January 1920
Married Ralph Eric PATTINSON in 1920
​Died 1978 in Warrnambool, Vic.

SWANNELL, Evelyn Ellen

Sister
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10800989#imageViewerLink​

SWEENEY, Jane Grant

Sister
AANS

Born 6 July 1886 at Auckland New Zealand
Daughter of  John SWEENEY and Isabella nee SIM
Of Murray St Albert Park, Woodville, South Australia
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained 3 years Adelaide Hospital
Enlisted 21 November 1914
Embarked 5 December 1914 from Melbourne per ‘Kyarra’
Aged 28 years
Served in England & France - was at the No 2 AGH at Mena House, then at Ismalia after the evacuation of Gallipoli, went to England, was on duty at Abbeville, France.
Returned to Australia 18 June 1919 per ‘Leicestershire’
Appointment Terminated 17 August 1919
Transferred to Repatriation Hospital 1 April 1921
Met her husband at Abbeville.
Married Alexander MALLINSON 22 April 1924 at St. James Church, Sydney, NSW
In 1934 residing at Buccleuch
Lived at Macclesfield SA where they were dairy farmers
Died 12 October 1978 in SA
​Cremated Centennial Park Cemetery
Picture
Mentioned in despatches
Date of Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 23 May 1919
Location in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: Page 881, position 46
Date of London Gazette: 31 December 1918
Location in London Gazette: Page 15230, position 28
MARRIAGES

MALLINSON— SWEENEY.— On the 22nd. April, at St James' Church, Sydney, by Canon Bellingham. Alec, son of the late' Mr. E. S. and Mrs. Mallinson, Dee Why, to Jane Grant (Sister Sweeney), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Sweeney, Albert Park, Adelaide.

The Register Adelaide Wednesday 14 May 1924 page 8

SWEENEY, Rose Ann

Picture
 Staff Nurse
Queen Alexandria's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve

Born 23 March 1885 at Glen Innes, NSW
Daughter of John SWEENEY and Bridget nee GALLAGHER
Of Errigal, Mayfield, Newcastle, NSW
Enlisted 18 December 1915
Embarked from Sydney, Australia 18 December 1915
Arrived in UK 10 February 1916
Posted to 1st Birmingham W. Hospital
To 11 General Hospital 02 April 1916
61 CCS July 1917
11 Stationary Hospital 09 September 1917
Leave to Cannes 27 March 1918 - 09 April 1918
74 General Hospital 16 April 1918
Admitted to 72 General Hospital 16 May 1918
To Duty 74 General Hospital 22 May 1918
To Nurse Abbeville 13 August 1918
'During the two months that Miss Sweeney was working with me I found her a good nurse and a capable ward manager.  She was good tempered, tactful, patient, kind and punctual.  Her patients were always well cared for and her ward well managed.  She was quiet and amiable and a pleasant companion in the mess.'
43 CCS 21 August 1918
19 CCS 29 August 1918
To England for demobilization 31 March 1919
8 Stationary Hospital 07 April 1919
To England 13 April 1919
Posted for temporary duty pending arrangement of passage to Australian at Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich 15 April 1919
Returned to Australia per 'Osterley' 21 May 1919 from Tilbury
Appointment terminated 26 June 1919
Matron of Hay Hospital
Did not marry
Died 25 June 1952 at Concord Repatriation Hospital, Condord
​Aged 67 years
Resided 77 Pine Street, Hay, NSW
Buried Hay Cemetery
We doubt if any woman in Hay's history— certainly none during the past quarter of a century, and few, if any have enjoyed such universal love and the esteem of the citizens of this town and district, as Matron Rose Ann Sweeney.  Matron Sweeney died, in Concord Repatriation Hospital, Concord, after a fairly long illness, on Wednesday of this week, at the age of 67 years.  Not a great deal is known locally about Matron Sweeney's family history, even among her close friends, but.it is known that she has no close relatives surviving, and was born in Inverell. She was the child of Irish parents, who were farmers. They died when she was a child, and she was reared by her grandparents.  She trained at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, in the days when nursing was a vocation and nurses not only had to work long hours under strict discipline during their training, but received no pay. Indeed aspirants for a nursing career had to pay a premium to be trained.  Shortly after completing her nursing training, she went overseas with the troops as a nursing sister, serving in France in advanced posts in the lines. To the end of her nursing career she never ceased to speak of those days nursing the troops as the best days of her life.  It was not for want of her trying that she was not back with the A.I.F. during the second world war. She was intensely proud of her membership of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A., and she never failed to attend as one of the nursing sisters the annual re-unions of the Hay Sub branch. There was never a more fervent toast than- that of 'The Nursing Sisters,' when the boys sang 'Rose of No Man's Land,' they paid annual tribute not only to nursing sisters generally, but to their own 'Swin'— comrade in arms and, in peace days, friend and comforter of their wives and infant children.So far as Hay is concerned, Matron Sweeney's history really begins on Armistice Day, 1921, when she arrived in Hay to take charge of the newly opened maternity home, then established in the former Hay Gaol, and later moved to the present site in Lachlan Street.  To quote the former president of the Hay Red Cross, 'That was one of the luckiest days in the history of Hay.'  After World I the ladies of the Hay Red Cross looked round for a peace time job and decided to open a maternity home— previously there had been none in Hay and no maternity block at the hospital. They  determined to provide this facility for the mothers of Hay. and district generally, but especially for the wives of returned soldiers. After initial trials, The Home was opened in the gaol, and a few months after its commencement, Miss Sweeney arrived to take charge.  From there on the history of The Home became the history of Matron Sweeney. Conditions were rather, primitive in some respects.Government aid was, especially in the early days, non-existent, and the home had to carry on with charitable help. It did not even always enjoy the co-operation of the Hospital Boards of the day, but nevertheless the ladies continued their battle to maintain The Home and Matron Sweeney continued her battle to run it with what, today, would be looked on as a skeleton staff— and on a'skeleton' salary, too.  But, as stated above, Matron Sweeney came of that breed of nurses  to whom nursing was a vocation, and she continued to carry on The Home, and made the care of every mother that entered its, doors her personal responsibility. It was said in 1941 when the twentieth birthday of The Home was honoured, that except during absences from Hay, she had attended the birth of every child but four born there— something like 2000 at that time, probably that figure has risen to something like 2700 before The Home passed from the control of the Red Cross in 1947.  As every father and mother knows that entails work at all sorts of odd hours, for nature never considers the clock or social engagements. Many times Matron Sweeney would sit beside an expectant mother through days of labour, and rest by her side at night, in order to be at hand when her help was needed — and perhaps repeat the process the next night for some other mother needing her aid.  Not only did she stand by every mother with her professional skill, but she extended to all the same love and affection as if they were her own daughters.  So great washer knowledge of nursing and in particular mid-wifery nursing that her record— in the cold light of statistics— stood above the highly endowed institutions where staff, and equipment, were unlimited.  Matron Sweeney was one of those rare people who love to work hard, and to play hard.  Apart from her nursing, which was her life, no one loved to get out among her friends better than Matron Sweeney and no one more loved a party— but she was always ready on the instant to return to duty or to cancel an engagement should she be needed at The Home. When returning after an evening out, she would always look first towards the 'west ward' where a light was the signal that she was not to retire thankfully to bed, but to don her uniform and go into action.  Matron Sweeney was a woman of intense loyalties, to her King and Country, to her God and to her Church, to her nursing profession and to the medical profession. She had definite views and code of honour that were never broken and she was out spoken in correcting what she deemed to be unkindnesses or injustices, particularly unkindness to dumb animals, or unable to defend themselves.  In 1947 the march of time and the industrial emancipation of nurses brought to such institutions as the Nursing Home great financial difficulties, and it was decided that The Home should betaken over by the Hospital Board.  It was not a very great time after this, in March, 1949, that advancing years and failing health caused her to retire.  For a time Matron Sweeney went to Sydney to live, but the ties in Hay were too strong and she returned to live among her host of friends for a few months. But she was soon to go to Sydney for medical attention, and entered Concord Repatriation Hospital,where after some months, she passed away on Wednesday, following a stroke.  One of Matron Sweeney's loyalties mentioned above, was to the code of silence observed by good nurses, so that the many hundreds of acts of kindness and compassion she performed will forever remain in true secret places of her patients' hearts.  One would need to be a woman— more especially a mother to write adequately of Matron Sweeney; we can only hope that these, few words from the pen of the father of four of 'Swin's babies,' will in some measure express what so many feel for this grand nurse.  The funeral yesterday in Hay was a fitting tribute to Matron Sweeney. Well attended by town and district people, the service was held in St. Virgilius' Roman Catholic Church, where the children of the Convent School and Matron, and nurses of the Hay Hospital and the Hay Maternity Unit formed a guard of honour. At the graveside the returned men marched, and the Matron and nurses from the Maternity Unit formed up on either side of the flag draped coffin. After the religious ceremony, conducted by Rev. Pr. T. Harper, was concluded, the president of the Returned Soldiers' League, Mr.C. Norman, recited the customary verse, 'They Shall Not Grow Old . . .'? As each soldier dropped his Flanders' Poppy into the grave with the words 'We will remember them,' the sad strains of the 'Last Post' floated over the silent countryside.  Vale Matron Sweeney— Wonderful Woman— Wonderful Nurse.

The Riverine Grazier Friday 27 June 1952 page 2
ACTING under instructions from the Executor in the Estate of the late Miss Rose Ann Sweeney, we will offer the Town Property and Dwelling erected there on at 77 Pine St., Say,' for sale by Public Auction on the above date. . ' '. .Land is contained in Cert, of Title Vol. 910 Polio 138 and has a frontage of 38 feet to Pine St., Hay, and a depth of 132 feet.  House is constructed of weatherboard and contains 4 main rooms, kitchen and bathroom with gauzed verandah on back, and open verandah on front, and connected with telephone, electricity, water and sewerage. IMMEDIATE VACANT POSSESSION will be given,

Immediately after the house auction we will offer the following items of Furniture: — 1 Single Bed; and Mattress, 1 Wardrobe, 1 Divan, 1 Deck Chair, Small Writing Desk, 2 Bridge Chairs, Small Electric Stovette, quantity of Kitchen Utensils, Crockery, Glassware and Sundries.

SYDENHAM, Zoe Irene

Staff Nurse
AANS

Born 1886 in Colac, Vic.
Daughter of George Frank SYDENHAM and Zoe Lillian nee HILLS
Of Moana, Colac, Victoria
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained 3 years Warnambool Hospital
Appointed to staff of the Queen's Hospital, Adelaide in June 1914
Enlisted 2 June 1917
Embarked 12 June 1917 from Melbourne per ‘Mooltan’
Aged 30 years
Served in Salonika
Returned to Australia 11 September 1919 per ‘Valencia’
Appointment Terminated 28 February 1920
Married Herbert LONGDEN 18 October 1921 at Holy Trinity Church, Kew by Rev. Harold Davies.
Resided Addison Road, Manly 
Her husband died 13 August 1934
Zoe died 18 September 1974 in Vic.
​Late of Colac, Vic.
​Cremated Altona Cemetery 20 September 1974

SYMONDS, Helena Caroline

Sister
AANS

Born 05 May 1978 in Hobart, Tas.
Second eldest daughter of Rev. Thomas SYMONDS and Rebecca nee WILKINSON
Sister of Audrey SYMONDS
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained Melbourne Hospital
Enlisted 29 June 1915
Embarked 17 July 1915 from Melbourne per ‘Orsova’
Aged 36 years
Served in England & France
Illness
Returned to Australia leaving England 31 July 1918 per ‘D17’
Appointment terminated 6 March 1919
Did not marry
Died 16 March 1931 in hospital, Melbourne, Vic.
Late of Healesville, Vic.
Buried Healesville Cemetery, Vic.

SYMONS, L

NEW POST FOR MATRON

After l8 months' duty as assistant to the Matron-in-chief of AANS, Matron L. Symons has been transferred to the post of matron of a military hospital in Victoria.

Matron Symons has had a distinguished career. She served with the AANS in the last war, for part of the time at Salonika. She is a native of South Australia and trained in Adelaide hospitals.