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Whilst journeying up Soldier's Walk in Queen's Domain, Hobart to visit the Boer War Memorial, IL noticed the illustrated plaque - situated quite close to the said Memorial. The plaque commemorated the Boer War service of Nurse Elizabeth ORR. Elizabeth ORR was born to a large family in Tasmania in 1860, commencing her training as a Nurse at Hobart General Hospital in 1881. Several of the Australasian Colonies did send Nursing contingents to South Africa; not Tasmania. Nurse Orr travelled to SA at her own "discretion and expense" and arrived in Jan, 1900. She joined Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve and served in Military hospitals until 1902. She remained in SA and later returned to Australia.
Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Nurse ORR deducted thirteen years from her age and journeyed to the UK in 1914. She served in the Egypt/Palestine campaigns and was awarded the RRC in Jan., 1919. After an extended and meritorious career in Nursing, Elizabeth Orr died in 1945; her ashes were scattered in Bass Straight. Her medals were displayed in the Graduate Nurses' Museum in Royal Hobart Hospital. IL was not aware of that until he arrived home. On his next visit, he will certainly make it his business to photograph Nurse Orr's medal group - and perhaps add some locations of where Nurse Orr served between 1900 and 1902.
Much of the background to this post was obtained from the Australian Dictionary of Biography and the illustration of Nurse ORR came from a Tasmanian Govt. website.
Regards to all
IL.

This portrait failed to go when I hit the button; here it is!

That's a great find, IL. Great pictures too. In my experience there are not many named pictures of nurses so these are always a pleasure to see.

There is an extended biography of her here: adb.anu.edu.au/biography/orr-elizabeth-lizzie-13141

There's a longer biography here on pages 7-9 from someone who inspected the medals.

www.legacy.com.au/Assets/5247/1/2012-07.pdf