Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA

Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA is the first sculpture to commemorate the service of an individual woman or nurse in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial. It was commissioned in 2019 to recognise Bullwinkel’s exceptional military service, importance to the development of Australian Nursing and to recognise all Australian nurses who have lost their lives, survived atrocities or made sacrifices while serving their country.

An Australian Army Nurse during the Second World War Bullwinkel’s courage while a prisoner of war exemplified the bravery of Australian women in war. Through her service she demonstrated qualities of care that nurses in the Australian Defence Force personify. Her distinguished post-war career was marked by many humanitarian achievements.

The sculpture, created by Australian artist Dr Charles Robb (b.1971), depicts Lieutenant Colonel Bullwinkel wearing the distinctive summer working uniform, worn by the Australian Army Nursing Service during the Second World War. Her hands are gently clasped, in a pose that reflects her dignified composure and unrelenting dedication to nursing principles of care. On the left breast of her shoulder cape are her service medals and on the right breast the prestigious Florence Nightingale medal that she was awarded in 1947. Emanating from around her feet is a gentle watery surface. Into this undulating surface, a series of 22 stainless steel discs are inset. These discs represent each of the women killed in the Banka Island Massacre, of which Vivian Bullwinkel was the sole survivor. The discs are arranged at the base of the sculpture as a reflection of the stars that would have been visible in the night sky on 16 February 1942.

'Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel was an imposing figure with a garrulous laugh, known for her strength of character and warmth. This sculpture reflects these aspects of her service and character, her dignified composure and unrelenting dedication to nursing principles of care. Bullwinkel stands in a symmetrical pose, framed by the gentler horizontal gestures of her garments and the water beneath her feet. These movements are echoed by the resonating contours of the base, a sculptural reference to the impact Bullwinkel had on the world around her.

Emanating from her feet is a gentle watery surface into which a series of 22 stainless steel discs is set. Each represents one of the women killed in the Banka Island Massacre on 16 February 1942. The discs replicate the pattern of the stars visible in the night sky above Banka Island that evening.' [Charles Robb, 2023]

This commemorative sculpture was acquired under commission in partnership with the Australian College of Nursing Foundation.