| Place | Africa: South Africa |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/13264 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Medal |
| Physical description | Silver |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | c 1903 |
| Conflict |
South Africa, 1899-1902 (Boer War) First World War, 1914-1918 |
Queen's South Africa medal : Nurse A E H Thomson
Description
Queen's South Africa medal. Impressed around edge with recipients details.
History / Summary
Presented to Victorian nurse, Sister Annie Eliza Helen Thomson, for her service in South Africa. Thomson was born in Tasmania in 1862. On 22 February 1895 she became a registered nurse, after completing her training at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Thomson was still working at the Alfred when she was accepted, from nearly 100 applicants, to be one of 10 nurses to be sent to South Africa by Victoria. Leaving with the 3rd Victorian Contingent aboard the Euryalus on 10 March 1900, Thomson and the other nurses were transported to Rhodesia, where they set up a temporary hospital at Bulawayo. Thomson returned to Victoria in March 1901 and went back to working at the Alfred Hospital. During the First World War Thomson trained many of the nurses that served with the AIF. Thomson died on 29 October 1946 at the Alfred Hospital that she had worked in for so many years.