Eldest child of Scottish parents John Pearson and Fanny (nee Lang) Campbell. Grace was educated at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School. She entered Brisbane Hospital as a probatio new in 1905 and gained her certificate in 1908. She trained in midwifery at the Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, London before joining the staff of the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic. She became Matron of Brisbane Hospital in July 1914. She joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in October 1914 and was appointed principal matron of the 1st Military District. She transferred to the Australian Imperial Force on 15 April 1915 and as principal matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital she embarked for England in May 1915. The hospital was transferred to Lemnos to treat Anzac casualties; with her staff, she arrived there in early August to find conditions 'too awful for words'. Their equipment had been delayed, there were few tents and mattresses, no beds, and only spirit lamps for cooking and sterilizing. Encouraging the nurses to contend with such primitive conditions, she soon created order out of chaos; by 13 August the hospital was treating 900 patients. Dysentery became a later problem and winter brought men suffering from frost-bite and gangrene. Despite all difficulties, the hospital's mortality rate was only 2 per cent.
Early in 1916 the 3rd A.G.H. was transferred to Abbassia, Egypt. Mentioned in dispatches three times that year, Matron Wilson was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, in May. She moved with the hospital to Brighton, England, in October, and to Abbeville, France, in April 1917. The unit initially had 1500 beds and expanded to 2000.
In September she was appointed temporary matron-in-chief at A.I.F. Headquarters, London, to relieve Matron Conyers. Although Wilson enjoyed the administrative experience, she longed to be back with 'her family' at Abbeville. Returning there in April 1918, by judgement, tact and ability she ensured a high standard of conduct. Again mentioned in dispatches in December, she was appointed C.B.E. on 1 January 1919. After the 3rd A.G.H. was dismantled in May, she was posted to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, Kent, before coming home to Queensland in January 1920. Her A.I.F. appointment ended in April.
As matron from November 1920 of the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Wilson improved conditions for her nurses and succeeded in winning trainees a nominal wage. Openly critical of the hospital committee, she resigned two years later and bought a private hospital, Somerset House, in East Melbourne. In January 1933 she became matron of the Alfred Hospital. Determined to improve the standard of nursing, she formed a training school committee, appointed two tutor sisters and introduced an orientation course for probationers.
Wilson had become matron-in-chief of the army nursing reserve in August 1925. Awarded the Florence Nightingale medal in 1929, she led the A.A.N.S.'s coronation contingent in London in 1937. She resigned from the Alfred when she was called up for full-time duty in World War II. Appointed to the A.I.F. in September 1940, she served in the Middle East until ill health forced her return to Australia in August 1941; her A.I.F. appointment ended the next month. On 15 September 1943 she became executive officer, nursing control section, Department of Manpower Directorate (Victoria).
A life member of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association, Wilson was a council-member of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association and sometime president of its successor, the Royal Victorian College of Nursing; she helped to establish postgraduate training courses. Three times president of the Returned Nurses' Club, she was a trustee of the Edith Cavell Trust Fund and of the Shrine of Remembrance, and in 1953 was made a life member of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. She was also active in the Australian Red Cross Society and the Girl Guides' Association, and belonged to the Lyceum Club.
During a visit to London, on 12 January 1954 Grace Wilson married Robert Wallace Bruce Campbell at Holy Trinity parish church, Roehampton. She died on 12 January 1957 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, and was cremated after a service with full military honours at Christ Church, South Yarra.
Memorials: Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour, South Brisbane Bowling Club Roll of Honour, Spring Hill Brisbane Girls Grammar School Honour Roll.
Early in 1916 the 3rd A.G.H. was transferred to Abbassia, Egypt. Mentioned in dispatches three times that year, Matron Wilson was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, in May. She moved with the hospital to Brighton, England, in October, and to Abbeville, France, in April 1917. The unit initially had 1500 beds and expanded to 2000.
In September she was appointed temporary matron-in-chief at A.I.F. Headquarters, London, to relieve Matron Conyers. Although Wilson enjoyed the administrative experience, she longed to be back with 'her family' at Abbeville. Returning there in April 1918, by judgement, tact and ability she ensured a high standard of conduct. Again mentioned in dispatches in December, she was appointed C.B.E. on 1 January 1919. After the 3rd A.G.H. was dismantled in May, she was posted to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, Kent, before coming home to Queensland in January 1920. Her A.I.F. appointment ended in April.
As matron from November 1920 of the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Wilson improved conditions for her nurses and succeeded in winning trainees a nominal wage. Openly critical of the hospital committee, she resigned two years later and bought a private hospital, Somerset House, in East Melbourne. In January 1933 she became matron of the Alfred Hospital. Determined to improve the standard of nursing, she formed a training school committee, appointed two tutor sisters and introduced an orientation course for probationers.
Wilson had become matron-in-chief of the army nursing reserve in August 1925. Awarded the Florence Nightingale medal in 1929, she led the A.A.N.S.'s coronation contingent in London in 1937. She resigned from the Alfred when she was called up for full-time duty in World War II. Appointed to the A.I.F. in September 1940, she served in the Middle East until ill health forced her return to Australia in August 1941; her A.I.F. appointment ended the next month. On 15 September 1943 she became executive officer, nursing control section, Department of Manpower Directorate (Victoria).
A life member of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association, Wilson was a council-member of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association and sometime president of its successor, the Royal Victorian College of Nursing; she helped to establish postgraduate training courses. Three times president of the Returned Nurses' Club, she was a trustee of the Edith Cavell Trust Fund and of the Shrine of Remembrance, and in 1953 was made a life member of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. She was also active in the Australian Red Cross Society and the Girl Guides' Association, and belonged to the Lyceum Club.
During a visit to London, on 12 January 1954 Grace Wilson married Robert Wallace Bruce Campbell at Holy Trinity parish church, Roehampton. She died on 12 January 1957 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, and was cremated after a service with full military honours at Christ Church, South Yarra.
Memorials: Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour, South Brisbane Bowling Club Roll of Honour, Spring Hill Brisbane Girls Grammar School Honour Roll.
Eldest child of Scottish parents John Pearson and Fanny (nee Lang) Campbell. Grace was educated at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School. She entered Brisbane Hospital as a probatio new in 1905 and gained her certificate in 1908. She trained in midwifery at the Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, London before joining the staff of the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic. She became Matron of Brisbane Hospital in July 1914. She joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in October 1914 and was appointed principal matron of the 1st Military District. She transferred to the Australian Imperial Force on 15 April 1915 and as principal matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital she embarked for England in May 1915. The hospital was transferred to Lemnos to treat Anzac casualties; with her staff, she arrived there in early August to find conditions 'too awful for words'. Their equipment had been delayed, there were few tents and mattresses, no beds, and only spirit lamps for cooking and sterilizing. Encouraging the nurses to contend with such primitive conditions, she soon created order out of chaos; by 13 August the hospital was treating 900 patients. Dysentery became a later problem and winter brought men suffering from frost-bite and gangrene. Despite all difficulties, the hospital's mortality rate was only 2 per cent.
Early in 1916 the 3rd A.G.H. was transferred to Abbassia, Egypt. Mentioned in dispatches three times that year, Matron Wilson was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, in May. She moved with the hospital to Brighton, England, in October, and to Abbeville, France, in April 1917. The unit initially had 1500 beds and expanded to 2000.
In September she was appointed temporary matron-in-chief at A.I.F. Headquarters, London, to relieve Matron Conyers. Although Wilson enjoyed the administrative experience, she longed to be back with 'her family' at Abbeville. Returning there in April 1918, by judgement, tact and ability she ensured a high standard of conduct. Again mentioned in dispatches in December, she was appointed C.B.E. on 1 January 1919. After the 3rd A.G.H. was dismantled in May, she was posted to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, Kent, before coming home to Queensland in January 1920. Her A.I.F. appointment ended in April.
As matron from November 1920 of the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Wilson improved conditions for her nurses and succeeded in winning trainees a nominal wage. Openly critical of the hospital committee, she resigned two years later and bought a private hospital, Somerset House, in East Melbourne. In January 1933 she became matron of the Alfred Hospital. Determined to improve the standard of nursing, she formed a training school committee, appointed two tutor sisters and introduced an orientation course for probationers.
Wilson had become matron-in-chief of the army nursing reserve in August 1925. Awarded the Florence Nightingale medal in 1929, she led the A.A.N.S.'s coronation contingent in London in 1937. She resigned from the Alfred when she was called up for full-time duty in World War II. Appointed to the A.I.F. in September 1940, she served in the Middle East until ill health forced her return to Australia in August 1941; her A.I.F. appointment ended the next month. On 15 September 1943 she became executive officer, nursing control section, Department of Manpower Directorate (Victoria).
A life member of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association, Wilson was a council-member of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association and sometime president of its successor, the Royal Victorian College of Nursing; she helped to establish postgraduate training courses. Three times president of the Returned Nurses' Club, she was a trustee of the Edith Cavell Trust Fund and of the Shrine of Remembrance, and in 1953 was made a life member of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. She was also active in the Australian Red Cross Society and the Girl Guides' Association, and belonged to the Lyceum Club.
During a visit to London, on 12 January 1954 Grace Wilson married Robert Wallace Bruce Campbell at Holy Trinity parish church, Roehampton. She died on 12 January 1957 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, and was cremated after a service with full military honours at Christ Church, South Yarra.
Memorials: Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour, South Brisbane Bowling Club Roll of Honour, Spring Hill Brisbane Girls Grammar School Honour Roll.
Early in 1916 the 3rd A.G.H. was transferred to Abbassia, Egypt. Mentioned in dispatches three times that year, Matron Wilson was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, in May. She moved with the hospital to Brighton, England, in October, and to Abbeville, France, in April 1917. The unit initially had 1500 beds and expanded to 2000.
In September she was appointed temporary matron-in-chief at A.I.F. Headquarters, London, to relieve Matron Conyers. Although Wilson enjoyed the administrative experience, she longed to be back with 'her family' at Abbeville. Returning there in April 1918, by judgement, tact and ability she ensured a high standard of conduct. Again mentioned in dispatches in December, she was appointed C.B.E. on 1 January 1919. After the 3rd A.G.H. was dismantled in May, she was posted to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, Kent, before coming home to Queensland in January 1920. Her A.I.F. appointment ended in April.
As matron from November 1920 of the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Wilson improved conditions for her nurses and succeeded in winning trainees a nominal wage. Openly critical of the hospital committee, she resigned two years later and bought a private hospital, Somerset House, in East Melbourne. In January 1933 she became matron of the Alfred Hospital. Determined to improve the standard of nursing, she formed a training school committee, appointed two tutor sisters and introduced an orientation course for probationers.
Wilson had become matron-in-chief of the army nursing reserve in August 1925. Awarded the Florence Nightingale medal in 1929, she led the A.A.N.S.'s coronation contingent in London in 1937. She resigned from the Alfred when she was called up for full-time duty in World War II. Appointed to the A.I.F. in September 1940, she served in the Middle East until ill health forced her return to Australia in August 1941; her A.I.F. appointment ended the next month. On 15 September 1943 she became executive officer, nursing control section, Department of Manpower Directorate (Victoria).
A life member of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association, Wilson was a council-member of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association and sometime president of its successor, the Royal Victorian College of Nursing; she helped to establish postgraduate training courses. Three times president of the Returned Nurses' Club, she was a trustee of the Edith Cavell Trust Fund and of the Shrine of Remembrance, and in 1953 was made a life member of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. She was also active in the Australian Red Cross Society and the Girl Guides' Association, and belonged to the Lyceum Club.
During a visit to London, on 12 January 1954 Grace Wilson married Robert Wallace Bruce Campbell at Holy Trinity parish church, Roehampton. She died on 12 January 1957 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, and was cremated after a service with full military honours at Christ Church, South Yarra.
Memorials: Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour, South Brisbane Bowling Club Roll of Honour, Spring Hill Brisbane Girls Grammar School Honour Roll.
Inscription
Matron In Chief
G. M. Campbell
C.B.E. R.R.C
(Nee Wilson)
A.A.N.S
12-1-1957 Age 76
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