Eileen Cecily (Mullens) Bowen (1917 - 1983)

Born 30 Mar 1917 in Thirroul, New South Wales, Australia

Wife of Nigel Hubert Bowen AC KBE — married 21 Feb 1947 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 1983 at about age 65 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Eileen (Mullens) Bowen was born in New South Wales, Australia

Eileen (Mullens) Bowen has Irish ancestors.

Eileen Cecily Mullens was born on 30th March 1917 in Thirroul, New South Wales, Australia. She was the eldest child of Francis Mullens and Katherine Hennessy, both of Irish descent. ^[1] A sister was born at Thirroul two years, before the family moved to Sydney's southern suburbs; where another sister was born in 1920. The family then moved to Quirindi, near Tamworth, where a brother was added to the family in 1922.

Eileen was a nurse

Eileen became a nurse.

Eileen (Mullens) Bowen is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 21 Oct 1942-8 Dec 1944
Australian Army Nursing Service

On 21st October 1942 at Concord, in Sydney's western suburbs, Eileen was commissioned as a Nurse (with the rank of Lieutenant) in the Second Australian Imperial Force. Her mother, Katherine, was listed as her next-of-kin. With the war gradually moving further from Australia and the need to 'thin out' some of the defence force, she was demobilised on 8th December 1944. ^[2]

Eileen married war veteran and solicitor Nigel Bowen on 21st February 1947 in St Philip’s Church of England (now Anglican Church), Sydney.​ ^[3] The couple subsequently had three daughters, Pamela, Vivian and Diane.

Nigel took to work as a Sydney barrister, in 1964 successfully running for the seat of Parramatta in the Commonwealth House of Representatives. He remained so until 1973, serving much of that time as Australia's Attornery General. In 1976, he was appointed the inaugural Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. It is uncertain presently whether that necessitated the family re-locating to Canberra. When Nigel was knighted that year, Eileen became entitled as Lady Bowen.

Aged about 66 years, Eileen passed away in early 1983 in Sydney. ^[4] She was survived by Nigel and their three daughters.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #19901/1917; registered at Bulli
2. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX138696 (N391918) Lieutenant Eilleen Cecily Mullens; accessed 16 Mar 2024
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #649/1947
4. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #3650/1983