Penelope Frater (1869 - 1939)

Born 26 Jan 1869 in Liverpool Plains, New South Wales, Australia

Died 12 Dec 1939 at age 70 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Penelope Frater was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Nellie Gould, Penelope & Julia Johnston

Penelope Frater was born on 26th January 1869 at Merrylong Park, Liverpool Plains, New South Wales, Australia. She was the daughter of Scottish emigrants, Alexander Frater and Penelope Hay.^[1]

Penelope was a nurse

Leaving the family home Penelope travelled to Sydney late in 1891 and, staying with one of her brothers who ran the Sans Souci Hotel, she was accepted as a probationer at the Sydney Hospital in November. The two-year nurse training program was along the lines developed by Florence Nightingale. Penelope passed her nursing course with 'flying colours'.^[2]

Penelope Frater is a Military Veteran.
Served in the New South Wales Nursing Sisters 1899-1902

The New South Wales Nursing Sisters, raised in 1898, was the first female army unit in any Australian colony, and was commanded by Lady Superintendent (Matron) Ellen 'Nellie' Gould who had been in charge of Penelope's nurse training at Sydney Hospital. Immediately before her own enlistment Nellie Gould was the Matron of Rydalmere Hospital for the Insane, and as one wag later put it, 'quite suitable preparation for nursing in South Africa'. Penelope enlisted in the NSW Nursing Sisters and embarked with the fourteen-strong team for the Boer War in South Africa aboard the S S Moravian on 17th January 1900.^[3] Initially posted to a temporary Stationary Hospital at Sterkstroom, moving to other hospitals as the tide of war changed. Penelope and her fellow nurses returned to Australia in August 1902; having been awarded both the Queen's South Africa Medal and the King's South Africa Medal.^[2]

Penelope Frater is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Imperial Force 1914-1918
Australian Army Nursing Service

When The Great War broke out, Sister Frater, giving her address as care of her sister and her mother at Oatlands, Sutherland, New South Wales, enlisted on 27th September 1914 in the Australian Army Nursing Service of the Australian Imperial Force. After initially serving in the Australian General Hospital at Alexandria, Egypt, Penelope sailed on the Braemar Castle from Alexandria to Marseilles, France where she was posted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital and in January 1917 she was appointed Head Sister (Matron).^[2] She returned to Australia on 16th December 1919. She was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.^[4]

Penelope passed away, unmarried, aged 70 years, on 12th December 1939 at Sydney, New South Wales.^[5]