Margaret Graham RRC (1860 - 1942)

Born 15 Feb 1860 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom

Died 4 Jul 1942 at age 82 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Margaret was born on 15 February 1860^[1][2] and baptised on 13 May 1860 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England, daughter to John Graham and Margaret Farrer.^[2][3]

Margaret emigrated to Australia some time before 2 April 1891, when she registered as a probationary nurse at Royal Adelaide Hospital. She was promoted to charge nurse on 22 October 1894. She acted in this position until 15 February 1895 when her promotion was cancelled for insubordination over her refusal to retract a letter to Premier C. C. Kingston, requesting an independent inquiry into 'unjust treatment' of a fellow charge nurse, notably promotion of the sister of the colony's chief secretary, (Sir) J. H. Gordon. over other more qualified cadidates, She was later discharged. After considerable public debate, much of it ugly and acrimonious, a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate the management of Adelaide Hospital. Ultimately, Margaret was reappointed charge nurse, and later promoted to Matron on 1 January 1898.^[1][4]

In 1904 she became the first lady superintendant of the Austrailian Army Reserve Nursing Service, and in 1914 enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service and served in Egypt in 1915-16 at the 1st Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis, and at Ghezireh and Choubra and on hospital ships carrying wounded from Gallipoli. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, in December, 1916.^[1][4]

Margaret returned to her home in Carlisle, England in 1921, and died there on 4 July 1942.^[1][4][5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Merrilyn Lincoln, 'Graham, Margaret (1860–1942)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1983,online in 2006 , accessed online 18 May 2022.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 18 May 2022)
   Graham, Margaret (Mother's maiden name: Farrer).
   GRO Reference: 1860 Jan-Feb-Mar in Carlisle Volume 10B Page 384.
3. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   FamilySearch Record: J7S7-6VC (accessed 18 May 2022)
   Margaret Graham baptism on 13 May 1860 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Durdin, Joan; South Australian Medical Heritage Society, “A Nurse Called Margaret Graham,” 2014. (accessed online 18 May 2022)
5. ↑ Death Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Death (accessed 18 May 2022)
   Graham, Margaret (Age at death: 72).
   GRO Reference: 1941 Oct-Nov-Dec in Carlisle Volume 10B Page 981.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Margaret Graham, Matron