Mary Anne Reidy (1880–1977) was a New Zealand civilian and military nurse, community leader. She was born in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1880. Reidy served as a nurse for the New Zealand military from January 1916 to December 1918. The next 26 years of her life were spent attempting to preserve the hospital at

Kawhia Kawhia Harbour (Maori: ''Kāwhia'') is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southwe ...

and ensuring the welfare of returned soldiers. She became a widely respected figure in her community. Reidy died on 17 January 1977.

Early life

Reidy was born on 17 June 1880, at

Kilmihil Kilmihil () is a village in the Barony of Clonderlaw, west County Clare, Ireland. It is also a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaelt ...

, but her family had moved to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

before she was 22. She then helped her father around the house for two years before her nursing career.

Nursing career

In 1904, Reidy began to work at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, starting out by washing dishes, but she soon became a nurse. In 1911, when Reidy was 31, she received formal training at the

Waikato Hospital Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare

for three years.

Military service

Reidy served in the military from January 1916 to December 1918. Initially posted in England she nursed at the No 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital at

Wisques Wisques (; nl, Wizeke) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Wisques is located 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Saint-Omer, at the D212 and D208E road junction. Population Places of in ...

, France from 1917 to 1918. She was very kind to the men, who nicknamed her "Ten Franc Reidy" for the money she lent to soldiers. She concluded her service after the hospital closed.

Kawhia Hospital

After a brief stint training nurses at

Waikato Hospital Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare

, Reidy took control of the cottage hospital in Kawhia, where she had been appointed Sister in 1921, and which faced closure due to finances. She was a tyrant, but a loving one. She worked for twenty-six years at various fundraisers to keep the hospital solvent, including a dog swimming race, as late as 1957. In the 1956 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for her contribution to back-blocks nursing and for the welfare of returned servicemen.

References

External links

* People from County Clare 1880 births 1977 deaths Irish emigrants to New Zealand (before 1923) New Zealand nurses New Zealand military personnel New Zealand women nurses New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub