Staff Nurse Elizabeth Rothery Memorial

Situated in the picturesque town of Myrtleford lies this poignant memorial commemorating the life and service of Staff Nurse Elizabeth Rothery.

Rothery was born in November 1885 and received her nursing training at the Ovens District Hospital in nearby Beechworth. She later moved south to Melbourne and began working as a midwife at the Melbourne General Hospital. She enlisted to join the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War 1 after her brother Norman sadly died while fighting in Gallipoli, Italy. 

It was in 1916 that Rothery left Australia to begin her military service overseas, and her valuable skills and expertise took her across the world, serving in India, England, South Africa, and later Egypt. In 1918 at the end of the war, she began her final journey by sea back to Australia, attending to the sick and wounded on a long and arduous journey home. It is noted in records that this was a particularly challenging journey with warm weather and at times treacherous conditions. Rothery made it home to her family in Myrtleford but in tragic circumstances, she suddenly died of appendicitis only a short period after returning to Australia in1918. 

The memorial is made of bronze and was officially unveiled to the public in  April 2021 by Colonel Janice McCarthy. It spreads the message of remembrance to all 63 nurses who served Australia from the Ovens Valley.