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Researching WW1 diggers and nurses

from Sunshine Coast region of Queensland


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2014 was the centenary year of Australia's first deployment of soldiers to Europe to fight in the First World War.

The purpose of the Adopt a Digger Project is to commemorate the centenary by honouring the men and women from the (current) Sunshine Coast region of South-east Queensland who fought in World War One either with the Army, Navy or Airforce. Criteria for a soldier's inclusion is either that he was born in the district, or his next-of-kin was resident in the district, or he enlisted in the district or he is commemorated on a local honour board or memorial. This same criteria applies to our nurses. Since the inception of the project we have decided to include the settlers who took up land at Beerburrum Soldier Settlement from 1916 as the Settlement is such a significant piece of the region's WW1 history. Our criteria dates are 1914 to 1925.

The aim of this website is to create a database which records each soldier's WW1 military history and a brief personal history. This database will be a valuable source of reference for historians, researchers, descendants and school students, and will be a significant contribution to the social and historical military records of Australia, and particularly the  Sunshine Coast region.

We held an exhibition in April 2015 to commemorate the Anzac Centenary and to remember and honour "our boys".

hilda-nyeGood news for those researching WW1 nurses. The UK National Archives have made available digital records for all WW1 nurses online. The records date from 1902 to 1922 and are a full service history (about 40 pages). They are for nurses who served in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service, QAIMNS Reserve and Territorial Force Nursing Service. Many Australian nurses served in the QAIMNS and, to date, I have downloaded full records for two of our Sunshine Coast nurses, Gertrude NYE from Buderim Mountain and Matilda Rose WILSON from Nambour. There is a small cost to purchase.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/nursing.asp