Elizabeth Jane EDDY

Known as Lily or Lil, she was born in New Zealand in 1879 to Cornish immigrants James and Rebecca Eddy. Two years later the family moved to Australia, where her father became a farmer at Rob Roy, near Inverell.

After growing up in the district Lily eventually returned to New Zealand where she completed her nursing training in 1911 at Thames Hospital. She worked at the Military Hospital in Wellington prior to departing for War Service in May 1915 with the NZ Army Nursing Corps.

Following a short visit to her family at Inverell she sailed from Sydney for Egypt on the ship Moldavia with other NZ and Australian nurses. In Egypt Lily worked at the NZ General Hospital in Cairo before being sent to England in June 1916. During the War she is believed to have made four voyages back to Australia tending to wounded soldiers.

Upon her return to New Zealand in 1919, Lily received special mention for ‘… valuable services rendered in connection with the War’. Her name is recorded on the Thames Hospital Roll of Honour.

Although Lily made frequent visits to her family at Inverell, she lived in New Zealand where she worked at a Private Hospital. She died in New Zealand in 1972.