Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Elsie Agnes McKenzie was born on 5 February 1887 at Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of James and Louisa (née Stickley) McKenzie. She may have been the youngest of five girls. Her sister Margaret Christina McKenzie had come to New Zealand not long before she married John Scoon in 1897. Margaret and John lived for some years at Oamaru, moving to Milton in 1914-1915 and later to Waimate where both died. Their eldest daughter was named Elsie. Perhaps Elsie was the 14-year-old scholar, born in County Dublin who was at the Female Orphan House, Glasnevin, Dublin, in 1901, along with about fifty other scholars, all of Church of England affiliation. Florence Louisa McKenzie, the apparent first-born (1875), was a boarder in Dublin in 1901 and again in 1911. Ida Norah McKenzie was boarding at Coombe, County Dublin in 1911; she emigrated in 1913 and died in January 1924 at Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Perhaps the McKenzie girls were orphaned in childhood. In 1911, Elsie Agnes McKenzie was at the Public Hospital, Timaru. Elsie McKenzie, a nurse trained at the Timaru Hospital, was successful in the State examination held on 11 and 12 June 1913. Reporting this at the Hospital Board August meeting, the Matron asked leave to retain the services of Nurses McKenzie and Rawlings (both of whom were born overseas) at £65 per annum. In 1914 Elsie moved to the Public Hospital, Oamaru.

In October 1915, the War Office intimated through the High Commissioner that another 100 trained nurses would be gladly accepted in Egypt. “This was in response to a cable from the Hon. Minister of Public Health in which he enquired if the services of more trained nurses were required. Statements had been made that there were not enough nurses to care for our wounded, . . . . .” The Matron-in-Chief having just returned from Egypt confirmed the Government’s decision to send trained nurses so long as they were available in New Zealand, in preference to unqualified women to act as orderlies and assistants to the nurses. Selection was made of the staff for the Hospital Ships Marama and Maheno, and of the nurses to go in those ships to Egypt. Nurses recommended for the first Division of the Third Contingent to go in the Hospital Ship “Marama” in December included Miss E. McKenzie (trained at Timaru Hospital). She had offered her services and been accepted. Quite some time before November 1915, Nurse McKenzie had moved to Reefton Hospital on the West Coast. There at Reefton in June 1915, she had given 5 shillings to the Ladies’ Patriotic Guild. Her resignation from that position, owing to her having been accepted for service at the front, was received by the Inangahua Hospital Board which granted her one week’s leave of absence. On the night of Monday, 29 November 1915, Nurse E. McKenzie, of' the Reefton Hospital staff, had received a wire from the Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defence, to report herself at Wellington, on December 3rd, which she duly did. Nurse McKenzie, therefore, left on 30 November for the Empire City. “She carries the very best wishes from the Inangahua Hospital Board, medical and nursing staff, also the inmates, who will greatly miss her kind, cheerful presence. We join the many and wish her good luck and a safe return to New Zealand.” She had a very wide circle of friends at Reefton and was very popular at the hospital.

On 3 December 1915, Elsie McKenzie applied for appointment in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. “I declare that I am a duly Registered Nurse, under forty-five and over twenty-three years of age, a born subject of the King of England, and willing to serve in the Military Hospitals when called on in accordance with the Regulations, at the rate of pay settled by the Defence Minister at the time the Nursing Service is called up.” She had a Timaru Hospital Certificate and the State Certificate of June 1913. She was applying to serve in Egypt or elsewhere and was recommended by Miss H. Maclean, Matron-in-Chief. She was medically examined on 3 December 1915 and attested that same day at Wellington. Standing at 4 feet 11 inches, weighing 8 stone 2 pounds, and with a chest measurement of 35-38 inches, she had a medium complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. Her sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, her teeth sufficient. Having never been ill, and being free from inveterate or contagious skin disease, in good bodily and mental health, and vaccinated, she was assessed Fit. She was of Church of England affiliation and named her sister as next-of-kin – Mrs John Scoon, Johnstone Street, Milton.

The next day (4 December 1915), Nurse E. McKenzie embarked with Hospital Ship No. 2, Marama, of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps, but not on the staff, departing from Wellington. From that date she was to be Staff Nurse. She disembarked at Suez on 11 January 1916. As of 25 January 1916, Elsie McKenzie was to have the rank of Staff Nurse with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. By March 1916 she was on duty at the 27th General Hospital. On 2 June 1916 she went to Alexandria where she joined the “Carisbrook Castle” on duty. Then on 19 September she was transferred from the Hospital Ship “Carisbrook Castle” to No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital at Walton, where she was still on duty at 9 October 1916. She had been detailed “On Command” to Walton (Grey Towers Station No. 90). And as of 30 November 1917, under provision of N.Z.E.F. Orders, she was to be Sister. She was detached to special leave for two months from 27 June 1918, afterwards proceeding to duty at No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital at Codford.

A medical examination of Sister E. A. McKenzie was conducted at Codford on 3 March 1919. Her health and physical condition were satisfactory. And on the “Tainui” on 19 April 1919, her condition remained as previously recorded. Elsie McKenzie was one of many nurses of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service who returned to New Zealand for demobilization in the first few months of 1919. Leaving from Plymouth on 18 March 1919, she arrived back per the Tainui” on 30 April. She continued to serve in New Zealand.

At the November 1919 meeting of the Inangahua Hospital Board, reference was made to Nurse McKenzie’s leaving for the front, when the Board decided to keep the position open, and it was moved that the Secretary write to the Nurse and inform her that the position is still open. In March 1920, correspondence was received from Nurse McKenzie, Dunedin, thanking the Board for offering her the position of Nurse at Reefton Hospital, and stating she was still not demobilised. It was resolved to inform Nurse McKenzie that the position was still open for her.

Sister Elsie McKenzie was discharged on 1 February 1920, being struck off the Strength of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (N.Z.A.N.S.). She had served overseas for well over three years in Egypt, on the staff of the Hospital Ship “Carisbrook Castle” and in England at Walton Hospital. She was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Initially on her return, she was going to her sister Mrs Scoon at Milton, but after several changes, she went to Wanganui, probably to an acquaintance from the West Coast. This was probably after a stint in the Military Section at the Dunedin Hospital. From 15 July 1920 she was placed on the Reserve of the New Zealand Army Territorial Nursing Staff. Sister Elsie McKenzie, late N.Z.A.N.S., was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of another former member of the N.Z.A.N.S., Miss Isla Stewart, on 13 October 1920 at St Stephen’s Church, Marton. “Conspicuous amongst the decorations [in the church] was a Union Jack, used as a special mark of honour to those who had given active service to their King and country.” Sister E. McKenzie, a member of the N.Z. Army Nursing Service and Temporary Reserve, was posted to the Retired List, effective from 13 September 1921. [ref. A. Moody file]

By 1926, Sister Elsie McKenzie, who had been trained at Timaru Hospital, was on the staff of the Western Suburbs Hospital, Sydney. A few months later she went to Jeraldine Hospital near Melbourne, and in 1927 she moved to private nursing in Melbourne. Elsie was to spend the remainder of her life in Australia, most in New South Wales, where in 1954 she was at the Newington State Hospital. Elsie Agnes McKenzie died 21 July 1956, at Auburn, New South Wales, Australia, aged 69 years, and was interred at Macquarie Park Cemetery, North Ryde, Ryde City, New South Wales, Australia. Her estate was valued at £460 at 23 July 1957.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 January 2014]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5544 0074533) [15 September 2016], NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5568 0136019) [15 September 2016]; New Zealand Herald, 25 June 1913; Timaru Herald, 20 August 1913, Kai Taki: the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, 1 April 1915, 1 October 1915, 1 April 1919, 1 January 1920, 1 January 1921, 1 April 1926, 1 July 1926, 1 July 1927, Inangahua Times, 15 June 1915, 1 December 1915, New Zealand Times, 26 November 1915, Grey River Argus, 27 November 1915, Evening Star, 27 November 1915, Sun, 27 November 1915, Greymouth Evening Star, 1 December 1915, 28 November 1919, 26 March 1920, Colonist, 7 December 1915 (Papers Past) [11 & 12 November 2015; 16 & 18 April 2017; 01 February 2024]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [11 November 2015; 31 January 2024]; 1901, 1911 Ireland Census returns (per ancestry.com.au) [12 November 2015; 31 January 2024]; New South Wales, Australia Index to Deceased Estate Files (per ancestry.com.au) [12 November 2015]; Australian Cemeteries Index; [11 November 2015]; New South Wales Death registration (https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search)

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• McKENZIE Elsie - newspaper clippings (pdf, 72.2 KB updated 15-Mar-2024)

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