Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Florence Valentine was born at Waikouaiti, Otago, on 12 September 1877, the 8th child and 4th daughter of Mary (née Maxwell) and Archibald Valentine. Along with her siblings, Florence was educated at Waikouaiti School, and at the age of 14 she went on to Palmerston High School. Florence Valentine, Dunedin, passed the junior civil service examination in January 1894. Florence’s oldest brother James Archibald Valentine, a schoolmaster, who married in 1889 at Pareora and, after positions further south, was in Timaru by 1899. There with James and his wife Helen until about 1907 was Florence – perhaps to help with the growing family. By 1908 she was in Dunedin, and it was at Dunedin Hospital that she trained as a nurse, stationed there in 1911 and 1914 and passing her state nursing examination in 1912.

The nurses of Otago, in their eagerness to offer themselves for the very arduous and dangerous duties of active service at the front, are showing an example of courage and devotion that might well be taken to heart by some members of the other sex, reported the Otago Daily Times on 21 January 1915. Some 30 nurses were anxious to join the Army Nursing Service Corps when that body could be legally organised. F. Valentine was one of 15 names selected the day before by the Council of the Otago Nurses’ Association to be sent to Miss Maclean, matron-in-chief of the Defence Department. Florence Valentine, a sister at Dunedin Hospital, enlisted at Wellington on 19 May 1915 for war service. She already belonged to the New Zealand Army Nursing Reserve. Single and Presbyterian, she named her mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Valentine, Grant Street, Waikouaiti. After her mother’s death in August 1916, Miss N. Valentine became next-of-kin, probably her sister Nellie (Helen/Ellen). (Their father had died in February 1890.)

“Nurses are coming into Wellington from all parts of the Dominion – the lucky ones who have been selected to leave first. . . . . ,” reported the Evening Post of 20 May 1915. Sister Valentine, of Dunedin Hospital, was one of the nurses selected for service in Malta and Egypt, and would leave Wellington on 22 May, via Sydney, having joined the New Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps. Come 21 May 1915 at Wellington and Nurse Florence Valentine was a passenger on board the “Marama” bound for Sydney. There she transferred to the “Moldavia” for Suez. Florence was a member of the first contingent of New Zealand nurses raised by the Government for service in Malta and in Egypt. Before leaving, the 31 nurses were given a farewell at Bellamy’s, the guests of the Minister for Defence at afternoon tea. “The nurses, some of whom were matronly and some quite young, had a wonderful air of sang froid, as if their preparations had been long in contemplation.” The little badges which “the ladies of the lamp” carry as the insignia of their calling, were pinned on their uniforms, and boxes of chocolate (provided by the Lady Liverpool Fund) were handed to them. They were bid goodbye, for the time being, a very pleasant voyage, and a safe return.

From 2 July 1915, Sister Florence Valentine, 22/90, was posted at 17th General Hospital, Alexandria. In a letter to her sister, Florence writes quite vividly of nursing conditions in Egypt and of the suffering experienced by the men at the Dardanelles. [see attachment – Poverty Bay Herald, 18 September 1915.] About a week before Mr J. A. Valentine, of Timaru, received from his sister, who was on duty as a nurse in No. 17 General Hospital in Alexandria, a letter which conveyed some striking information. The writer said: “I am pleased to hear how enthusiastic New Zealand became over the Hospital Ship. You can't conceive how badly it is needed, and what a tremendous difference it will make to the comfort of the wounded men. On all the hospital ships going backwards and forwards from and to the Dardanelles nurses are employed as required. I think if you all stopped knitting and gave the money to buy linen, it would be more sensible. I would give much to have a dozen sheets to-night; then I could make my beds clean. All our wards are very much handicapped by the lack of linen; with so many wounds to care for, we simply must change the. beds very often. This place was a college, and I think, it is wonderful that it is as well equipped as it is. It must be costing thousands of pounds to maintain even the hospitals in Alexandria.” Possibly it will be wise for the various knitting guilds to consider carefully what Nurse Valentine has said about the urgent need for linen in the hospitals. [Timaru Herald, 10 September 1915.] “Since we landed in Egypt we have tossed about a good deal, and thus our experiences have been rather varied. As perhaps you’ve heard already from some of the others, we, that is Sister Valentine and I [C. E. Maguire], both were among those alloted for No. 17 General British Hospital at Alexandria, and this is where we first started work upon our arrival in Egypt. . . . . .” [Kai Tiaki, 1 January 1916 – extract from letter to Matron.]

On 11 January 1917, Sister Valentine went from Egypt to Walton-on-Thames Hospital in England for duty (tubercular work). She returned to New Zealand on duty per the “Athenic”, leaving from Plymouth on 5 April 1917 (the vessel sailing under escort). The Waikouaiti Women’s Patriotic Society held a very enjoyable social on 20 June 1917 to welcome home from active service Sister Florence Valentine, who was home on a well-earned furlough. She was temporarily released to return to Dunedin Hospital until called up. Struck off the Strength of the NZEF on 1 February 1920, she was finally discharged on 21 July 1921 and posted to the Retired List. Having served overseas for 2 years 23 days and in New Zealand for 2 years 236 days (total 4 years 258 days), she was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After a few years as Matron at the Lake Logan Fever Hospital, Dunedin, she was appointed Matron at Wakari Sanatorium, Dunedin, in 1923. She returned to Dunedin Hospital in 1928.

“At last night’s meeting of the Otago Hospital Board it was decided to place on record appreciation of the long and faithful services of Sister Florence Valentine, who is retiring at the beginning; of next month. Sister Valentine joined the board’s service in 1909, and after qualifying by examinations was appointed sister in charge of Miller ward and also night superintending sister. She later took charge of the out-patients’ department and did the visiting T.B. work. In 1915 she left for active war service, returning, in 1917. After being in charge of the infectious, diseases hospital, she took charge of the Wakari Hospital in 1923, which position she had since occupied with conspicuous ability.” [Evening Star, 23 February 1934.] In early March 1937, Sister F. Valentine, Dunedin, left Wellington by the Awatea for Sydney, where she joined the Strathnaver for England to be present at the coronation. “Sister Valentine, who was for many years in charge of the Waikari Sanatorium, is a sister of Mr. J. A. Valentine, New Plymouth. She has had considerable war service, having been with the Australian and New Zealand troops at Alexandria and Salonika. She was also attached to the military hospitals at Walton-on-Thames and Brockenhurst.” [Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 1937.] On her return from England, Florence joined her brother James in New Plymouth. (James was widowed in 1937.) She married widower George Grant in 1939. Thereafter, Florence and George, a farmer, lived at Waipu. George died in February 1963. Florence died at Shalom Rest Home, Auckland on 12 October 1965, aged 88 years, and was cremated at Waikumete (as stated in her Will), her ashes scattered. Her next-of-kin at death was Dr Valentine, of Epsom – James Jefcoate Valentine, her nephew. Florence made bequests to James Jefcoate Valentine, medical practitioner, Rotorua; the Presbyterian Church; mission to Lepers; George Gavin Grant, grandson; Phyllis Russ Grant, stepdaughter, and George Russ Grant. Two nephews of Florence (sons of her brother James) had also served in World War One – Archibald Graham Valentine (died 1956) and James Jefcoate Valentine (died 1966).

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [06 May 2026]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [06 May 2026]; Otago Daily Times, 21 January 1915, Evening Post, 20 & 22 May 1915, NZ Times, 21 May 1915, Timaru Herald, 10 September 1915, 24 February 1934, Poverty Bay Herald, 18 September 1915, Evening Star, 27 June 1917, 23 February 1934, Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 1937 (Papers Past) [01 & 06 June 2026]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [06 June 2026]; Waikumete Cremation records [06 June 2027]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• VALENTINE Florence - newspaper clippings (pdf, 111.1 KB updated 16-Jul-2026)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.