AWM41 976 - Matron E Gray and Matron McHardie White - Part 1

[*Butler Colln.  6/4*]

RECORD FILE
D.C.R.

No 3132

VICTORIA

[*[6/19] A.I

(J&S) 29/6 of 7*]

[*AWM 41*]
AW  41

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

Matron E Gray

&

Matron McHardie White.

re personal records of

8th July 1935

Dear Mr Hayes.

Reference to your 12/11/4711 of 5th inst.

Colonel Butler has obtained from Matron Gray her

diary which consists of some 600 pages of manuscript.

It is clearly written but is largely descriptive of

personal experiences and contains little of use  from

the point of view of the medical history.

The position at present is as follows.

Matron Gray wrote her diary in duplicate , forwarding

periodically a copy to Australia.  Most of the
duplicate set has been assembled but until she has

it complete she is not prepared to give the set

which we now have, but has intimated that we can have

it as long as it is required and in the meantime she

will endeavour to locate the missing parts of the

other set.  In addition Matron Gray has a number of

photographs taken abroad, chiefly of Harefield, these 

she is going to get together and make available.

If you would care to have the diary

to read through with a view to having copies made

of the parts dealing with war experience I will hand

it over to Mr. McAllan for that purpose; it is not

of much use in its present form.

Yours sincerely,

T.M.E. Heyes Esq.,

Australian War Memorial,

Exhibition Buildings.

MELBOURNE.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

TELEPHONE Nos.
F 2597.
x 2598

COMMUNICATION TO BE ADDRESSED TO 
"THE DIRECTOR"
IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE
NO 12/11/4711
"They gave their lives. For that public gift
they received a praise which never ages and a
tomb most glorious  - not so much the tomb in
which they lie, but that in which their fame
survives, to be remembered for ever when
occasion comes for word or deed ...."
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"AUSWARMUSE"
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
POST OFFICE BOX 214D.
EXHIBITION BUILDING, MELBOURNE
5th July, 1935.
Dear Mr Withers,
I am indebted to you for your letter of the 27th
June, advising the present position in regard to the
records of Matron E. Gray.
It is pleasing to note that good progress
has been made in this matter, and we shall, of course,
be pleased to leave any further representations in Colonel
Butler's hands. Your further advice in the matter will
be awaited with interest.
Yours sincerely,
[*[?] Heyes*]
[*600. pages*]
Mr A. J. Withers,
Department of Defence,
Victoria Barracks,
MELBOURNE S.C.1.

27th June 1935
Dear Major Treloar,
in reply to you communication
no.12/11/4711 of the 25th inst. in reference to the
diary and war collection of Matron E. Gray. I 
have to advise that action was taken shortly after
receipt of your communication of 21st October 1931
to remind Matron Gray on the subject and also at
a date subsequently.
Yesterday Colonel Butler made
a personal call at Epworth and had an interview
with Matron Gray who expressed regret that she
had not been able sooner to find the time to give
the matter attention, but she is going through
her records and photographs and some result should
be forthcoming at a very early date.
I would suggest that in view
of the above circumstances the matter be allowed
to remain as it is pending a reasonable time
to enable action to be taken. The records in 
question are not at Epworth but at the Matron's 
private residence.
Yours sincerely,
Major J.L. Treloar O.B.E.,
Director, Australian War Memorial,
MELBOURNE.

J4193
re Matron Gray's war diary etc
On 24 April 1931 A.W.Memorial asked
Matron Gray if she would donate her
war diary etc to historical collection. A
reminder was sent in May 1931 & a reply
received stating that Matron Gray would
look up her war collection which was
at her home. This was acknowledged
in June 1931.
Major Treloar mentioned it to Col
Butler at an interview & confirmed conversation
by letter suggesting he follow up the case.
Col Butler to Canberra - removal of office
& consequent  oversight of action

Matron Gray 

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

TELEPHONE Nos.
F 2597.
x 2598
COMMUNICATION TO BE ADDRESSED TO 
"THE DIRECTOR"
IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE
NO 12/11/4711
"They gave their lives. For that public gift
they received a praise which never ages and a
tomb most glorious  - not so much the tomb in
which they lie, but that in which their fame
survives, to be remembered for ever when
occasion comes for word or deed ...."
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"AUSWARMUSE"
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
POST OFFICE BOX 214D.
EXHIBITION BUILDING, MELBOURNE
18 25th June, 1935
Dear Mr Withers,
As you know we have been in touch with Matron
E. Gray of "Epworth" Hospital, Erin Street, Richmond, in
regard to the records of her war service. As it was
thought that the question of approaching Matron Gray in
regard to her records could be best be left in the hands of
Colonel Butler, a copy of the correspondence was furnished
to you in October, 1931. We have from time to 
time enquired if any effort has been made by Colonel 
Butler to obtain Matron Gray's records but, doubtless
due to Colonel Butler's infrequent visits to Melbourne,
and to the fact that when he is here his time is taken 
up with more urgent work, you have no been in a position
to report any progress.
May I suggest that if action has not already been
taken, you should again transfer responsibility to this
office  for Matron Gray.
Yours sincerely,
J L Treloar
Mr. A. J. Withers
Defence Department,
Victoria Barracks,
MELBOURNE.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

TELEPHONE Nos.
F 2597.
x 2598
COMMUNICATION TO BE ADDRESSED TO 
"THE DIRECTOR"
IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE
NO 12/3/31
"They gave their lives. For that public gift
they received a praise which never ages and a
tomb most glorious  - not so much the tomb in
which they lie, but that in which their fame
survives, to be remembered for ever when
occasion comes for word or deed ...."
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"AUSWARMUSE"
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
POST OFFICE BOX 214D.
EXHIBITION BUILDING, MELBOURNE
21st October, 1931
Dear Mr Withers,
I regret that I have been unable before this to
acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 15th October together
with one dated 8th October from Colonel Butler.
From Colonel' Butler's letter I note that he will
take up with Mrs. McHardie White the question of the compilation
of the record of her work at Salonia which she had advised us
some months ago she intended to undertake. We shall, therefore,
do nothing further but shall be glad if you will in due course
let us know that result of the action taken by Colonel Butler.
In his letter Colonel Butler asks if I am sure 
that it is "Mrs." and not "Miss." McHardie White. We have always
addressed her by the former title which is the one used in the
telephone directory so that I presume it is correct.
With regard to the publication in book form of
the experiences of an Australian nurse, I was unaware of any
such project. I have not doubt that the proposed book by Sister
Tilton to which you refer must be the one Colonel Butler has in
mind. The statement that I had mentioned in the matter to him is
perhaps explained by the fact that I had mentioned that Sister
Gray, who is now in charge of "Epworth"  Hospital, Erin Street,
Richmond, according to advice we had received, was a most painstaking
diarist during the war. We had asked her to make her
diary available and she had replied discounting the value of her
records but saying that when she could spare time to look into
the matter she would see if she had anything likely to be of any
use to you us. I am attaching a copy of the correspondence in case
you may think it worth while to follow it up. As in the case of
Mrs. McHardie White, I fell that a request from the Medical
Historian, with the implied assurance that any records which
could be made available would be put to immediate practical use,
would be more likely to produce a result than any further letters
from this office.
I am indebted to Colonel Butler for making available
a list of the chapter headings for Vol. II I have also
noted the arrangement which you contemplate adopting in connection
with the use of records for France.
Your sincerely,
JL Treloar
Mr. A. J. Withers,
Department of Defence,
Victoria Barracks,
MELBOURNE.
[*Seen by Col Butler
30.10.31 [?]*]

COPY.
12/11/4711
2nd June, 1931.
Dear Madam,
I have to acknowledge with grateful thanks
receipt of your letter of the 25th May in reply to the appeal
for war records addressed to you on behalf of the War Memorial.
It is noted with appreciation that you will, as
soon as you can conveniently spare time, examine the diary
which you kept with a view to determining whether or not it is
likely to be of value to the War Memorial. When you are doing 
this we trust that you will bear in mind that our object is to
collect records of personal experiences and observations
recorded from time to time during the war and not necessarily
carefully compiled narratives which have since been prepared.
This point is emphasised because it is thought you may have
assumed that our requirements are more exacting than they really
are. If, when the diary is available, you would permit a 
representative of the War Memorial to see it, this would afford
us an opportunity of advising you as to whether or not it would
be of your letter I realise that some time may
elapse before you will be able to space the time to consider
the matter further. I still, however, look forward to hearing 
further from you in due course and meanwhile express
appreciation of the sympathetic manner in which you have 
considered the appeal which I ventured to make on behalf of the
War Memorial.
Yours faithfully,
J. L. Treloar,
Director.
Matron M Gray, CBE, RRC
"Epworth" Hospital,
Erin Street
RICHMOND. E.1.

COPY.
Epworth Hospital,
Erin Street,
RICHMOND,  E.1.
Phone:
J.4194.

28th May, 1931.
The Director,
Australian War Memorial Records,
Box Office Box 214D
Exhibition Buildings,
MELBOURNE .
Dear Sir,
In reply to your letters concerning any records
which I may have of the war, I do not know whether anything which
I may have would be of use to you. My own diary - which was
written for my own friends - gave only parts of actual war
happenings on account of the censorship.
When I am at my home I will look up these
books and see if I have anything that may be of service to
you. Ever since returning to Australia in 1920 I have had a
busy time, and up to the present have never put my war collection
into any consecutive order.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) E. GRAY.
Matron.