In May 1917, the Warwick Hospital farewelled one of its dedicated nursing sisters, Ella Clows McLean, as she had decided to answer the call to overseas service with Australian troops in the Middle East. She was following the path of other district nurses in Florence Petersen and Rachael Pratt, and Red Cross volunteer Avon Costello. who had gone before her. Historian JOHN TELFER tells Ella McLean’s story.
Ella Clowes McLean was born at Roma on 29 December 1890, one of 10 children to Maud Sarah and Jack McLean of “Bindango” homestead.
She received her early education with a Governess before enrolling as a boarder at St. Margaret’s Anglican Grammar School for her secondary education, and went on to train as a nurse at the Brisbane General and Childrens’ Hospital. By this time the family had moved from Roma to “Duart” at Southport so, Ella, who always wanted to be a nurse, got her wish and started nurse training graduating as a fully qualified nursing Sister in 1914, just on the outbreak of World War 1.
On 19 May 1915, Ella was working at the Warwick General Hospital and appalled at the very high casualty list coming out of Gallipoli, she enlisted as a reservist nursing sister. Her first posting was at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital in Brisbane from July 1916 to July 1917, before she requested overseas service.
Ella was now officially enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service, India. In May 1917 she embarked on SS “Khiva” to India for her posting to Bombay, and was sent to the Coloba War Hospital there.
This was a hospital that was used for Welsh officers and Ella was placed in the surgical ward of which she had a keen interest, and gained plenty of nursing experience while working with British surgeons there. Although she enjoyed her theatre work the threat of the dreaded Cholera disease, mosquitos, and lack of water was always concerning.
Ella was also keen to nurse the Australian troops in Egypt but in one of her letters to home, she did say that she was comforted by the fact that she was working with five Queensland nurses, and among them were Nurses Stone and McLennan, who she had worked with at Warwick Hospital. Here is what she mentioned in one of her letters about her service, published in the Warwick Examiner in 1917:
“We expect a lot of nurses here on Saturday. Australia is turning nurses out as if by machinery. We are not overworked here at present. I am on night duty, and have been for over a week in a British officers’ surgical ward. I wish I could get to Egypt where our own boys are, for although I am very contented here, I would like to get further afield”.
Ella got her wish at last when she was posted back to Egypt on 6 October 1917 to work at the 31st General Hospital at Abbassia. However, Ella was struck down with illness on 2 November 1918 and spent time in hospital before receiving word that she was to return to Australia in the next few weeks. So, on 28 November 1918, Ella embarked on the HT “Nestor” bound for Australia.
Between 1916 and 1919, over 500 Australian Army Nurses served in British hospitals in India, as well as the hundreds who served on the Western Front and Egypt. In many cases AANS nurses left for overseas not entirely sure of where they would be sent as World War I was fought in vast and various theatres of war. Over 2,100 women of the AANS served in WWI, with 25 of them making the supreme sacrifice and eight earning the prestigious Military Medal.
After Ella’s return to Australia, she met and married Russell John McWilliam on 30 December 1919. Jack, himself was a returned veteran who enlisted on 30 April 1917, gave up studying engineering to become a Sapper in the 1st Field Company. He was a graduate of The Southport School, and after returning from the war and marrying Ella he returned to university, to complete his engineering degree.
While working as an engineer with the Brisbane City Council he designed the Walter Taylor bridge, the Wintergarden Theatre, and worked on aspects of the Brisbane City Hall.
Ella went on to receive further accolades while raising four children and was presented with a service medal in 1922, in a ceremony conducted by the governor of Queensland, and Ella’s father- in- law, Sir Matthew Nathan.
Ella was always a dedicated Anglican and become very well known to Canon David Garland when she was a member of his Brisbane parish. David Garland is forever remembered as the “Architect of Anzac Day” as when he was on the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, he advocated a public holiday each 25 April to honour those soldiers who never came home, which became a reality from 1927.
The Acting Premier W. N. Gillies stated that “David Garland was the heart and soul of the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee” He corresponded with Ella while she served over- seas, and he made this comment on one Anzac service:
“As a proud Anglican and active member of our Diocese, and as a devoted nurse. Sister Ella McLean represents all those women who gave so much of themselves to serve during the Great War, and all conflicts whom we wish to honour this Anzac Day”.
Ella Clow McWilliam, (nee McLean), a devout Anglican, passed away on 27 September 1968 at the age of 77 years, and her name is included on the Muckadilla Commemoration Wall in Muckadilla, a small rural town near Bandago where she spent her early life. However, Ella received further accolades for her service when she became the face of the Australian Army Nursing Service when her image was selected to represent all nurses who had served in the 1914-1918 conflict. On the 6th October 2017, Australia Post issued a series of stamps under the title: A Century of Service” and the 1918 image of Ella was chosen to represent all those wonderful nurses. A commemorative Prestige cover was also produced as part of the collection. This was a great honour and one richly deserved for all those nurses who worked under very trying and highly dangerous conditions, to administer their care and skills to our diggers, and as they were proudly dubbed by the members of the AIF, the “Anzac Angels”.
