The Australian Nurses Memorial Centre will hold their ANZAC commemorative service on Sunday 13 April 2025 to honour all nurses and midwives, past and present, who have given their lives for their country.
The service is traditionally held the Sunday before Anzac Day but will be earlier this year due to Easter.
The service will commence at 2pm at the memorial to nurses, 431 St Kilda Road, Fawkner Towers forecourt. The centre is encouraging donations to its scholarship fund in lieu of purchasing a wreath.
On behalf of members, Branch Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick will again be laying a wreath at the service.
Following the service, stay for afternoon tea and join guest speaker Jayne Dicketts OAM, ANMC Prince Henrys Affiliates Scholar 2024.
Register for the service at australiannursesmemorialcentre.org.au.
About the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre
The Australian Nurses Memorial Centre (ANMC) was founded by nurses Vivian Bullwinkel and Betty Jeffrey.
Vivian, Betty and dozens of other nurses were evacuated from Singapore on the SS Vyner Brooke in February 1942. Two days later, the ship was sunk by Japanese bombs. Betty spent several days clinging to a life raft, before reaching Sumatra and surrendering. Vivian, meanwhile, washed ashore on Bangka Island with 21 other nurses; she was the only survivor of the subsequent massacre.
Both nurses spent the next three and half years as prisoners of war.
When they were finally liberated and repatriated back to Australia, they joined fellow POW Wilma Oram in establishing the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre as a ‘living memorial’ to the heroism and sacrifice of the 77 Australian nurses who died in WWII, or who survived years in prisoner-of-war camps during that time.
The centre honours their sacrifices not just by remembering but by continuing the ongoing professional development of nurses through education. To this end, it offers postgraduate education scholarships to nurses and midwives annually. These include the:
- $20,000 ANMC Vivian Bullwinkel Award
- $15,000 ANMC Betty Jeffrey Award
- $5000 ANMC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurse/Midwife Scholarship
- $5000 ANMC Mental Health Scholarship
New in 2025 is the 21 Hearts scholarship for a registered nurse wishing to pursue further postgraduate studies or research in oncology. The naming of the scholarship honours the 21 nurses who lost their lives during in the Bangka Island Massacre. The Scholarship is valued at $7,500.
For a full list of scholarship and details for applying, visit australiannursesmemorialcentre.org.au.
