Ellen Savage

Ellen Savage, GM (17 October 1912 – 25 April 1985) was an Australian army nurse and hospital matron

from Quirindi, New South Wales.

Savage was the only nurse to survive the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur off the Queensland coast in 1943. She was a founding member of the Australian College of Nursing, and most reporting is by that name, including her official war service record. However, significant reporting in otherwise reliable sources is with Eleanor.

Early life and education Ellen Savage was born on 17 October 1912

In 1947 she won a Florence Nightingale memorial scholarship for postgraduate study in England, where she gained a diploma in nursing administration from the Royal College of Nursing. Her overseas studies also included observational tours of hospitals in England, Scandinavia, and Canada. The scholarship was supported by funding provided through a Red Cross appeal.

Adult life Savage was an army nurse from 1941 to 1946,

She was a Catholic,

Savage lived in Gordon, Sydney, New South Wales. council-member (1952–59), and president (1957–58) of the Australian College of Nursing. and for example attending reunions and presenting nurse trainee awards, when she was taken ill, and the launching of ships. Reporting on her included when and where she went for holidays.

Savage was presented to the British royal family in May 1948 while she was in England studying. The public's interest in Savage continued after her return from her scholarship studies in England. Reporting followed her to many places and on many activities, for example nurses outings organised by the Royal Queensland Yacht Club, as a guest speaker, meeting survivors of other war incidents, and presentation to Lady Louis Mountbatten.

Savage was the first guest at Centaur House. A sponsor provided her a car for the five days of her visit and stay. being individually noteworthy in 1983 ANZAC day radio programming, and being singled out in AHS Centaur commemorations in 1995.

Charity work The public's interest in Savage was an opportunity realised by her. Savage took many opportunities to support charity work, especially war related, for example Legacy,

She was given a special suite on her stay at Centaur House. And she was actively involved in fund raising for nurse education.

She was also an advocate for nursing generally, espousing the capabilities of married nurses, especially nursing with chronic cases. The film, Australia Remembers, screened in 1978.

Savage died on 25 April 1985 after attending an Anzac Day reunion. She collapsed outside Sydney Hospital and died that day.

Career Savage undertook general training from 1929 to 1934 at Royal Newcastle Hospital. From 1934 to 1937 while private nursing she gained midwifery and Tressilian mothercraft certificates, in 1937 she had 12 months at Tressilian Home, Petersham. Savage was with the New South Wales Public Health Department from 1937 to 1941, and in 1941 she joined Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). From 1946 to 1947 she was in charge of a health centre in North Sydney, and in 1947 took the 18 month Florence Nightingale Memorial scholarship.

Savage's first professional position was at the Baby Health Centre in the regional Australian city of Tamworth,

She was a triple certificate sister: general nursing midwifery mothercraft

Savage joined Australian Army Nursing Service on 24 May 1941, being appointed to the 113th Australian General Hospital (AGH), Concord, Sydney. She transferred to the Australian Imperial Force on 18 November 1941 and served in the Middle East in the hospital ship Oranje.

Appointed senior sister at (Royal) Newcastle Hospital, she was respected and somewhat feared for her insistence on high standards of discipline and knowledge. They were rescued by the destroyer, , thirty-four hours later,

George Medal For "conspicuous service and high courage" arising from the sinking of the Centaur,

Memoria On 7 April 1993 Australia issued a postage stamp in honour of Ellen Savage.

Savage is also commemorated in street art, for example at the corner of Logan Road and Chatsworth Road, Greenslopes, Brisbane.