Mary Ann Nicolay

Mary Ann Nicolay (2 August 1850 – 15 October 1939) was a British Australian Nightingale nurse and hospital matron primarily in the Australian city of Perth.

Early life and education Nicolay was probably born in the London area of Chelsea. Her parents were Mary Ann (born Raven) and the Reverend Charles Grenfell Nicolay. Mary was educated in Bristol at the Clifton High School, where she became a pupil teacher.

Career In 1890 she became the matron of Perth Colonial Hospital, and she worked there for a year. She then undertook private nursing, charging high fees, but not getting very rich. She soon returned. She left again in 1901 according to one source, but another sees her based in Perth until 1917. She was known for her rules, and she frequently mention her mentor Florence Nightingale to her charges. She returned in 1919 to the hospital to help with the flu pandemic.