Kiernan, Irene
Staff Nurse Irene Leonora Kiernan - Australian Army Nursing Service
Irene was born on the 10th April 1891 to Arthur and Margaret Kiernan, she had an elder sister Margaret born in 1881 and Florence 1887.
The family moved to WA in the 1900's and set up residence in the Goldfields. After leaving school, Irene took up training as a nurse and began to work at Fremantle Hospital. She enlisted for service overseas as part of the Australian Army Nursing Service in December 1916. She was initially assigned as a Nurse to the Sea Transport Service. She was assigned to the hospital ship RMS Orontes which set sail from Sydney Harbour on the 19th December 1916 and sailed for England, reaching Plymouth on the 17th February 1917. After reaching England, Nursing Sister Kiernan was sent to work at the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall for the next six weeks, returning to Australia on 7th April 1917 on more nursing sea transport duties. She arrived back in Australia in June and worked for a few more months in Australia before being posted back to England.
Irene left Port Melbourne on the 2nd August 1917 aboard the transport ship A32 HMAT Themistocles and set sail for the UK, reaching Glasgow on the 4th October 1917. After arriving she was sent to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield for temporary duty. On the 30th October 1917 she was then transferred to No.2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall.
After a few weeks here Irene returned on a return journey on a transport ship to Australia. In Sydney on the 28th January 1918 she again left Australia on board the HMAT Themistocles for the journey to England, reaching Liverpool on the 29th March 1918. Again she was detached for duty for a short period with 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. On the 21st April 1918 she then embarked on the transport ship for the voyage back to Australia as part of the Nursing staff.
She arrived back in Australia in June 1918 but did not have long on dry land as on the 23rd July 1918 she left from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Marathon. The ship sailed for England, reaching London on the 27th September 1918. She was then detached for duty with the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
Irene now stayed here for the next few months and was still on duty here when the Armistice was announced. The Australian War Memorial photo below shows Irene at work at Dartford. (Irene is on the right)
On the 13th January 1919 she was transferred for duty to the Queen's Hospital at Sidcup. While in England over the next few months Irene took leave to attend various medical and nursing courses.
On the 25th September 1919 she returned to Australia aboard the transport ship Mahana. She arrived back in Fremantle on the 3rd November 1919. She was then discharged from the Army Nursing Service on the 18th December 1919.
On her return Irene resumed work with the Fremantle Hospital, and also resided in Alma Street. She worked here through the 1920's. In 1930 she then transferred to Woodside Hospital in Dalgety Street East Fremantle. She worked here through to the 1940's before moving to 55 Fortescue street in 1949.
Irene lived at 55 Fortescue St East Fremantle until 1973. She died on the 2nd November 1973 aged 87. She was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic BA 0385A.