A memorial honouring the work of two nurses in World War I will be built in Little River.
The Little River Historical Society will use a federal government grant of more than $52,000 to build the memorial as part of its Centenary of World War I celebrations.
The memorial will be dedicated to Little River cousins Catherine (Kit) McNaughton and Sarah (Sadie) McIntosh.
It will be unveiled next year to mark the centenary of Ms McNaughton’s departure from Port Melbourne’s station pier on July 17, 1915 to serve in the war.
At one stage, Ms McNaughton was the only nurse working in a hospital ward dedicated to saving the lives of injured enemy soldiers.
Her work earned her the Royal Red Cross, the highest military honour bestowed on nurses by the Commonwealth.
She also returned from the war as Australia’s first plastic surgery nurse, before continuing to live a life of relative obscurity back in Wyndham.
Her service was mentioned in despatches by Winston Churchill.
Last year, historian Dr Janet Butler released a book detailing Ms McNaughton’s war service.
It is based on her diaries, which chronicle her journey from Little River to Egypt, France, Greece and England and back.
Lalor Labor MP Joanne Ryan, who is Ms McNaughton’s granddaughter, said she was pleased Ms McNaughton and Ms McIntosh’s service was being recognised.
“I look forward to Kit and Sadie having a permanent memorial in the town where they grew up and in the region they returned to, where Kit married and raised her family,” she said.
