The bronze bust of the Montrose wartime nurse was finally unveiled to the public on Sunday 18 May.
Sister Edith Yeaman, at the age of 30, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Victoria in May 1915, about three weeks after the landing at Gallipoli.
She was a nurse at Melbourne Hospital and was also a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service, a reserve that was established in 1900.
Montrose historian Eddie Tichelaar, an active member of the Montrose Township Group, said the unveiling event went well.
“There was a fantastic representation of people. There were 14 Yeaman’s family members who attended from interstate and Victoria,” he said.
“We had retired Colonel Jan McCarthy, who actually did the unveiling of the Sister Yeaman bust. The other lady who helped with the unveiling was, believe it or not, also called Edith after Edith Yeaman. She was the niece of Edith Yeaman.
“A family member by the name of Wendy Oldfield represented the family with a short speech about the life of Edith, from being a young child through until her service and beyond … And there was also a representation from the Montrose Primary School because Edith Yeaman did attend the Montrose Primary School, albeit for a short time.”
The statue was established at the Montrose Town Centre to commemorate not only Sister Yeaman but also all of the nurses who served in times of war.
Mr Tichelaar said it was important for the Montrose community to be able to grasp this opportunity to have a memorial in Montrose.
“We were fortunate enough to have Edith Yeaman from Montrose, who served in World War One,” he said.
“Three wreaths were laid. One by a student from Montrose Primary School, another from the RSL, and the other from the family.”
After the service, the attendees enjoyed afternoon tea in the auditorium while appreciating the display of artifacts donated by the Yeaman family.
Sister Yeaman’s war medals and uniform donated by the family are now on display at the Montrose Library for three months.
After that, they will be held by the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum for future displays.
“Yarra Ranges Regional Museum has been extremely supportive with not only the display, but the future of the artifacts,” Mr Tichelaar said.
