History of the CMFN
CREATED AS A TRIBUTE TO THE NURSES WHO DIED WHILE SERVING ON THE AHS CENTAUR
On May 14th 1943 AHS Centaur was travelling toward New Guinea fully illuminated and identifiable as a hospital ship according to international standards. At 0410 hours on the 14th May 1943 she was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine.
On board were 332 personnel comprising the crew and a team of Army nurses. Tragically there were only 64 survivors, one of whom was Sister Ellen Savage, the only surviving nurse. Sister Savage was awarded the George Medal for her courage, care and endurance during the 36 hours that survivors drifted at sea until finally rescued by the USS Mugford.
THE BRISBANE TELEGRAPH APPEAL 1948
The editor of the Brisbane Telegraph wanted to help found a fund that would stand as a perpetual reminder of the AHS Centaur and honour all nurses who served in wartime. The appeal raised £48,000, a great deal of money for the time. These funds purchased Centaur House at 337 Queen Street (where Central Plaza One stands today). This served for many years as a meeting centre and hostel for visiting and local nurses.
In the 1970s Centaur House was sold and the dedication of the management committees over the years and their wise investments have enabled us to maintain our mission for advancing professional nursing in Queensland.
Today we promote nursing scholarship through academic awards and research grants specifically for Queensland nurses from all regions.
