Elizabeth Evaline "Eva" Graham
- Born: 19 Feb 1906, Ballarat
- Died: 16 Oct 2006, Vonlea Manor, Geelong at age 100
- Buried: Cremated 21/10/2006, Geelong Crematorium
 General Notes:
Eva grew up in the Western District town of Lake Bolac. The joy of helping others was learnt at an early age of 10, when during WW1 she knitted a pair of socks and sent them to the Australian Armed Forces, later receiving a long letter of appreciation from an Army Sergeant fighting in Egypt.
She came to Melbourne at the age of 19 to become a nurse - her general training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, midwifery at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital (1932), 2 years at Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, then infant welfare and mothercraft training at the Tweddle Baby Hospital, Footscray (1936). She next worked for 18 months as Theatre Sister at the Epworth Hospital, Richmond where she assisted Edward “Weary” Dunlop, then responded to a Tasmanian Government call to help polio victims which took her nursing to Launceston.
During WW2, she enlisted in the Australian Armed Forces, serving from 1941 to 1947 and rising to the rank of Captain with 529 days of active overseas service. She nursed with Vivian Bullwinkle aboard the Australian Hospital Ship Wanganella, and following WW2 at the Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg, before becoming Matron at Casterton Memorial Hospital for 6 months.
In 1950 she was appointed Matron of the Tweddle Baby Hospital, Footscray, a position she held with pride and distinction until her retirement in 1968. However, rather than retire, she took up the position of supervisor at Airdrie House, Canterbury, a home for retired nurses, until finally finishing active duty in 1985 aged 79.
Eva never married. Instead, her life was dedicated to her nursing profession, the care of others, and to knitting very good socks.
She celebrated her 100th birthday on 19th February 2006 at Vonlea Manor aged care hostel in Norlane, Geelong, after a lifetime of helping others.
Research Notes:
Never married
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