CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https://schema.org/","@type":"Article","about":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Joan","additionalName":"Stevenson","familyName":"Abbott","name":"Joan Stevenson Abbott","birthDate":"1899-12-11","birthPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Normanby Hill, Brisbane","addressRegion":"Queensland","addressCountry":"Australia"}},"deathDate":"1975-11-27","deathPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Corinda, Brisbane","addressRegion":"Queensland","addressCountry":"Australia"}},"award":["Royal Red Cross","Florence Nightingale International Foundation scholarship","Florence Nightingale Medal"]},"author":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Gillian","familyName":"Fulloon","name":"Gillian Fulloon"},"datePublished":"1993-01-01","description":"Joan Stevenson (Judy) Abbott (1899-1975), nursing sister and army matron, was born on 11 December 1899 at Normanby Hill, Brisbane, fourth surviving daughter of John William Abbott, a native-born engine driver, and his Scottish wife Isabella, née Stevenson.","headline":"Abbott, Joan Stevenson (Judy) (1899–1975)","keywords":"Joan Stevenson Abbott, biography","isPartOf":{"@type":"Book","bookEdition":13,"bookFormat":"https://schema.org/Hardcover","datePublished":1993,"description":"The Australian Dictionary of Biography contains concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.","image":"https://adb.anu.edu.au/images/covers/volume13.png","isbn":522845126,"name":"Australian Dictionary of Biography","url":"https://adb.anu.edu.au","copyrightHolder":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Australian National University","url":"https://www.anu.edu.au"},"copyrightYear":1993,"editor":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"John","familyName":"Ritchie","name":"John Ritchie"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Melbourne University Press","url":"https://www.mup.com.au"}}} </script> <title>Biography - Joan Stevenson (Judy) Abbott - Australian Dictionary of Biography</title> <script async src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js"></script> <script> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21252809-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-RC1X4D063Z"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-RC1X4D063Z'); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/multi.php;reset.css,fixes.css,site/adb/generic.css,structure-common.css,site/adb/structure-site.css,infinite.css,shadowbox.css;208393d011387c3a59dadfeafd900bc7"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var settings = {"site_code":"adb","sites":{"adb":"adb.anu.edu.au","ia":"ia.anu.edu.au","la":"labouraustralia.anu.edu.au","oa":"oa.anu.edu.au","pa":"peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au","pib":"pib.anu.edu.au","wa":"womenaustralia.anu.edu.au"}}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/multi.php;jquery.min.js,jqueryui/jquery-ui.custom.min.js,clearFocus.js,searchBox.js,facets.js,common-utils.js,advanced-search.js,shadowbox/shadowbox.js;ab3d74aadfe94baccb25019eb300b75e"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/site/adb/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/site/adb/favicon.ico"/> <style> .navi:hover { border-bottom: 0px; } </style> </head> <body class="site_adb"><script type="text/javascript">document.body.className += " js";</script> <header> <div id="masthead"> <div class="clearFix" id="topNav"> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au">Obituaries Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au">People Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://ia.anu.edu.au">Indigenous Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenaustralia.anu.edu.au">Women Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au">Labour Australia</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="tileAndSearchContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="titleAndSearchPage"> <h1 class="hideFromScreen">Australian Dictionary of Biography</h1> <ul id="searchSubmitPage"> <li> <form action="/biographies/search/" method="get" id="mastheadSearchForm"> <select id="scopeSelect" name="scope" onChange="searchBox.setTip();"> <option value="person">person</option> <option value="all" selected="selected">text</option> </select> <input name="query" type="text" class="searchTextInput clearMeFocus" title="Quick search" value="" /> <input name="" type="image" class="searchBttns" src="/images/site/adb/bttn_search.png" alt="Search" /> <input name="rs" type="hidden" value=''/> </form> </li> <li id="personTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> searches only the name field</span> </li> <li id="allTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> Use double quotes to search for a phrase</span></li> </ul>  </div> <nav class="main-navigation"> <ul class="navigation-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/about-us/">About</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/contact-us/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/projects/">Projects</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/essays/browse/">Group Bios</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/advanced-search/">Advanced Search</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/facets/">Faceted Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search" id="browseTab"> <a class="menu-link" href="#browsePanel">Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--donate"> <a class="menu-link" href="/adb-endowment-fund/">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="panel js-hide" id="browsePanel"> <div class="panelInner clearFix"> <div class="column0203 noh3float"> <div class="browseLabelWrapper"> <h3 class="browseLabel">Browse by:</h3> </div> <div class="browseOptionWrapper"> <ul class="panelInnerNav clearFix"> <li><a href="/biographies/name/">Name</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/birth/">Date of Birth</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/death/">Date of Death</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/browse-author/">Author</a></li> <li><a href="/entities/browse/?otype=map">Maps</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="culturalWarning" data-nosnippet="true"> <h2 class="culturalWarning__heading"><span class="culturalWarning__heading--decoration">Cultural Advice</span></h2> <div class="culturalWarning__message"> <p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.</p> <p>In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.</p> <p>These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.</p> <p>Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.</p> </div> <div class="culturalWarning__control"> <button id="culturalWarningHide" class="culturalWarning__button">Hide message</button> </div> </div> </header> <div id="pageContentContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="pageContent"> <div id="pageColumnMain"> <h2>Joan Stevenson (Judy) Abbott (1899–1975)</h2> <p class="authorName">by <a href="/biographies/author/?author=1392">Gillian Fulloon</a></p> <div class="publish-notice publish-notice--major-project" style="background-color:#dee9f2;color:#153449;"> <p>This article was published:</p> <ul> <li> in the <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biographies/project/?name=australian-dictionary-biography-volume-13" style="color:#905d27;"> <span class="publish-notice__project-name">Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13</span> </a> , 1993 </li> <li>online in 2006</li> </ul> </div> <div class="biographyContent textContent" id="16321">  <p>Joan Stevenson (Judy) Abbott (1899-1975), nursing sister and army matron, was born on 11 December 1899 at Normanby Hill, Brisbane, fourth surviving daughter of John William Abbott, a native-born engine driver, and his Scottish wife Isabella, née Stevenson. Entering Brisbane General Hospital as a probationer in 1920, Joan won the 1923 gold medal for theoretical and practical work, gained her general certificate in 1924 and obtained her midwifery certificate at Lady Bowen Hospital, Wickham Terrace. She completed the State child-welfare course, worked in baby clinics in 1926-28 and later at a private hospital, and was engaged as tutor sister in 1929 by the Brisbane and South Coast Hospitals Board. A strict disciplinarian, she expected much from her trainees and endeavoured to improve nursing standards. Abbott worked briefly in Canberra Community Hospital in 1937 before travelling to England.</p> <p>Back in Brisbane, on 7 August 1940 she joined the (Royal) Australian Army Nursing Service and was appointed matron, 2nd/6th Australian General Hospital. Embarking for the Middle East in December, she took her fifty-five nurses and masseuses to Greece on 31 March 1941. With the German advance, the women sheltered at Kifisiá, Athens, until ordered to be evacuated to Alexandria, Egypt, on 20 April. While they were boarding ship, there was an air raid; only Abbott and twenty-four nurses managed to leave. The remainder rejoined them at Gaza Ridge, Palestine, in May. Temporarily located at Jerusalem (October 1941-March 1942), the 2nd/6th A.G.H. returned to Gaza Ridge. Matron Abbott was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class, for her leadership when the hospital was expanded from 600 to 1500 beds between May and August 1942. She and her staff worked long hours: on one day in November they handled 615 admissions and 235 discharges. Repatriated in February 1943, Abbott was promoted temporary lieutenant colonel on 12 April and posted to the Queensland Lines of Communication Area. In January 1944 she became principal matron; she ceased full-time duty on 21 June 1946 in the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel.</p> <p>A 1946 Florence Nightingale International Foundation scholarship winner, Abbott studied for eighteen months at the Royal College of Nursing, London. On 1 July 1948 she was appointed principal matron, Citizen Military Forces, headquarters Northern Command. She returned to the tutorial staff of Brisbane Hospital that year. During the Korean War she briefly served in the 1st Camp Hospital, Brisbane. Elected president of the Queensland branch of the Australasian Trained Nurses' Association in 1954, Abbott was a member (1955-58) of the State's Nurses and Masseurs Registration Board. She resigned as A.T.N.A. president in 1956, disappointed that she could not improve nurses' training and working conditions. Next year she was awarded a Florence Nightingale medal and in 1962 was appointed honorary colonel of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.</p> <p>'Judy' Abbott was a Methodist, 5 ft 4 ins (163 cm) tall, with hazel eyes and brown hair. Her rather gruff manner concealed her inner warmth and her sense of fun; many were inspired by her energy and enthusiasm. She served as a staff nurse with the Commonwealth Savings Bank for five years and then worked in a doctors' surgery until 1970. Early in 1975 she fractured her spine and suffered quadriplegia; she died on 27 November that year in the Bethesda Hospital, Corinda; her body was given to the school of anatomy, University of Queensland.</p> </div> <div class="infoList"> <h3>Select Bibliography</h3> <ul> <li>A. S. Walker, <em>Middle East and Far East</em> (Canb, 1953)</li><li>A. S. Walker, <em>Medical Services of the R.A.N. and R.A.A.F.</em> (Canb, 1961)</li><li>T. Wilkinson, <em>History of 2/6th Australian General Hospital 1940-1946</em> (Syd, 1978?)</li><li>R. Goodman (ed), <em>Queensland Nurses</em> (Brisb, 1985)</li><li>R. Goodman), <em>Our War Nurses</em> (Brisb, 1988)</li><li>H. Gregory, <em>A Tradition of Care</em> (Brisb, 1988)</li><li><em>Australian Nurses' Journal</em>, Aug 1937, Apr, Dec 1948, Jan 1951, Nov 1952, Oct 1954</li><li><em>RANF Review</em> (Brisbane), 7, no 1, Jan 1976</li><li><em>Courier Mail</em> (Brisbane), 24 Mar 1943, 15 June 1946, 7 June, 20 Sept 1957</li><li>Australian War Memorial records</li><li>private information.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="citation"> <h3>Citation details</h3> <p>Gillian Fulloon, 'Abbott, Joan Stevenson (Judy) (1899–1975)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/abbott-joan-stevenson-judy-9302/text16321, published first in hardcopy 1993, accessed online 28 November 2024.</p> <p id="origPubDetails"><strong>This article was published in hardcopy in <em><strong>Australian Dictionary of Biography</strong></em>, Volume 13, (Melbourne University Press), 1993</strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 20px;">View the <a href="/frontpages/fp13.pdf" target="_blank">front pages</a> for Volume 13</p> </div> <div id="printFooter"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function() { Shadowbox.init({ counterType: 'skip', continuous: true, overlayOpacity: 0.80 }); }); </script> <div id="pageSidebar"> <div class="lifeSummary"> <h3>Life Summary <span><a href ="/lifesummary/abbott-joan-stevenson-judy-9302" target="_blank">[details]</a></span></h3> <h5>Birth</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=11121899">11 December</a>, <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=1899">1899</a> <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Normanby%20Hill%2C%20Brisbane%2C%20Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Normanby Hill, Brisbane</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Queensland</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Australia%22">Australia</a> </p> <h5>Death</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=27111975">27 November</a>, <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=1975">1975</a> (aged 75) <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Corinda%2C%20Brisbane%2C%20Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Corinda, Brisbane</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Queensland%2C%20Australia%22">Queensland</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Australia%22">Australia</a> </p> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Cultural Heritage</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-cultural"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-cultural"> Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=ethnicity%3A%22Scottish%22">Scottish</a> </li> </ul> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Religious Influence</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-religious"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-religious"> Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=religion%3A%22Methodist%22">Methodist</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Education </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%2217057%22&re=true&rpp=200">Royal College of Nursing, London</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Occupation or Descriptor </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=army%20matron&rpp=200">army matron</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=army%20nurse&rpp=200">army nurse</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=nurse%20%28general%29&rpp=200">nurse (general)</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Military Service </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%224482%22&re=true&rpp=200">World War II</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%226634%22&re=true&rpp=200">Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Awards </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%226635%22&re=true&rpp=200">Royal Red Cross</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%2217056%22&re=true&rpp=200">Florence Nightingale International Foundation scholarship</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%221579%22&re=true&rpp=200">Florence Nightingale Medal</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Key Organisations </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%2217058%22&re=true&rpp=200">Australasian Trained Nurses' Association (Qld)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=rele%3A%2217059%22&re=true&rpp=200">Nurses and Masseurs Registration Board (Qld)</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer> <div class="clearFix" id="footer"> <h3>Australian Dictionary of Biography</h3> <p>An initiative of the <a href="https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb">National Centre of Biography</a> at the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a></p> <div class="clearFix"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> <p class="floatLeft cdp"><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> · <a href="/disclaimer/">Disclaimer</a> · <a href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></p> </div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>