Maud Josephine Frey
Maud Josephine Frey was born on 1 January 1892 in Tungamah, Victoria, the daughter of Arnold James Frey and Katherine O’Neil.
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Alan Whyte (Maud’s grandson).
She trained as a nurse at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne from 1911 to 1913, and worked at both St Vincent’s and Mount Saint Evin’s Hospitals. In October 1915, she enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) and embarked for Egypt the following month aboard the Orsova as part of a reinforcement group for the 1st Australian General Hospital.
Maud served throughout the First World War, working in Egypt and on transport ships returning wounded soldiers to Australia. In 1917, while overseas, she suffered severe chilblains during freezing conditions, which resulted in the loss of two toes. She was discharged from the AANS on 5 December 1918.
After the war, Maud joined the Bush Nursing Association and continued working in remote communities across New South Wales. She was stationed at Lightning Ridge from 1923 to 1924, during a time of severe drought. Her military background gave her the courage and strength to deal with everyday life in the Ridge. Beyond medical care, she provided support to the community in the aftermath of war, financial stress, and isolation. She also helped raise funds to keep the BNA operational, with assistance from the Collarenebri branch of the Country Women’s Association.
In 1926, Maud married Elson Verco Whyte in Condobolin. They had two children, John and Patricia, and later settled in Wentworth, New South Wales. Maud Josephine Whyte (nee Frey) died on 23 November 1967 at the age of 75.
During her time at Lightning Ridge, Maud documented her experiences through photography. Her family later generously loaned these photographs for public display, preserving a visual record of early Ridge life and her contribution to it.
Article: Research by Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Australasian Nurses’ Journal; Walgett Spectator, 15 December 1921; Australian War Memorial, Nominal Roll of AIF Personnel Who Served Abroad in the First World War.