COX Lily Mary (nee Bishop)
born: 13 April 1880, Wilcannia, New South Wales
died: 10 June 1927, Mount Gambier South Australia
Parents: Thomas Bishop and Sophia Ledner
Siblings: Matilda Elizabeth, Selena Fleur, Joseph Walter, Alice May, Fred Ledner, Alfred Edwin, Herbert Samuel, Glen Tom, Roy, Vida Victoria, Sophy,
Lily Mary Cox was born on 13 April 1880 at Wilcannia, Lily Mary was the second daughter of Thomas Bishop and Sophia Ledner who would return to Mount Gambier and reside at the family home “Wurley” located in Grey Street Mount Gambier. Lily grew up in Mount Gambier and on finishing her education she relocated to Adelaide in 1903 where she trained as a nurse at the Childrens Hospital in North Adelaide for 3 years. On completing her training, she undertook private nursing before moving to Melbourne where she undertook a midwifery course. Lily returned to Mount Gambier where she started the Mount Gambier Private Hospital, which she carried on for a sometime. The private hospital was in Doughty Street and the house was known as the Gables. She ceased hospital work and undertook private nursing throughout the South-East. In 1913 Lily went to Sydney then Queensland where she carried out private nursing until 1916 when at the age of 36 Lily went to the Rosemount Military Hospital where she joined the Australian Nursing Service on 14 September 1916 as a staff nurse.
Almost immediately Lily left Brisbane for Sydney where she embarked on the SS Karmala, disembarking in Bombay India on 10 October 1916 where she was posted to the Cumballa War Hospital. On the 15 December 1916 she was transferred to the Decaan War Hospital Poona, before embarking on 6 March 1917 to return to Australia via South Africa per HS Devanha.
After taking leave, Lily returned to the base hospital in Melbourne on 9 August 1917 for her new orders which saw her leave on 23rd August in charge of wounded soldiers travelling by train to Adelaide. Now with the rank of Sister, Lily departed Sydney on the 31 August per the transport vessel Wiltshire for the Suez where she joined the 17th General Hospital at Alexandria on 5 October 1917. In April 1918 she was transferred to Salonika in Greece where she worked at various stations. Over the next few months her health deteriorated, and she spent time in the Red Cross Convalescence home before catching influenza in October. On 3 March Lily departed Salonika arriving in England where she was granted 21 days leaves. Lily departed Devonport in the United Kingdom for Australia per Soudan disembarking on 29 June 1919 before being discharged from the Nursing Service on 21 February 1920 and returning to her profession in a private capacity.
Around 1924 she married Joseph James Cox of Melbourne and she resided with both her husband and mother until her death.
Sources:
Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA: 1861-1954), Saturday 18 June 1927, page 3
NAA: B2455, BISHOP L M
