Woodman Point Quarantine Station

Staff Nurse. Rosa O'Kane

Born Charters Towers, Qld. 14th April 1890 - Died Woodman Point 21st December 1918

The house where Rosa O'Kane was born on 14th April 1890

First World War Embarkation Roll
Rosa O'Kane
Rank: Staff Nurse
Unit: Australian Army Nursing Service
Roll title: Nurses (July 1915 - November 1918)
Service: Australian Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Date of embarkation: 14 October 1918
Place of embarkation: Sydney
Ship embarked on: SS Wyreema
Date of death: 21 December 1918
Place of death: Woodmans Point, Western Australia
Cemetery or memorial details: Quarantine Station, Woodman Point,
Western Australia

Monument to Sister Rosa O`Kane. Rosa O`Kane was a nurse at the Quarantine Station Hospital who died after nursing victims of influenza epidemic aboard SS Boonah. Sister O`Kane was originally bound for the battlefields on the SS Wyreema with a party of other nurses. As a result of peace being declared their journey was cut short having never reached the battlefields, they disembarked the SS Wyreema at Fremantle on 10th of December 1918. By this time the effects of the worldwide influenza epidemic were being felt, volunteers from the nurses aboard the SS Wyreema worked at the Quarantine Station Hospital tending to returning soldiers. The troopship SS Boonah had arrived at Fremantle on the 7th of December 1918 with a reported 90 cases of influenza (Spanish Flu) on board. Rosa O`Kane volunteered for this duty and shortly after died from influenza.

Click here for WWI Embarkation details

Rosa O'Kane's Cerificate Of Will. Dated 1917

Newspaper articles relating to the death of Rosa O'Kane

Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1906 - 1928), Tuesday 24 December 1918, page 3
The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 31 December 1918, page 3
The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 21 January 1919, page 6
The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 11 November 1931, page 13
Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1885 - 1954), Monday 22 May 1933, page 3
Notes and Newspaper Articles for Rosa O'Kane

Only known photograph of Rosa O'Kane

it is reported that this is a photographic negative that was taken of a painting of Rosa O'Kane

Pneumonic influenza: World War I Nurses O’Kane, Rosa [28 yrs]
d 21 Dec 1918 pneumonic influenza bd WPQS
S/Nurse, Army from Charters Towers, Qld.
GRM plaque for Rosa is located at PWC: Wall 6 A.
The road leading to the former quarantine site is named O’Kane Court in her honour.75
[FRE8F/19]
3m high granite memorial:
For Valour/In honoured and revered memory of Sister Rosa O’Kane, A.A.N. Service/late of Charters Towers, Queensland died here 21st December, 1918 of/Pneumonic influenza./Only daughter of Mrs J.G. O’Kane and sister of Frank and John G. O’Kane/R.I.P./Erected by the Patriotic Committee, Charters Towers, Comrades, Nurses and Queensland Friends.
AWM Roll of Honour, Panel 188

Rosa O'Kane's Memorial at the Military Cemetery Woodman Point. Photograph by Earle Seubert

We acknowledge the assistance given by Ms. Donna Baldry, with regard copies of photographs and historic information, she kindly gave for use on this website.