Kathleen Best - Infinite Women

Born: 28 August 1910, Australia
Died: 15 November 1957
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA

This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Kathleen Best undertook nursing training at the Western Suburbs Hospital, Sydney, and midwifery training at the Women’s Hospital, Crown Street, Sydney. Best became a staff nurse at Wyong Hospital, acting-matron at the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children, Sydney, and later deputy-matron of the Masonic Hospital, Ashfield. In 1940 she was appointed to the Australian Army Nursing Service, serving in the Middle East until 1942. Best was the founding Director of the Australian Women’s Army Corps. She was appointed as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (Military) in 1956.

Chronology
May 1940
Military service – Australian Army Nursing Service and posted as matron of the 2nd/5th Australian General Hospital
1941
Award – Royal Red Cross (RRC)
1942 – 1943
Career position – Controller in the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service
1943 – 1944
Career position – Assistant Adjutant-General of Women’s Services
1944 – 1949
Career position – Assistant Director of the Re-establishment Division of the Department of Post-War Reconstruction
1951 – 1957
Career position – Founding Director of the Australian Women’s Army Corps
1956
Award – Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)