Four Mawson sisters: Beatrice, Harriett, Muriel and Ethel all trained as nurses. Date of photograph is unknown but believed to be before 1915 when Ethel married and would have ceased working. They were 4 of 5 daughters born to Frederick and Mary Mawson who migrated to Victoria, arriving on 1st July 1882 on the sailing ship Holmsdale. By 1892, the family had moved to 4 Bona Vista Avenue, Surrey Hills where they remained for 25 years. Beatrice worked on transport duty ships during WW1, ferrying wounded troops from France to England. On the return voyage to Australia, the ship was sunk by a mine in Bay of Bengal, but she survived. Muriel and Harriet also served during WW1 in English Military hospitals and returned to Australia on 15 March 1919. It is believed that Ethel worked with aboriginal health. Their brother John Mawson designed and built 'Holmsdale' over 2 blocks of land in 257-259 Union Road as a convalescent and rest home to be run by Muriel and Harriet. It opened in 1936 with Beatrice also joining and closed in the mid-1950s. Holmsdale was converted into 3 flats with the three sisters living in one flat for the remainder of their lives and the other flats rented out to provide them with an income. Beatrice died in 1975, Harriet in 1976 and Muriel in 1979. Beatrice, Harriett and Muriel's names were added to the list of names on The Shrine in the Surrey Gardens when the panels were updated at the time of the 100 year anniversary of WW1. The photo is also reproduced in the book 'People of The Shrine' by Sandra Dexter. This was launched on Remembrance Day 2025. Their younger brother William Frederick Mawson was killed in action in Belgium aged 24 years. His name also appears on The Shrine and in the book. Wooden framed photograph of 4 women in white nurses uniforms. Frame has wire hanger on rearOn front: LaFayette Melbourne On back: Telephone 7231 Central/T.S. Glasier & Co. Pty. Ltd./Gallery of Art/Picture Frame Manufactuers, &c,/Union House/284-6 Little Collins Street/No. 8071 Melbourneholmsdale, frederick mawson, mary mawson, 4 bona vista avenue, surrey hills, nursing, 1892, harriett mawson, ethel mawson, muriel mawson, winifred mawson, john mawson, 257 union road, ww1, beatrice mawson, world war 1, world war, 1914-1918