Lottie Le Gallais - Kiwi Nurse at Gallipoli

Charlotte Le Gallais grew up on a farm in the Kaipara, her mother died and her father told her to get off the farm and out into the world.

She went nursing in Auckland and later served on the hospital ship Maheno as part of a medical team, consisting of five doctors and 61 orderlies from the Army Medical Corps, a matron, thirteen nursing sisters, from the newly formed New Zealand Army Nursing Service and chaplains, on the ship's maiden voyage. The Maheno carried casualties from Gallipoli to either Moudros, Malta or Alexandria and later returned patients to New Zealand.

Portrait of Charlotte Le Gallais in nurses uniform.
Le Gallais family.
Auckland War Memorial Museum Library.

Charlotte's younger brother Leddra ("Leddie") was already at Gallipoli when she embarked. He was killed in action on 23 July 1915. Lottie spent over four months on the Maheno, returning home to New Zealand in November 1915.

In 1918 she married Charles Gardner. The Gardner’s were a rather prominent family in New Lynn (Gardner Ave being named after them). Brothers Charles and Rice were brick makers whose firm Gardner Bros and Parker later became Ceramco. Charles and Rice once owned all the land from Links Rd, New Lynn, to the Manukau, including the land which is now the Titirangi Golf Course. Charles Gardner was also the first mayor of New Lynn.

Lottie died on the 26th January 1956, aged 74 years old, 6 months after her husband.

Sources:
Stuff
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/northland/78823316/te-papa-anzac-exhibition-features-northland-nurse
Auckland Museum
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/cenotaph-stories/charlotte-le-gallais

New Zealand History
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/keyword/tss-maheno