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Agnes LOVE was the daughter of Rev. George Clarke LOVE MA, BD & Margaret Georgina BEATTIE and was born on the 10th of March 1886 in Killeter, County Tyrone, Ireland.

Her father was born in 1855 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland and was the son of Rev. Joseph LOVE & Mary CLARKE.

Her mother was born in 1871 in Donegal, Ireland and was the daughter of Rev. Robert Andrew BEATTIE & Isabella Robina QUINN.

George & Margaret were married in 1881 in Ireland.

Agnes was the third child born into the family of 11 children, 7 boys & 4 girls.

Her father was born into the Presbyterian Church. His father, Agnes’s grandfather, was the Rev, Joseph LOVE of the Killeter Ministry who had been licensed on the 26th of February 1839.

Agnes’s father, also a Presbyterian Reverend, had been educated at the Derry Academy, Queen's University in Belfast and the Assembly College in Belfast. Always a student, he had taken his M.A. degree in 1877 and his B.D. ten or eleven years later and has also studied in Edinburgh and London.

Agnes’s parents had been married in Ireland and Agnes’s and her 4 had all been born in Killeter, County Tyrone, Ireland.

Agnes never knew her grandfather as he had died the year before she was born, on the 23rd of May 1885 in Killeter.

When he died her father succeeded him in the Killeter Ministry 3 months later on the 18th of August.

It was for her father’s health reasons that the family decided to immigrate to Australia.

They departed London on board RMS Ormuz and called in at Gibralter, Naples, Pt Said, Suez and Columbo before arriving in Melbourne on the 25th of October 1889.

In March 1890 the family moved to Dimboola, VIC and her father conducted services in the town and country.

In April 1892 her father accepted a position as Pastor of the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Strathalbyn, the family relocated to the Presbyterian Manse and her father held his first service in Strathalbyn on the 22nd of May 1892. 

Agnes was educated at the Strathalbyn Primary School.

Sadly her little brother Arthur died on the 24th of February 1905, aged just 14 months and they buried him in the Strathalbyn Cemetery.

Agnes played hockey and in 1905 she was elected captain of the Strathalbyn ladies club.

In 1906 in an examination held by the Presbyterian Church, Agnes was awarded first prize in the senior pupils division.

Agnes began her nursing training in the Adelaide Hospital in 1912 and after 3 years she gained her qualifications and became a member of the South Australian Branch of the Royal British Nurses Association.

On the 28th of August 1915 her sister Margaret married William LINDSAY in Strathalbyn.

On the 20th of November 1915 she completed her questionnaire for enrolment into the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS).

Her brother John enlisted into the 31st Australian Army Medical Corps on the 30th of September 1915.

Her other brother James then enlisted into the 3rd Light Horse, 15th Reinforcement 6 weeks later, on the 9th of November.

James embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A68 Anchises on the 16th of March 1916. *During his service he was awarded the Military Cross and then the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his gallantry.

John embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A29 Suevic on the 31st of May 1916.

*During his service he was recommended for the Military Cross at Ypres in October 1917, when he was Bearer Captain in charge of the left sector of the Divisional front, but it was not awarded.

At the age of 30, Agnes enlisted into the Australian Military Force, Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) as Staff Nurse on the 14th of August 1916 in Keswick, SA. She reported for duty at the 7th Australian General Hospital, Keswick, on the 29th of September.

Agnes transferred to the AIF, Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) on the 20th of December 1916 in Keswick, SA and posted to Sea Transport Service, Section 1.

This same day, Agnes and another 22 nurses were given a farewell at the Edith Cavell Army Nurses Club in North Terrace and in the afternoon Agnes, Sister Menhennett and Staff Nurse H Gordon, left for Melbourne by train.

Agnes embarked from Sydney on board RMS Orontes on the 23rd of December 1916 as Staff Nurse, Sea Transport Staff, disembarking in Plymouth, England on the 17th of February 1917.

On the 6th of March she was attached to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Southall, Middlesex. This hospital mainly dealt with amputations, patient recovery and then prosthetic legs and arms fitted.

She then embarked for Australia, on duty, on the 7th of April.

Agnes made several trips to England and return on the hospital ships during her service.

Her mother died on the 24th of May 1917 in Strathalbyn and they buried her in the Strathalbyn Cemetery; Division 1, Plot 315. Although Agnes was in Melbourne, it is not clear if she was present at her mother’s funeral.

Agnes then embarked from Melbourne on the 4th of August 1917 on board HMAT A32 Themistocles, disembarking in Glasgow, Scotland on the 2nd of October.

On this voyage Agnes passed through the Panama Canal, the HMAT A32 Themistocles was the first transport from Australian to pass through the Canal.

Private Gillespie of the Army Medical Corps was also on board and wrote the following description of this incredible voyage to his friends and this is also what Agnes would have witnessed:-

“The evening of the 29th of August was cloudy with every prospect of rain and as the Colonel, in his lecture on the Panama Canal, had told us that the rainfall on the Panama side (western) was 90 inches, and on the Colon side (eastern) 120 inches for 260 days in the year, we were somewhat apprehensive about the weather on our great day of entering the canal and our fears were realised to the full.

When we awoke on the morning of the 30th the rain was coming down in a deluge and it continued to pour down until 4pm in the afternoon, making clear photography impossible. From daylight onwards we kept passing big green-clad islands, mostly too far away to see in detail. As we neared the mainland the islands were smaller and greener and gave quite a restful feeling to the eyes after travelling limitless water for a month without a single stop —a feeling that was perfectly delightful.

By 11am we had approached the land and the vessel "lay to."

We were at first met by a patrol boat belonging to the U.S. engineers and were informed that a pilot would be sent aboard at once.

Looking to the east we noticed a motor boat crossing at a great speed and in a few minutes the pilot was aboard. Our captain inquired, "Have you our orders and "The Yank" replied, "Yes, go through right away," with an accent which beat anything I ever heard on the stage.

We were told afterwards that the boat travelled at 30 miles an hour, and we never doubted it.

We then entered the first stage of the canal, each side of which are mountains and strongly fortified, the entrance winding and resembling a river, it being eight miles from the Pacific to the first lock. The foliage is very dense up the slopes on either side of the canal, as the first lock is approached, both sides being covered with rich green undergrowth and timber. The whole surroundings were exquisitely beautiful. All along the entrance we passed miles of Government machinery used for coaling purposes and all worked by electricity.

The massive machinery is beyond description and the large cranes for handling heavy machinery and bulk cargo tower up over 100 feet high in places.

The wharves and Government buildings are made of reinforced concrete and look beautifully clean and well kept. They are roofed with red tiles and all resemble Nestle's workmen's quarters at Dennington, near Warrnambool.

At the back of these buildings we got glimpses of the city of Panama, red-roofed for the most part, but here and there the old white adobe buildings of Spanish days. The city is on gradually rising ground and presents a sight beautiful indeed, with the misty rain forming a background on the mountains behind.

We passed through the canal entrance for eight miles and arrived at the first lock at 1pm. These locks are called the “Miraflores”.

We proceeded under our own steam to the lock's entrance and were then taken in hand by three electric motors on each side, which tugged us along. They each have a long hauser, and take up their positions—one on each side at the front, one on each side at the centre, and one on each side aft of the boat.

These electric motors are termed in America "electric mules," and the power is transmitted underneath and not overhead, and they work on a centre cog-track, which they pull on.

They are only 15 to 20 feet long and 6 feet high, and controlled our 12,000 ton boat as if it were a part of the motor itself, being able to stop us in a distance of 5 yards.

It is incredible the way these electric mules ascend the rises. At the first set of locks one would almost expect to see them topple over backwards, so steep was the ascent. We entered the fist lock of the Miraflores Locks and then two huge steel gates wore closed behind us, each gate weighing 200 tons. Fresh water was gravitated into this lock and we rose 27 feet in just 5 minutes.

The next lock gates were then opened.

These gates are all worked by electricity and the electric mules towed us, the gates behind closed and more fresh water gravitated in until we rose 27 feet, occupying seven minutes.

The lock gates were swung open ahead of us and we proceeded under our own power through the Miraflores Lake, a distance of half a mile to the Pedro-Miguel Lock and were again taken in hand by six of these electric mules and towed into the lock. In this lock we rose 31 feet in eight minutes.

At this stage we had been lifted 85 feet above sea level and were in fresh water and 1 ½ miles from the first of the Miraflores Locks.

The canal all along is guarded by members of the United States Army and while we stopped in the locks exchanges of buttons, coins and souvenirs were freely made between our boys and the U.S. men. There were also scores of Negroes, who seem a rather intelligent lot and joined in the fun.

The canal all along is thickly populated, the larger percentage being Negroes. They scoot about in motor boats every where and can do the semaphore signalling equal to our signallers aboard. They speak English equally as well us the Americans.

After being towed through the Pedro-Miguel Lock we proceeded under our own power.

The canal now began to assume a different aspect. The sloping green covered banks became more and more replaced by rock and bare earth, showing that at this part the canal had been hewn out of the solid hills.

The sides got higher and higher—the width is about  the same us the Loddon is at Bridgewater (of course much deeper) and winds about a good deal, so of course our foghorn was sounded fairly often for the guidance of craft coming the other way—until we came to tho famous and most wonderful "Culebra Cut”.

Here the entire cave of the hill has been cut out goodness knows how many feet high, but in one place easily 200 feet. It is 300 feet wide at tho base and 495 feet at water level.

We travelled for about 5 miles through this excavated passage.

At the Culebra Cut we saw where the immense land slip of 19 million cubic yards of earth and stone occurred last year. It slipped into the canal and stopped all shipping for a considerable time.

All along the canal on the high land are to be seen the big huts which wore used by the men employed in making the canal in the first place. These are now used by the American Army guarding the canal. The excavations are line and indicative of the wonderful machinery used and the methods of getting work out of the niggers, which alone made it possible for the "Yanks" to push this huge undertaking through.

After travelling for a good many miles through this stage of the canal and round many bends we came to the Gatan Lake, which is still fresh water and 85 feet above the Pacific. All these lakes and locks of fresh water are supplied by the Nicaragua River.

It supplies more water than is required and flows into a huge reservoir called the Gatan Dam. This overflow is known as the "Spillway" and supplies the power for the whole of the electrical machines and lights up the canal from end to end, a distance of 50 miles; also for Panama and Colon.

After passing the "Spillway" we came to the first of the Gatan Locks and then dropped again down to sea level in the Atlantic side by being towed in a similar manner as in the other locks —three separate locks this time, the water being let out and it is done in exactly the same time.

Possibly the most amazing achievement in connection with this great work was that of the American doctors.

Dr Lesseps, the great French engineer, who constructed the Suez Canal, started to put this work through in 1880 odd. He lost 40,000 men to yellow fever and malaria before it was decided to give the work best.

When the Americans took up this project they sent 100 doctors with instructions to do and spend what they liked, but to kill every disease germ on the track. They drained every swamp, sprayed the whole of the scrub and under growth from Panama to Colon with kerosene and burned it right down to the ground, built all the workmen's camps on well drained concrete surfaces; and at the end of two years the result was marvellous.

The story says they killed every mosquito and smashed every mosquito's egg from the Gulf of Mexico to tho Pacific Ocean—sounds rather American, doesn't it?

Be that as it may, we were there a week and never saw a mosquito, but it was a wee bit suspicious to see wire gauze to the windows of the houses.

The heat is terribly oppressive—just steaming hot one hour and pouring rain the next, accompanied with thunder that shook our huge boat from end to end.

After 4pm in the afternoon, when the rain had stopped, it was tho most glorious sight I've ever seen.

Our bonzer old boat just glided along the surface of the fresh water, on which there was not a ripple, the reflection of beautiful palms and other trees in the still water, with mountains towering up several miles back from the canal, all co-mingling in forming a never-to-be-forgotten glorious sight.

To explain this grand picture is impossible; it has to be seen to be thoroughly appreciated. I'll never forget and esteem it a privilege to have seen such beautiful scenery and such wonderful engineering works.

What made the whole surroundings more fascinating and impressive was the music of the band as the strains of the Star Spangled Banner and other selections floated over the still water.

Although pouring with rain for more than half of our trip through this wonderful work of man, it didn't stop us from standing on the deck to view the ever changing picture.

Darkness closed in on us before we reached the Gatan Locks, but this only gave another and altogether different view to the scene—that of seeing the whole surrounding lit up by electricity. It was simply magnificent—just like a whole ocean of lights sparkling in all directions.

After passing through the locks we proceeded as far as Colon, a small city on the Atlantic cast, but on the South American side and anchored there for the night, thus terminating a stage of our voyage that will for ever he a delightful memory.

Though now history, I might state that the Panama Canal was officially opened on the 1st of January, 1915. The total excavation was 212 million cubic yards, total concrete construction was five million yards, and total cost £90,000,000.

We have the pleasure of priding ourselves on being the first troopship (with troops aboard) from Australia to pass through this canal—the distance of which from one side of the isthmus to the other is 50 miles and it took us 9 ½ hours to traverse it. I might just add that each side of the locks where the boat passes through is composed of 50 feet of solid reinforced concrete. When you have entered the first lock the boat deck is below the solid concrete walls, and people throw articles down to the boat.

In eight minutes, however, the boat is 30 feet above these walls and people can not get most of the articles up to the deck, we are so high.

One can scarcely credit the water comes in so fast. One moves upward something like rising in a lift and descends on the other side in the same manner.

I now say good bye to the great canal, but not to its memory. That will remain for all time a pleasing feature of this voyage....."

On her arrival in Glasgow, she then proceeded to the Administration Headquarters in London the following day and was attached to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Southall, Middlesex on the 17th of October.

Agnes was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield Park House on the 2nd of November.

She remained here until the 13th of April 1918 when she was transferred back to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital.

Agnes embarked on duty for Australian on board HMAT Suevic on the 20th of April, disembarking in Sydney on the 13th of May.

On the 23rd of July she re embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A74 Marathon, disembarked London on the 27th of September and attached to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford.

Agnes was promoted to Sister on the 31st of December 1918.

She remained here until the 9th of June 1919 when she was granted 3 months leave with pay to attend lectures in London.

Agnes embarked for Australia, on duty, on the 2nd of December 1919 on board HMAT Shropshire.

Whilst on board she suffered an accident a broke her left forearm and was admitted as a patient to the ships hospital.

She finally disembarked in Adelaide on the 19th of January 1920.

Agnes was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of April 1920.

On Monday evening, the 10th of May 1920 a welcome home was given to Agnes in the St Andrew’s Hall, Strathalbyn.

She continued to nurse at Keswick after her discharge

Her father retired from the Strathalbyn Ministry in March 1923 and the following month he purchased a home at 60 Winchester Street, Malvern.

Her father died on the 15th of July 1929 in Strathalbyn and they buried him in the Strathalbyn Cemetery; with his wife.

On her fathers death their home in Malvern was transferred to Agnes, Robina & Mary.

Agnes later moved into the home at 60 Winchester Street, Malvern with her sisters Mary & Robina.

Her sister Mary died on the 21st of March 1950 and Agnes buried her in the Centennial Park Cemetery; General AA, Path D, Plot 290. 

Then Ruth died on the 12th of August 1952 and Agnes cremated and interred her Mary.

Agnes died on the 26th of March 1957 and Robina buried her in the Centennial Park Cemetery; General AA, Path D, Plot 290 with their sisters Mary & Ruth.