Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

OLIVE ADA KESTEL (1904-1997)

OLIVE ADA KESTEL was born in Perth to Frederic and Lilly, (nee Hicky) Kestel, on the 16th of October 1904. In 1913 she and her family moved from Western Australia, and settled in South Australia, in the small town of Rudall on the Eyre Peninsula.  She trained as a nurse in Adelaide, and when World War 2 broke out, she enlisted in Adelaide on the 16th of December 1939, as one of the first three Nurses,(along with nine others), to be chosen from South Australia to travel overseas.

As the senior Nursing Sister, she was appointed with the rank of Major, although at that time the Nursing Service was separate to Army and they used appointment titles, in her case 'Matron'. Olive was in charge of this small contingent, and they initially served in an Australian hospital in Palestine, and then an English Hospital in Cairo in 1941.  Later she served for 10 months in Kantara in the Ainai, with the 2nd/12th Australian General Hospital,(AGH).

In 1942 she was transferred to be in charge of the 2nd/11th AGH in Palestine and later in that year, returned to Australia with that Unit.  Back in Australia, she served in Queensland for eight months, following six months in command of the 2nd Australian Women’s Hospital in Brisbane.

In August 1943 she was in charge again of the 2nd/11th AGH which went to New Guinea. These Nurses were the first Australian women to serve in New Guinea, initially in the the Owen Stanley Ranges.  She and her team also served at Lae, Buna and Madang.

After returning to Australia near the end of the war, Olive served in charge of the 114th Australian General Hospital at 'Kenmore', in Goulburn NSW before being posted for discharge on the 18th September 1946 as Lieutenant Colonel, 2nd/11th Australian General Hospital.

In 1945 Olive was awarded the Royal Red Cross,(RRC),1st Class; London Gazette, 8th of August 1945 refers. Citation is below.

After the war, Olive had a distinguished career being the Matron Inspector General of South Australian Hospitals for some years and then supervised the recruitment and training of young nurses to be employed in these Hospitals.

Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Ada Kestral, RRC, died peacefully on 18 October 1997 and is buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery, Woodville.

Source:  Material provided by SQNLDR (ret) Tony Ford and  Mr Stewart and Mrs Helen Donnell Nov 2023

CITATION for the AWARD of the ROYAL RED CROSS, 1st CLASS to Lieutenant Colonel OLIVE ADA KESTAL. RRC.

 “Major Kestel arrived in New Guinea in September 1943 with 24 Australian Army Nursing Service personnel. During the ensuing period, the hospital was working to its capacity, and there were frequent enemy air raids in the near vicinity. She has at all times carried out her duties as matron with energy, tact and control. In consequence of Matron Kestel untiring devotion to duty, the work of nursing staff has beyond praise”.