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Image: Photograph of Lorna Moore nee Woolcock, Ca 1941 – 1944, photograph, 9 x 6 cm. Image courtesy of CALHN Health Museum.

A Nurse’s Sketchbook: The Drawings of Lorna Moore 

Lorna Moore

16 May – 20 August  2024

View online catalogue

Lorna (Liz) Moore née Woolcock was born in Unley, Adelaide, and would go on to study at the South Australian School of Art. Working as a freelance commercial artist, she went to live and work in London in late 1938.   

With the announcement of World War II, Lorna knew her skills as an artist were no longer needed and decided that her wartime role would be as a nurse. This began by volunteering for the Land Army, attending lectures in first aid and poison gas, as well as assisting teachers evacuate London’s East End children to the countryside.    

Failing to find employment, Lorna used her 90-pound round-the-world fare and on a blacked-out ship sailed back home to Australia.   

In 1941, Lorna began her 3-year General Nursing Training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and a 3-month postgraduate course at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, now the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Material and spare time were scarce in the wards, but Lorna took any opportunity to sketch her surroundings. She received further encouragement from her peers, who would take on extra roles to grant Lorna more time to sketch.   

This exhibition displays a small fraction of the work Lorna created during this time period.   

“Throughout her life her pen has never been still”    

“Liz, you draw old Fred in the corner bed and I’ll do the pans for you”   

“Liz keep drawing. I’ll finish up for you!”  

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