Military medical professionals from around the world will help the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps celebrate its centenary at a special ceremony in Canberra tomorrow.

"The Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps is justifiably proud of its long history of care and compassion for Defence personnel and civilians, often in dangerous or difficult circumstances," Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Danna Vale said today.

"That commitment continues with members of the Army Nursing Corps currently deployed in East Timor, and across Australia."

The Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps and the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps are both celebrating centenaries in 2003. Visiting dignitaries representing Nursing and Medical Corps from the USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand will participate in the ceremony, including a wreath-laying service and parade from the Nurses Memorial on Anzac Parade to the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier at the Australian War Memorial.

The Australian Army Nursing Service Reserve, which formed the basis of the modern day Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, was established on 1 July 1903.

However, the proud history of Army nursing has its foundations in the late 1800s, when nurses served with Australian troops in the Anglo-Boer War. The governments of New South Wales and Victoria arranged for detachments of nurses to go with their troops to Africa. Such was the dedication of these nurses, some paid their own way. While not military nurses as in the strictest sense, the performance of these nurses was such that the Federal Government resolved to improve the organisation of nurses for military service.

Australian Army nurses have served in many theatres of war and other operations including World War I and World War II, Vietnam, the 1991 Gulf War, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bougainville and East Timor.

www.defence.gov.au/opcitadel

What: Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps Centenary wreath laying and parade

Where: Nurses Memorial, ANZAC Parade

When: Tuesday 1 July 2003 Wreath laying 9 am Parade 9.30 am

Rachael Thompson (Mrs Vale) 02 6277 7820 or 0417 265 289

Andy Anderson (Defence Media Liaison) 02 6265 2913 or 0419 621 753.