AN INCREDIBLE TALE OF SACRIFICE & SURVIVAL

Australian nurse Vivian Bullwinkel will be the first woman honoured at the Australian War Memorial

- Maisy Rae

Vivian Bullwinkel. It's a V name you may not have heard of but one that will be etched into our history when the nurse's statue is unveiled at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra later this year.

"Her care and concern for fellow human beings is her most important legacy," Vivian's nephew John Bullwinkel tells Woman's Day.

"[The statue] will inspire people to learn the history about Vivian and also learn more about the vital roles of nurses in war and in peacetime."

While he learned of Vivian's experiences in World War II as a child, John says it wasn't until he was older that he fully understood the extent of the atrocities committed against her and how little her country knew of her unbelievable and courageous sacrifice.

"I feel very proud of her and her achievements," he says. "She devoted her life to the nursing profession, passionately [advocating] for better nurse education after the war. She was a beacon of hope for women."

The statue, which was fundraised by the Australian College of Nursing (ACN), will feature a life-sized bronze portrait of Vivian, who died in 2000, in her working uniform.

SURVIVAL AT ALL COST