Known as Belle. The only child of John Bruce, a shopkeeper and Isabella Harvey at Yarrawonga in 1895. Belle's mother, Isabella, died in the same year Belle was born. John Bruce married Ethel Jewell Kerville in 1900 - had three children, George, Eva and Beryl. From Ethel's 1947 death notice it seems that Belle regarded Ethel as her mother.

Belle Indentured as a probationary nurse at the ODH February 1918 - see Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 20 February 1918.

From the ODH Inpatient Register 1 January 1906-28 April, 1925. Admitted as a patient with influenza on 8 July 1919. 17 July 1919 discharged to her father, John Bruce, Yarrawonga.

From the ODH House Committee report 14 July 1919 – The matron and nurses Mowatt, Bruce and Giblett are ill with influenza.

From the ODH Inpatient Register 1 January 1906-28 April, 1925. Admitted as a patient with tonsillitis on 28 October 1919. 4 November 1919 discharged to her father at Yarrawonga.

From ODH House Committee report 21 October 1919 - … £15-1-5 was due to the nurses who are training here – the payments are in accordance with the circular received from the Board of Public Health dated 29 July 1919 and the amounts owing to the trainees are as follows: Nurse Gow £5-1-5, Nurse Bruce £3-8-9, Nurse I’Anson £3-9-9, Nurse Pini £1-15-0, Nurse Cubitt £1-6-6 …

From the ODH House Committee report 24 May 1920 – … Nurses I’Anson and Bruce have been to Melbourne for their examinations …

From the ODH House Committee report 19 July 1920 – … The secretary reported two nurses, I’Anson and Bruce had passed their final examinations and that nurse I’Anson had completed her training and left the institution. …

From the ODH House Committee report 15 November 1920 - … Nurse Bruce would complete her 3 years training about the 29th inst. when there would be a vacancy for a probationer nurse. …

From the ODH Inpatient Register 1 January 1906-28 April, 1925. Admitted as a patient with disordered heart function on 24 November 1920. 6 December 1920 discharged to her father at Yarrawonga.

From the ODH House Committee report 20 December 1920 - … Nurse Bruce had completed her three years and had left the hospital.

Date of qualification – 5 January 1920.

From the April 1921 Una Journal, Registrations

Bruce, Isabella H. M., Belmare-street, [Belmore Street] Yarrawonga; cert., Beechworth Hospital, Dec., 1920; exam., May, 1920.

February 1922 – address is Belmore Street, Yarrawonga.

1922 at 152 Power Street - a trained nurses' home.

Engagement to Sydney Stell, an engineer, October 1926 published in Table Talk, 28 October 1926 

1928 ER is living at 31 Harp Road, Kew with Archibald Dill Ballantine, (a sculptor) and his wife, Lilian Armstrong Ballantine.

Married Sydney Stell 1928 and had two children, Bruce and Ian.

1931 - 1937 ER Bella & Sydney are living Emu Avenue, Altona. Bella home duties, Sydney an airman.

1942 ER Bella (without Sydney) is living in Hume Street, Yarrawonga.

©Anne Hanson, 2024                                                                                                                                                E-mail:  Anne Hanson