Isabel Roberta St Margaret Donald b. 25 August 1914

Also known as Roberta Suter, Roberta Donald
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator),
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Mid 20th century sketcher and nurse, Suter kept a secret diary throughout her postings with the army that she filled with humorous cartoons that depicted the often less-than humorous situations she encountered during her time with the Australian Army Nursing Service.
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Isabel Roberta St Margaret Suter, was born on 25 August 1914 at Sandringham, Victoria, to Robert John Suter, a farmer, and Emily, née Birtwistle Owen. Isabel, or Bobby as she prefered to be called, attended shool at Quambatook in country Victoria then went in to service for 12 months until she was old enough to go in to nursing. She completed Division 1 Registered Nurse training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in April 1939. She enlisted for army service with the 2/8 Australian General Hospital on 25th September 1942 and served in New Guinea. Her service number was VX108173. Bobby was a talented artist and writer. While serving in New Guinea she completed a book of sketches depicting every day life of a nurse. This book was eventually donated to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Bobby married late in life at age 38 in 1952 and had only one child, Robert.
In the early years of their marriage, Bobbie and her husband Robert ran a private nursing home in Toorak. They eventually moved to Cairns in Queensland where Bobbie had time to devote to her passion of painting. Following Robert snr’s death, she and Robert jnr. returned to Melbourne to the security of family support.
Bobbie had quite a long battle with breast cancer and eventually died on 26 May 1995.

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Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1995
Last updated:
2013

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Date modified April 11, 2013, 10:35 a.m. Jan. 1, 1992, midnight