AUBERT, MARY JOSEPH (1835-1926) was born near Lyons, France, and was educated at the Benedictine abbey of La Rochette, afterwards studying chemistry and medicine at Lyons. She served as a nursing sister during the Crimean war and with four others came to New Zealand with Bishop Pompallier in 1861. Not being members of any religious order, they stayed at first with the Sisters of Mercy in Auckland, studying the language and attending at the orphanage for Maori girls.

In 1871, the orphanage having been closed, Mother Aubert moved to Hawke's Bay to attend the poor and sick (principally Maori), operating from the mission house at Meanee. There she became noted for her spirit of self-sacrifice and tireless energy and for her researches into the curative properties of native herbs, the effects of which she had many opportunities of testing and observing. In 1883 she moved to Hiruharama, on the Wanganui river, where she established homes for foundlings and incurables in 1890. In 1885 she published a manual of Maori conversation. While there also she founded the order of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. Beginning with six sisters under Mother Aubert, it gradually expanded into a strong order working in distressed by-paths of society, and was formally acknowledged and established by the Pope during Mother Aubert's visit to Rome about 1914.

Moving to Wellington in 1899, Mother Aubert commenced district nursing and in 1900 established the home for incurables in Buckle street, to which was added in 1904 a home for children. In 1908 she opened the Home of Compassion at Island Bay for the care of diseased and afflicted children. A home was also established at Auckland, all being free of debt at the time of her death (1 Oct 1926). Mother Aubert, during an absence from New Zealand of some years (1913-20), served in the nursing service in Italy during the Great War.

Who's Who N.Z., 1924; The Dominion, 19 Jun 1925; Evening Post, 2 Oct 1926 (P).

Reference: Volume 1, page 28

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