School Nurse Lesley Pyecroft is a fascinating and highly skilled addition to the Launceston Grammar team. She was born in Calgary Alberta Canada and moved to Australia in 1969 and is a citizen of Canada and England as well so carries three passports after gaining Australian Citizenship during her time in the Army Reserves. She attended Korawa Anglican Girls School Melbourne and then moved to Brisbane and attended St Margaret’s Anglican Girls school. After leaving school she trained at Ipswich Hospital and completed Midwifery training at Mater Mothers in Brisbane.
Lesley has worked in Tasmania for the past seven years moving from Bundaberg in Queensland to join her family. Prior to starting here at Launceston Grammar, she was working in the Accident and Emergency Department at Launceston General Hospital as a Registered Nurse and Midwife and teaching at TasTAfe as the First Aid teacher for Agricultural and Horticultural students all over the state. She has worked in most states of Australia and overseas on Norfolk Island and in New Zealand.
Lesley served in the Australian Defence Forces for 23 years, both part-time and full-time contracts starting as an infantry soldier with Queensland University Regiment, serving with many other units and finally retiring from the RAANC in 2003, rank Captain but qualified to Major. During this time, she was deployed as staff assisting the Indy car races in the Gold Coast, and on standby for Rwanda. She has experience aiding the community during local disasters. During her military service, she was the Officer Commanding the Army Cadet unit at St Paul’s School Brisbane. A highlight of her Military career was being part of the Medical team for the Board of Inquiry for the Deseal/Reseal involving the F111 and the compensation for the air force staff involved in the cleaning of the Fuel tanks on the F111.
Lesley has many interests and has always been very proud to serve her country and help others in need. Her hobby is travelling and can easily pack a bag and be readily available given her training in the Military. She has represented Tasmania as an RN/RM with AUSMAT for the White Island Volcano disaster providing relief for the staff at the Whakatane Hospital, alongside other team members from around Australia. She did have a break from Accident and Emergency and worked as a Farm Manager at Hagley Farm school in her other professional love, Agriculture. She has a Diploma in Agriculture and Advanced Diploma in Agribusiness and has gained qualifications as an Accredited Wool Classer, and possesses a Forklift licence, Chainsaw license and ChemSmart Training. Lesley can drive a tractor, and round up livestock on the side-by-side/quad.
After her 12 months at Hagley Farm School went back to Nursing part-time in Accident and Emergency and Campbelltown Health Centre. Having previously been a school nurse at her old school in Brisbane she decided to apply for the position of School Nurse at Launceston Grammar to fill in for long service leave for the previous nurse. Having had experience previously with a large Boarding school, she was happy to assist and be the extra mum for the boarders. Her niece Meg Pyecroft (2019) and nephews Alex (2010), George (2012) and Charlie (2015) Pyecroft all attended Launceston Grammar, and we cannot forget her mum Reverend Josephine Pyecroft (now retired) who was a finalist for Australian of the Year in 2022.
Forever updating and upskilling she will be attending the Emergency School Nurses course in Sydney in May and in June will represent the Tasmania AUSMAT team in Darwin for training to update deployment availability for Disasters Nationally and Internationally. Other hobbies include Northern Tasmania Light Horse Association and re-enactment group, Tasmanian Women in Agriculture. She loves passing on her knowledge and loves working with the staff and students here at Grammar, and soon will be able to teach the staff and students First Aid Training. Her other loves are Camping, Gardening, and travelling with her two English Springer Spaniels Bailey and Mollie. We are so very fortunate to have such a talented and compassionate woman caring for our students and boarders.
