OBITUARY: Sr Julianna Coulson: A legacy of hospitality and faith

Sr Juliana Coulson LCM, died peacefully on 10 March 2026 at Sandown Aged Care Facility, Sandy Bay.

Born Margaret Ann Coulson in Hobart, Tasmania, she grew up in a loving family alongside her brother John (now deceased).

In 1954, she began her General Nurse Training at Calvary Hospital in Lenah Valley. There, her vocation to care for the sick first took root, as Margaret discerned a call to religious life. In 1956 at the age of 21, she entered the Little Company of Mary in Lewisham, Sydney, taking the name Sr Juliana. She made her final profession six years later in 1962.

Sr Juliana returned to Hobart in 1966 to complete her midwifery training, before serving in healthcare across Australia. She was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Nursing in 1978 and went on to complete further studies in Health Care Management and Administration in the years following. Sr Juliana was appointed as a surveyor of Health Care Standards in Australia and undertook major leadership roles in various LCM facilities across the country.

In 1998, Sr Juliana was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for Services to Community Health and Hospital Administration. In receiving this award, Sr Julianna humbly acknowledged all the work of the sisters and staff who had come before her.

Sr Juliana understood leadership as deeply relational, and flowing from her presence. She was known to greet people as they passed through the hospital foyers, assist visitors with directions, and visit staff particularly when she knew they’d had a difficult day.

Her warmth and hospitality were evident in the way she engaged with every person. She believed her joy was integral to her purpose in life, so ensured that people who entered her care felt welcomed and valued.

As a woman of deep Marian spirituality, Sr Juliana was deeply devoted to the Rosary, and always conscious of the image of Mary standing faithfully at the foot of the cross.

Sr Juliana leaves behind a legacy of hospitality, and deep faith, remembered by those who knew her as a witness to the Gospel in action.

Her life can be summed up by the quote from Venerable Mary Potter, founder of the Little Company of Mary: “When God infuses joy into us, let us cultivate it and try to give it to others.”

May her soul rest in peace.