Norah Margaret Martin was born on 18 June 1888 in the rural community of Box Creek near Booligal in New South Wales, Australia.
[1] At age 20, Martin decided to enter the religious life and in 1908 became a postulant with the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary in Lewisham, Sydney, New South Wales.
[1] In 1947, in recognition of her leadership skills, Martin was elected superior general of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary.
[7] As superior general, Martin was responsible for managing the affairs of the entire order; she was the first Australian to be chosen for this role.
While superior general, she also initiated a movement for the beatification of Mary Potter, the founder of her order.
[1] Potter was declared venerable in 1988 by Pope John Paul II; efforts are still underway to support her being recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church.
[1] She was appointed Officer of the British Empire in the 1969 Birthday Honours (New Zealand) for "services to the nursing profession".
[11] On 25 August 1977, Martin died at the Mount St Margaret Hospital in Ryde where she had once served as superior.