Amy Isabella Johnston (5 April 1872–17 September 1908) was a New Zealand dentist and one of the first women in the country to qualify in dentistry.

Early life

Johnston was born in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

on 5 April 1872. She attended

Greymouth High School Greymouth High School is one of two post-primary schools in Greymouth, New Zealand. The other is John Paul II High School. It is the largest school on the West Coast of New Zealand with a roll of students. As of 2021 the principal is Samantha M ...

Career

Johnston was apprenticed to a dentist in Blenheim, J.F. Wilson in 1893. She passed her dentistry qualifications and was registered in 1896. She was either the second or third woman in New Zealand to qualify and was one of five registered female dentists at that time. She worked with Wilson in Invercargill for about two years but in 1898 bought out Wilson's practice in Blenheim, making it likely that she was the first woman to own a dental practice. In 1900 she returned to

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

and the following year declared herself voluntarily bankrupt as creditors were concerned she had left her business. She continued to practice in Blenheim and Invercargill until 1908 when she died in Invercargill.

References

1872 births 1908 deaths People from Greymouth New Zealand dentists 19th-century New Zealand people 19th-century dentists People educated at Greymouth High School {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub