Glenys Patricia Arthur (née Smart; 1 May 1936 – 20 May 2022) was a New Zealand neurologist. She campaigned for the rights of women medical practitioners, and was the first woman to serve on the executive of the

New Zealand Medical Association The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) is an association representing some doctors and medical students in New Zealand. It was officially founded after a meeting in April 1886 at Dunedin Hospital. From 1896 to 1967, the NZMA was considered as ...

, between 1983 and 1989. She was a co-founder of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Medical Women's Association, and twice served as the association's national president. In 1989, she was elected to the Wellington Area Health Board.

Early life and family

Born Glenys Patrica Smart in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

on 1 May 1936, Arthur was the daughter of Florence Agnes Smart (née Garland) and David Douglas Smart. She was educated at Hokitika District High School, before beginning medical studies at the University of Otago in 1954, against the wishes of her father, who felt that she should study teaching or home science, or become an apprentice pharmacist. She met her future husband, Athol Bruce Arthur, also a medical student, on her first day at medical school, and they eventually married in 1959. The couple went on to have two children. Glenys Arthur graduated with MB ChB degrees from Otago in 1960.

Career

Arthur worked as a house surgeon and then part-time registrar at

Waikato Hospital Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare

between 1961 and 1963. Her husband obtained a fellowship to undertake specialist training in paediatrics in London, but Arthur, having recently given birth to their first child, was initially unable to travel there with him. A year later, she obtained passage as a ship's surgeon on a cargo ship. In London, she found work as a part-time general practitioner in 1963, and then worked at hospitals in Middlesex as an admissions officer and senior house officer from 1964 to 1965. Between 1965 and 1967, she was a geriatric medicine registrar, which she chose as it allowed her more time with her family. The Arthurs had a second child, and they returned to New Zealand in 1967. Arthur spent a brief period as a locum general practitioner in

Tītahi Bay Tītahi Bay (previously known as Titahi Bay), a suburb of Porirua in the North Island of New Zealand, lies at the foot of a short peninsula on the west coast of the Porirua Harbour, to the north of Porirua city centre. History The legendary Pol ...

and then as a cardiologist at

Hutt Hospital The Hutt Valley District Health Board (Hutt Valley DHB) is a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to the cities of Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt in New Zealand. History The Hutt Valley District Health Board, like most other ...

. She began working at Wellington Hospital in April 1968, where she specialised in neurology, remaining there until her retirement as a consultant physician in 2001. Arthur was a part-time lecturer at the Wellington Hospital School of Nursing from 1969 to 1976, and at the

Central Institute of Technology Central Institute of Technology was a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution based in Perth, Western Australia until 2016 when it became a part of North Metropolitan TAFE. It was the equal oldest post-secondary educational institution ...

's School of Pharmacy from 1975 to 1989. She became a

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, abbreviated as the post-nominal initials FRACP, is a recognition of the completion of the prescribed postgraduate specialist training programme in internal adult or internal paediatric medicin ...

in 1978, and a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in 1983. From the 1970s, Arthur was active in medical politics, and she became the first woman to serve as president of the Wellington branch of the

(NZMA). In 1983, she was the first woman elected to the national executive of the NZMA, serving until 1989, and she was the association's first female fellow. In 1971, Arthur was a co-founder of the Wellington division of the New Zealand Medical Women's Association, and she went on to serve two terms as the organisation's national president. Between 1981 and 1984, she was president of the New Zealand Rehabilitation Association. Arthur advocated for the rights of women physicians and patients, leading to the introduction of job sharing, the right to train as a specialist part-time, enhanced maternity provisions, and the right for women patients to choose to be treated by a woman specialist. Arthur was elected as the highest-polling candidate to be a member of the Wellington Area Health Board in 1989, serving until elected members of area health boards were replaced by appointed commissioners by the

National Government A national government is the government of a nation. National government or National Government may also refer to: * Central government in a unitary state, or a country that does not give significant power to regional divisions * Federal governme ...

in 1991.

Later life and death

Arthur retired from Wellington Hospital in 2001, aged 65, but continued in private practice. In the

2002 New Year Honours New Years' Honours are announced on or around the date of the New Year in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Ga ...

, she was appointed a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...

, for services to medicine. She died in Wellington on 20 May 2022, and was survived by her husband and one of their two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Glenys 1936 births 2022 deaths Health professionals from Dunedin University of Otago alumni New Zealand neurologists 20th-century New Zealand medical doctors New Zealand women's rights activists Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit 21st-century New Zealand women medical doctors 21st-century New Zealand medical doctors 20th-century New Zealand women medical doctors