Grace Cuthbert-Browne (January 2, 1900 – December 17, 1988) was an Australian medical doctor instrumental in improving the health of mothers and babies, and the consequent reduction in maternal and infant deaths in Australia. She was Director of Maternal and Baby Welfare in the New South Wales Department of Public Health from 1937 to 1964; during this time the infant fatality rate decreased form 40 to 20 per thousand live births.

Early life and education

Grace Johnston Cuthbert was born in

Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recen ...

, Scotland, January 2, 1900. She was the youngest of five children. Her mother, Mary. later became involved in a variety humanitarian and medical charities. Her father was a merchant sailor who captained ships from New Zealand to England carrying frozen mutton. In 1901, he was appointed as "chief marine surveyor" for a group of insurance companies in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. This resulted in Browne, at age one, and the family, including three older brothers (an older sister had died of whooping cough) moving to Sydney where they settled in Kirribilli. When Browne, was six the family moved to Lindfield and she attended school first at Lindfield College and then at Ravenswood in the Sydney suburb of Gordon. Cuthbert enjoyed golf, tennis and surfing, and continued these activities well into her adult life. Cuthbert enrolled in the University of Sydney in 1918, receiving an allowance to study in the faculty of medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Medicine in 1924.

Career

Subsequent to earning her degree, she worked at Royal North Shore hospital. In 1925 she purchased a general practice at

Pambula Pambula is a town in Bega Valley Shire on the far south coast of New South Wales, Australia south of Sydney via the Princes Highway. At the , Pambula had a population of 970 people. History The area was populated by the Thaua Aboriginal peo ...

where she was renowned for her dedication and service to the small rural communities. In 1929, she returned to the Sydney suburb of

Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft (, ; 27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationsh ...

to continue in general practice. Her experience in Pambula and Wollstonecraft led to her interest in antenatal and neonatal care. During this time she was honorary medical officer to the Tresillian Mothercraft training school, the Lane Cove health centre, and the

Rachel Forster hospital The Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children opened on 3 January 1922 in Redfern (an inner suburb of Sydney, Australia) as the 'New Hospital'. In 1925 the hospital was renamed after Baroness Rachel Forster, the wife of the then Governor- ...

. Cuthbert succeeded Doctor Elma Morgan as the Director of Infant and Maternal Welfare on 1 August 1937, a role she held until 1964. Part of this role included supervision of 200 local Baby Health Centres, as well as the pre-natal clinics at metropolitan hospitals. Between 1946 and 1964, she also lectured part-time in maternal and child health at the University of Sydney's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Mortality of mothers went from 5 in 1000 live births to .32 during her tenure as Director of Maternal and Baby welfare. She was protective of her position in maternal health and rejected perceived interference. She served on a committee creating a curriculum for young women. It was implemented in a number of independent schools. Cuthbert-Browne was the honorary medical director of the Grovesnor Hospital from her retirement until 1970.

Personal life

On 15 February 1951, Cuthbert married Emeritus Professor

Francis James Browne Francis James Browne (1879–1963) was professor of obstetrics and gynaecology and first director of the obstetric unit at University College Hospital, London, which was opened in 1926. He was known as "FJ". Browne was appointed professor at the ...

, a 71-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist. The wedding was held at

Crown Court National Church of Scotland A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. Their happy marriage lasted until his death in 1963. Cuthbert resided at Northaven Retirement village in Turramurra and died there December 17, 1988.

Awards and honours

*MBE – 1959 *Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists *Fellow of the Royal Australian College *Fellow of the

Australian Medical Association The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is an Australian public company by guarantee formed as a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students. The association is not run by the Australian Government and does not regul ...

- 1972 *Honorary Doctor of Medicine – 1986

Selected works

* *

References

External links

* Oral history – {{DEFAULTSORT:Cuthbert Browne, Grace University of Sydney alumni 1900 births 1988 deaths Australian people of Scottish descent Australian women medical doctors Australian medical doctors Fellows of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Fellows of the Australian Medical Association 20th-century Australian women