Helen Sexton
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Hannah Mary Helen Sexton
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
(21 June 1862 – 12 October 1950), known as Helen Sexton, was an Australian
surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
. In 1887, she led a group of seven women to successfully petition the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
to lift their ban on women enrolling in medicine. She completed her degree in 1892, and went on to co-found the Queen Victoria Hospital. After retiring from a surgical career in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, she opened a field hospital, Hôpital Australien de Paris, in France during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, achieving the rank of Major in the French Army.


Early life

Hannah Mary Helen Sexton was born on 21 June 1862 in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. She was the youngest of five children born to Maria and Daniel Sexton, who had migrated from
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
, Ireland, in 1854.


Education

Sexton attended school in the suburb of
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and planned to study medicine, but instead began a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
at the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
because the university's medical school did not admit women. After having their applications to enrol in medicine rejected, Sexton and a classmate,
Lilian Helen Alexander Lilian Helen Alexander (15 March 1861 – 18 October 1934) was an Australian surgeon and one of the first women to study medicine at the University of Melbourne. Early life Alexander was born in 1861 at St Kilda, Victoria to Jane and Thomas Al ...
, posted a notice in the paper seeking other women who wished to study medicine. They received five responses, Grace Vale, Clara Stone,
Margaret Whyte Margaret Whyte (born 21 February 1940) is a Uruguayan visual artist. Career Margaret Whyte began her artistic activity in 1972 at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Montevideo. She studied with , , Amalia Nieto, Rimer Cardillo, , and . She has bee ...
, and sisters Elizabeth and
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. Together these seven women began a campaign to force the university to allow women to enrol in medicine. The women used their influence in the upper classes of Melbourne, to gain media attention, and petitioned the university council over the issue. In February of 1887 the University council passed a motion to allow women into the medical school, by 10 votes to three. The seven women enrolled in March of 1887, and in the early 1890s, all graduated and were among the first women to practice medicine in Australia.


Career

Sexton graduated with an
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
in 1892, making her the third woman graduate from the University of Melbourne's medical school. Since most hospitals were reluctant to hire female doctors, Sexton joined a group of women, led by Constance Stone, who co-founded the Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Children in 1896. When the hospital opened in 1899, Sexton was appointed the head of surgery, a position she held until 1908. In 1899, she also joined the staff of the Royal Women's Hospital as an honorary gynaecological surgeon; she retired in 1910 due to health problems. Sexton moved to Europe in 1911. After the outbreak of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, both the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
and the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
declined Sexton's surgical skills for active service. In July 2015, after gathering supplied and staff in Australia, Sexton established a tented
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
, near
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
with financial support from her Australian colleagues such as Madame Charlotte Crivelli. Sexton collaborated with Constance Ferrier Hamilton, who was known by her married name Mrs Robert O Blackwood, and Susan Ledlie Wilson, who was also known by her married name Mrs William Smith, and Smith's daughters Lorna and Alison. In France, Crivelli's sister, Suzanne Caubet, who worked as a senior volunteer administrator of the Buffon Hospital in Paris was instrumental in aiding in the establishment, supply, and management of the hospital, which was recognised by the French government as a military hospital. Sexton was given the rank of Major within the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
. Later in the war, Sexton, and Mrs Blackwood, worked at
Val-de-Grâce The (' or ') was a military hospital located at in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was closed as a hospital in 2016. History The church of the was built by order of Queen Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII. After the birth of h ...
, a military hospital in Paris where doctors mainly performed reconstructive surgery on injured soldiers.


Later life and death

Sexton returned to Melbourne in 1917 but left for Europe again in 1919, eventually settling in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
. She suffered from
arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
and
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
in her later life, and died in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on 12 October 1950.


Recognition

* In 1919, Sexton, Mrs R. O Blackwood, and Mrs William Smith were each awarded a gold Médaille de la Reconnaissance française or
Medal of French Gratitude The Medal of French Gratitude (french: "Médaille de la Reconnaissance française") was a French honour medal created on 13 July 1917 and solely awarded to civilians. The medal was created to express gratitude by the French government to all t ...
for their work treating wounded French soldiers. * Sexton Street in the Canberra suburb of
Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...
is named in her honour. * In 2007, Sexton was inducted into the
Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the cele ...
, for co-founding the Queen Victoria Hospital.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexton, Helen 1862 births 1950 deaths Australian surgeons Australian people of Irish descent Australian women of World War I Medical doctors from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni Women surgeons People from the Colony of Victoria Immigrants to Italy Australian women surgeons 19th-century Australian women medical doctors 19th-century Australian medical doctors 20th-century Australian women medical doctors 20th-century Australian medical doctors