Naomi Wing (2 October 1903 – 27 February 1985) was an Australian physician who specialised in rheumatology and rehabilitative medicine.

Early life and education

Marie Naomi Hardy was born in Narrabri, New South Wales on 2 October 1903. She sat for the Intermediate at Narrabri District School in 1919 and completed her secondary education at

North Sydney Girls High School , motto_translation = Towards Higher Things , established = , type = Government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school , gender = Girls , oversight = New South Wales Department of Education , principal = Megan Co ...

the following year. She graduated with an MB BS from the University of Sydney in 1927 and was registered as a medical practitioner in New South Wales on 26 September 1927.

Career

Following her graduation, Wing worked first at

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first rece ...

and then Lithgow Hospital from mid-1928. Following her marriage to fellow doctor, Lindon Wing, they went into practice together 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 ...

in 1929. In 1936 the couple moved to Cooma where they set up in general practice. The family spent a year overseas in the early 1950s. Wing studied rheumatology in Edinburgh and returned to work in Sydney in that specialty. In 1953 she was employed by the Royal South Sydney Hospital as an assistant rheumatologist. On a visit to the United States and United Kingdom to develop her rheumatology skills, she also observed rehabilitation facilities and their role in patients' recovery from injury. In 1956 a pilot rehabilitation service was set up at Royal South Sydney Hospital under Wing's management. Two years later the service was fully authorised. Wing served as its director until her retirement in 1973. She continued a private rheumatology practice in Macquarie Street, before retiring in 1984.

Honours and recognition

Wing was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours. She was promoted to Commander in the 1980 New Year's Honours. The Naomi Wing Rehabilitation Centre (1976–1993) was named in her honour.

Personal

Wing married Dr Lindon Woorlledge Wing on 25 December 1928 at

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

, New South Wales. Their first daughter was born in 1929. Her husband died in 1977 and younger daughter in 1941. Wing died in Hornsby, New South Wales on 27 February 1985. She was survived by a son and daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wing, Naomi 1903 births 1985 deaths Australian rheumatologists People educated at North Sydney Girls High School University of Sydney alumni Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Women rheumatologists 21st-century women physicians