Dame Una Patricia Mackinnon, DBE (née Bell; 24 July 1911 – 17 May 2009Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
rch.org.au; accessed 1 April 2016.) was Vice-President and President of the

Royal Children's Hospital The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. As a major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital provides a full range of clinical services, tertiary care, as well ...

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 ...

and a national councillor for the Australian Hospitals Association.

Personal life

Una Patricia Bell was born in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

as the daughter of Ernest Thomas and Pauline Eva (née Taylor) Bell. She was educated at

St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School St Margaret's Anglican Girls School is a private, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls. The school is located in Ascot, an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the So ...

. She married Alistair Mackinnon on 17 December 1936; they had two children.

Career

In 1948, Mackinnon became a member of the committee of management for the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne. She served in several offices before being elected vice-president from 1957 to 1965, and president 1965–79, succeeding Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. In 1968 she began as chairman of the RCH Research Foundation, a position she held until 1986 and, from 1951 to 1965, served as president of the Auxiliaries. She was a federal and state councillor of the Australian Hospitals Association for many years. Her links to the RCH go back to her grandmother-in-law, Lady Emily Mackinnon, who served on the committee of management (1888–1922). Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Hilda Mackinnon, was elected president of the committee of management from 1923 to 1933. The Mackinnon School of Nursing is named in their honour.

Death

Dame Patricia Mackinnon died on 17 May 2009 at the age of 97.

Honours

Mackinnon was created a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in 1972 and a Dame Commander of the order (DBE) in 1977, in recognition of distinguished service to the community in hospital administration.Mackinnon biodata
womenaustralia.info; accessed 30 December 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackinnon, Patricia 1911 births 2009 deaths Australian activists Australian Anglicans Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Brisbane People educated at St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School