Australian Women's Register

An initiative of The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) in conjunction with The University of Melbourne

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Ellis, Constance (1872 - 1942)

Born
2 November 1872
Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Died
10 September 1942
South Yarra, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Medical practitioner

Summary

Constance Ellis became the first woman graduate of the University of Melbourne to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) in March 1903. She joined the pathology department of the Queen Victoria Hospital in 1902 and was honorary pathologist from 1908 until 1919. Ellis was the first woman to become a demonstrator and lecturer of Pathology at the University of Melbourne.

A foundation member of the Lyceum Club, Ellis was also a member of the Medical Women’s Society, the Australian Association for Fighting Venereal Diseases, the Victorian branch of the British Medical Association, the National Council of Women of Victoria, the Victorian Baby Health Centre Association and the Emily McPherson College.

Details

Events

1886 - 1890
Educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC)
1894
Enrolled for the medical course at the University of Melbourne
1896 - 1898
Attended Janet Clarke hostel, Trinity College, as a non-resident
March 1899
At the final examinations Ellis came second in surgery and third in medicine
1902
Joined the honorary staff of the Queen Victoria Hospital
March 1903
Obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine (by examination)
1908 - 1919
Honorary pathologist at the Queen Victoria Hospital
1911
President of the Old Collegians' Association (PLC)
1911 - 1942
Council member of the College of Domestic Economy (later Emily McPherson College)
1912
Vice-president and one of the founders of the Lyceum Club (Melb.)
1918 - 1919
President of the Lyceum Club
1920 - 1942
Vice-president of the Victorian Baby Health Centres Association
1925
Took part in PLC's jubilee congress, a two-day discussion on social and welfare matters
July 1925
Became a member of the first committee of the Melbourne Business and Professional Women's Club
1932 - 1934
Council president of the Emily McPherson College

Sources used to compile this entry: Ellis, A S, 'Ellis, Constance (1872-1942)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, Australian National University, 2006, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080456b.htm.

Related entries

Membership

Presided

Vice President

Archival resources

National Library of Australia

  • National Council of Women of Victoria Minutes, 1904 - 1960, Mfm G 7541-7544; National Library of Australia. Details

Private Hands (contact Australian Women's Archive Project)

  • National Council of Women of Victoria, 1902 - ; National Council of Women of Victoria (1902 - ); Private Hands (contact Australian Women's Archive Project). Details

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

  • The Catalysts, 1910 - 2000, MS 11233; The Catalysts' Society (1910 - ); State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details
  • Papers and history of the Lyceum Club, 1970 - 1975, MS 9182; Lyceum Club (Melbourne) (1912 - ); State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

The Australian Women's Register Exhibitions

Book Sections

  • Radi, Heather, 'Constance Ellis', in Radi, Heather (ed.), 200 Australian women : a Redress anthology, Women's Redress Press Inc., Broadway, NSW, 1988, pp. 92-93. Details

Online Resources

See also

  • Docherty, James, The Emily Mac : the story of the Emily McPherson College, 1906-1979, Ormond, Melbourne, 1981, 314 pp. Details
  • Gillison, Joan M, A History of the Lyceum Club Melbourne, The Lyceum Club, Melbourne, 1975, 118 pp. Details
  • Hutton Neve, M. ( Marjorie), This mad folly: the history of Australia's pioneer women doctors, Library of Australian History, Sydney, 1980, 174 pp. Details
  • Radi, Heather (ed.), 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology, Women's Redress Press, Sydney, 1988, 258 pp. Also available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-78644. Details

Anne Heywood

Created: 18 November 2003, Last modified: 12 October 2006

Site-wide information and acknowledgements

National Foundation for Australian Women The University of Melbourne, eScholarship Research Centre

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0627b.htm