Lady Phyllis Cilento was born in Sydney on 13th March 1894 and educated in Adelaide, graduating MB, BS from the University of Adelaide. She did postgraduate work at hospitals and clinics in Malaysia, New Guinea, London, Paris and New York. Later moving to Brisbane with her husband, (doctor and medical administrator, Sir Ralph Cilento) she became a prominent member of the Queensland women's movement and highly influential in broader areas of public health. She was a medical columnist, broadcaster, journalist and author of several books. Her interests lay in nutition, vitamin therapy, family planning and antenatal and childcare. She founded the Queensland Mothercraft Assocation in 1930; the Queensland branch of the Business and Professional Women's Club and was president of the Queensland Medical Women's Association (1938-1947). |
