Gertrude Mead facts for kids

Gertrude Ella Mead (1867–1919) was an Australian doctor. She was known for speaking up for women and children. Dr. Mead was one of the first women doctors to work in Western Australia. She also helped start the Children's Protection Society in Western Australia. She was one of the first people to suggest creating special homes for older people and places where children could be looked after during the day (daycare centres).

Early Life and Education

Gertrude Ella Mead was born on December 31, 1867, in Adelaide, Australia. She was the third child of Silas Mead, a Baptist church leader. Her mother passed away when Gertrude was six years old. She and her siblings stayed with their aunt and uncle while their father was in England. Her father remarried when she was ten.

Gertrude and her sister Lilian went to the Advanced School for Girls. This was the first public high school in South Australia that allowed girls to prepare for university. In 1882, Gertrude was allowed to join the University of Adelaide even though she was under 16. She did very well in her studies.

In 1887, Gertrude got sick with typhoid fever. After this, she was not very strong for the rest of her life.

From 1890 to 1891, Gertrude first trained to be a nurse at the Adelaide Children's Hospital. Then, she started studying to become a doctor at Adelaide University. She was one of only three female medical students. She and her classmates, Violet Plummer and Christina L. Goode, had to defend themselves against unfair rumors. They wrote letters to newspapers to explain that they were always professional. Later, Gertrude and her classmates moved to the University of Melbourne and finished their medical degrees in 1897. After graduating, she worked as a doctor in hospitals in the United Kingdom for two years.

Medical Career and Advocacy

In 1901, Dr. Mead returned to Australia and moved to Perth. She was the third woman to be officially registered as a doctor in Western Australia. She worked from her home, focusing on the health of women and children. She also advised a home for sick children who were recovering. She taught nurses for the St John Ambulance Association.

Dr. Mead and another doctor, Roberta Jull, started the West Australian Health Society. They wanted to fix the problem of many babies dying. They suggested teaching mothers about health and making milk farms cleaner.

From 1904 to 1907, Dr. Mead was a doctor at the House of Mercy, a home for single mothers. She also became a doctor at the Perth Children's Hospital when it opened in 1909. When the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women opened in 1916, she represented the nurses who helped with childbirth. She also suggested the idea of having "district nurses" in Perth. These nurses would visit people in their homes to provide care.

Dr. Mead was a member of the Karrakatta Club, which was the first women's club in Australia. She was a vice president from 1912 to 1914. She gave talks about women's work and world issues. In 1912, she was chosen to represent doctors on the first governing body of the University of Western Australia. She was one of only two women among 18 members. She spoke up for equal rights for women at the university. Dr. Mead stayed on the university's governing body and education committee for the rest of her life.

During World War I, Dr. Mead taught Red Cross nurses. She also worked as a doctor at the Fremantle Base Hospital and in Perth. She was a lifelong member of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

In 1906, Dr. Mead helped start the Children's Protection Society of Western Australia. This group worked to stop the bad practice of "baby farming." This was when people took money to care for babies but didn't always do a good job. The society started to approve foster mothers who were good at caring for children in need. In 1909, Dr. Mead wrote that people were slowly starting to realize their duty to help children who were unwanted.

In 1912, Dr. Mead joined a committee that helped people get nursing care. She suggested a plan to build small homes for older people. The first of these homes was designed and furnished by Dr. Mead and Muriel Chase. She also looked into building similar homes for older people in Adelaide. Dr. Mead was known for her "deep compassion for the poor."

Death and Legacy

In 1919, Dr. Mead went to Adelaide to visit her brother. He was a doctor working in India and was home on leave. Sadly, she had a cerebral embolism (a type of stroke) and passed away on November 6, 1919. She is buried in the West Terrace Cemetery. After she died, The Bulletin newspaper called her "one of [Perth's] most useful citizens."

The Silver Chain Cottage Homes for older people in Perth opened in 1920. In 1981, the only home still standing was renamed "Dr Gertrude Mead Cottage Home" in her honor. In 1987, a street in Chisholm, Australian Capital Territory was named Mead St after her.