Lilian Helen Alexander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lilian Helen Alexander
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Lilian Helen Alexander at the University of Melbourne, 1887
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| Born | 15 March 1861 St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
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| Died | 18 October 1934 (aged 73) South Yarra, Victoria
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| Occupation | Surgeon |
| Known for | one of the first women to study medicine at University of Melbourne |
Lilian Helen Alexander was an important Australian surgeon. She was one of the very first women to study medicine at the University of Melbourne. She lived from 1861 to 1934.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lilian Alexander was born in 1861 in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. Her father was a printer, and her mother ran a school. Lilian went to her mother's school and then to Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.
She later went to the University of Melbourne. Lilian was the first girl ever allowed to live at Trinity College, a special part of the university. This was a big deal because many people didn't want girls there! She earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in 1886 and a Master of Arts in 1888. After university, she worked as a teacher.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1887, Lilian Alexander and another woman named Helen Sexton asked the university to let women study medicine. Because of their efforts, Lilian became one of the first five women to join the medical program at the University of Melbourne.
She became a qualified medical doctor in 1893. She then worked at the Royal Women's Hospital in Carlton.
Helping Women's Health
Lilian Alexander helped create the Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Children. This was a special hospital where only women doctors worked. Lilian was one of the first doctors there, working alongside Constance Stone and other new female doctors.
Lilian became a specialist in surgery in 1901. She worked at the Queen Victoria Hospital until 1917. She also had her own private medical practice until 1928. In 1931, she became the president of the Victorian Medical Women's Society. She had been the first secretary of this group since 1896.
Later Life and Legacy
Lilian Alexander passed away at her home in South Yarra in 1934. She never married. After her sister died in 1913, Lilian took care of her four nephews.
In 1936, after Lilian's death, her nephews gave a sculpture called "The Wheel of Life" to the University of Melbourne. It was made by Charles Web Gilbert and was given in Lilian's memory. In 2007, Lilian Alexander was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. This honor recognized her important contributions.
See also
- Victorian Medical Women's Society
