Phyllis Margery Anderson facts for kids

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children (Camperdown)

Phyllis Margery Anderson (born January 13, 1901 – died November 29, 1957) was an important Australian doctor. She was known as a pathologist, which means she studied diseases and how they affect the body. She made many important contributions to medicine in Australia.

Early Life and Education

Phyllis Anderson was born in Petersham, New South Wales, Australia, on January 13, 1901. She was the only child of James Robert Anderson, who was also a doctor, and Mary Kendall.

Phyllis went to school at the Methodist Ladies' College in Burwood, New South Wales. After school, she studied medicine at the University of Sydney. She worked hard and earned her medical degrees (MB and ChM) in 1925.

Her Work as a Pathologist

In 1926, Phyllis Anderson started working as a pathologist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. This hospital helps children who are sick. She trained with another excellent pathologist, Dr. Tidswell.

Dr. Anderson became a senior pathologist at the hospital in 1927. She held this important role until 1940. In 1938, she became a member of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. This is a special group for highly skilled doctors.

From 1941 to 1946, she worked in the bacteriology department at the University of Sydney. Bacteriology is the study of tiny living things like bacteria. She also taught at the university, first as a teaching fellow and later as a part-time lecturer.

Helping Other Women Doctors

Phyllis Anderson also helped other women in medicine. In 1928, she started the Medical Women's Society of New South Wales. This group supported women doctors. She was the president of this society from 1945 to 1946.

Personal Interests

Outside of her medical work, Phyllis Anderson had many interests. She loved music, dancing, and reading. She even helped with the training for ballet in Australia.

She was part of an advisory committee for the Royal Academy of Dance. She gave medical advice for dance scholarships. She also helped arrange the famous tour of ballet dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn in 1957.

Her Legacy

Phyllis Anderson passed away on November 29, 1957, at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. She was 56 years old.

Before she died, Dr. Anderson left money to several hospitals. These included the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children and the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children. She also left money to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

The rest of her money was given to the University of Sydney. In 1959, a special research fellowship was created in her name. This "Phyllis Anderson Research Fellowship" helps other doctors study diseases, continuing her important work.