Background
Lush was born in Hawthorn, Victoria, the daughter of John Fullarton Lush, a clerk, and his wife Dora Emma Louisa (née Puttmann).
Lush was born in Hawthorn, Victoria, the daughter of John Fullarton Lush, a clerk, and his wife Dora Emma Louisa (née Puttmann).
She was educated at Fintona Girls" School and the University of Melbourne, gaining a Bachelor of Science
In 1932 and an Master of Science in 1934. She was an active sportswoman, being selected for the University of Melbourne"s women"s basketball team Lush worked at the National Institute for Medical, London, from early in 1939.
She returned to Australia.
Her work on the influenza virus was praised in 1940. She worked with Frank Macfarlane Burnet at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical on a scrub typhus vaccine in 1942 as scrub typhus was a serious health risk to Australian soldiers engaged in jungle warfare in New Guinea in World War 2.
On 27 April 1943 Lush accidentally pricked her finger with a needle containing scrub typhus while inoculating a mouse. There was no effective treatment at the time for this often fatal disease.
She died four weeks later, on 20 May 1943.
Before her death she insisted that blood samples be taken from her to aid research. Lush was cremated at Springvale Crematorium on 22 May 1943. The National Health and Medical Council now offers postgraduate scholarships named in her honour.