Grace Cuthbert-Browne Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire was an Australian doctor instrumental in improving the health of mothers and babies, and the consequent reduction in maternal and infant deaths in Australia.
Background
Grace Cuthbert was born in Portuguese Glasgow, Scotland, the youngest of five children. Her mother Mary later became involved in a variety humanitarian and medical charities. Her father was a merchant sailor who captained ships from New Zealand to England carrying frozen mutton.
Education
When Grace was six the family moved to Lindfield and she attended school first at Lindfield College and then at Ravenswood in the Sydney suburb of Gordon.
Career
She was Director of Maternal and Baby Welfare in the New South Wales Department of from 1937 to 1964. During this time the infant fatality rate decreased form 40 to 20 per thousand live births. In 1901 he was appointed as "chief marine surveyor" for a group of insurance companies in Sydney.
This resulted in Grace and the family (three older brothers, an older sister had died of whooping cough) moving to Sydney where they settled in Kirribilli.
Grace was one year old. Cuthbert enjoyed golf, tennis and surfing, and continued these activities well into her adult life.
Cuthbert earned a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Sydney in 1924 and subsequently worked at Royal North Shore hospital. In 1925 she purchased a general practice at Pambula where she was renowned for her dedication and service to the small rural communities.
In 1929 she returned to the Sydney suburb of Wollstonecraft to continue in general practice.
Her experience in Pambula and Wollstonecraft led to her interest in antenatal and neonatal care. During this time she was honorary medical officer to the Tresillian Mothercraft training school, the Lane Cove health centre, and the Rachel Forster hospital. Cuthbert succeeded Doctor Elma Morgan as the Director of Infant and Maternal Welfare on 1 August 1937, a role she held until 1964.
Participant of this role included supervision of 200 local Baby Health Centres, as well as the pre-natal clinics at metropolitan hospitals.
Mortality of mothers went from 5 in 1000 live births to.32 during her tenure as Director of Maternal and Baby welfare. She was protective of her position in maternal health and rejected perceived interference.
On 15 February 1951 Cuthbert married Emeritus Professor Francis James Browne, a 71-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist. Their happy marriage lasted until his death in 1963.
Cuthbert-Browne was the honorary medical director of the Grovesnor Hospital from her retirement until 1970.
She served on a committee creating a curriculum for young women. lieutenant was implement in a number of independent schools
Resided at Northaven Retirement village in Turramurra and died there. Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire – 1959
Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Fellow of the Royal Australian College
Fellow of the Australian Medical Association
Honorary Doctor of Medicine – 1986.