In August 1914, there were one hundred and twenty nine female doctors registered as medical practitioners in Australia. When the First World War began, some were very keen to work with wounded and ill soldiers and to do their duty for the Empire and for Australia just as their male colleagues were doing. But they were female, regarded as lady doctors and ladies did not go to war. Enlistment in both the Australian Army Medical Corp and the Royal Army Medical Corps were denied to women other than nurses.
However, women doctors took their own enterprising path to create their own military hospitals staffed by women.
Here is an account of the contributions of these extraordinary Australian medical women.
