Violet Plummer
Violet May Plummer (8 July 1873 – 17 June 1962) was a South Australian medical doctor, the first woman to graduate in medicine from the University of Adelaide, and in 1900 the first woman doctor to practise in Adelaide.
History
Violet was born in Camperdown, New South Wales a daughter of Major Isaac Arthur Plummer (1848–1905), who was to become Inspector of Schools in South Australia.
In 1881, the University of Adelaide was the first Australian university to admit women to academic courses, and
She encouraged Phoebe Chapple to study medicine.
In the 1930s, a group of women graduates, which included Violet, Dr. Helen Mayo, Dr. Constance Finlayson, and Pauline Grenfell Price,[1] met to solve the longstanding problem of accommodation for country and interstate female students. After being approached by Violet, Sidney Wilcox ( –1942) of the wool brokers Wilcox, Mofflin[2] gave ₤5000 and bequeathed his house on Brougham Place, North Adelaide to the University so that a residential college for women similar to St Mark's College might be established. St. Ann's College was officially opened with sixteen residential students in 1947, much of the delay being attributable to the War.[3]
References
- ^ Pauline married Rupert Brook Lewis (1918–2009), son of Essington Lewis)
- ^ "Death Of Mr. Sidney Wilcox". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 2 February 1942. p. 8. Retrieved 19 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ David Ellis (December 2007). "Adelaidean: 60 years of inspiring students". University of Adelaide. Retrieved 19 May 2016.