Brown, Vera Scantlebury (1889-1946)

Also known as
Brown, Vera (1889-1946)
Scantlebury, Vera (1889-1946)
Field of activity
Medical practitioner and Paediatrician; defence forces personnel (British); general practitioner; maternal and infant health reformer; medical administrator; public servant; Physician and Paediatrician
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-775092

Biographies

SCANTLEBURY BROWN, VERA (1889-1946), medical practitioner, was born on 6 August 1889 at Linton, Victoria, daughter of George James Scantlebury, medical practitioner, and his wife Catherine Millington, née Baynes, both Victorian born. Her father, greatly interested in psychiatry, took mentally handicapped people into his home at Cheltenham, where Vera was much influenced by her contact with them. She was educated at Toorak College and then entered the medical school at the University of Melbourne where she was resident at Janet Clarke Hall. At school and college she won both affection and academic distinction.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Vera Scantlebury Brown, commonly known as Dr Vera, was appointed the first Director of Infant Welfare for the Victorian Department of Health in 1926. She remained dedicated to this position until her death. The position was only part-time due to her marriage, a custom of the time when it was considered that married women did not need to work outside the home. Vera Santlebury Brown was honoured with her appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 9 June 1938 for her work in the fields of infant and maternal welfare.

Vera Scantlebury, the daughter of George James and Catherine Millington (née Baynes) Scantlebury, was educated at Toorak College before entering medical school at the University of Melbourne. She graduated Bachelor of Medicine (MB) in 1914 and became resident medical officer at the Melbourne Hospital. Dr Vera then moved to the Children's Hospital in 1915, where she was appointed senior medical officer before leaving for England in 1917. In England she was attached to the Endell Street Military Hospital.

Dr Vera returned to Victoria in 1919 and worked in a variety of honorary positions including: honorary anaesthetist at the Women's Hospital (1920-1922), honorary clinical assistant at the Children's Hospital (1920-1924), Honorary physician and surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital (1920-1926) and medical inspector Church of England Girls' Grammar School (1920-1946). Dr Vera also was associated with the Victorian Baby Health Centres Association and the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria. In 1921, Dr Vera was appointed part-time medical officer in charge of the city baby health centres and in 1924 she was became a doctor of medicine. In 1925, together with Dr Henrietta Main, she was sent by the Victorian Government to conduct a survey of the welfare of women and children in New Zealand and Victoria. Their report led to the establishment of the Infant Welfare Division in the Department of Public Health.

Dr Vera married University of Melbourne lecturer (later associate professor) Dr Edward Byam Brown on 18 September 1926, and they had two children. A month following her marriage she accepted the appointment of part-time director of the newly formed Infant Welfare Division. She remained in this position until her death. In 1937, following Dr Vera's report on infant welfare for the National Health and Research Council, the Commonwealth Government allocated 100,000 pounds for the benefit of pre-school children, from the Coronation Commemoration Grant. The Argus newspaper reported on 15 July 1946, in an article 'Death of Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown' 'In 1938 the Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development was established, together with the Lady Gowrie Child Centres. The splendid preventive work carried out at these centres in all states was largely the result of Dr Scantlebury Brown's efforts. She received an OBE in 1938 in recognition of her distinguished work in preventive medicine. 'In 1944 pre-school activities including payment of subsidies to free kindergartens were also placed under her supervision, and her vision and enthusiasm achieved a further success in 1945, when the State Government decided to bring under the Health Department the care of expectant mothers and all children to six years of age.'

Vera Scantlebury Brown died on 14 July 1946, after a long battle with cancer. She is buried in the Cheltenham cemetery.

  • 1914 - 1915 Resident Medical Officer of the Melbourne Hospital
  • 1915 - 1917 Resident Medical Officer and Senior Medical Officer of the Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • 1917 - 1919 Attached Royal Army Medical Corps, Endell Street Military Hospital, London, England
  • 1920 Resident Medical Officer of the Women's Hospital, Melbourne
  • 1920 - 1922 Honorary Anaesthetist of the Women's Hospital, Melbourne
  • 1920 - 1924 Honorary Clinical Assistant, Children's Hospital, Melbourne
  • 1920 - 1926 Honorary physician and surgeon, Queen Victoria Hospital, Melbourne
  • 1920 - 1946 Medical Inspector, Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne
  • 1921 Part-time medical officer in charge of city baby health centres
  • 1924 Awarded degree of doctor of medicine
  • 1925 Appointed with Dr Henrietta Main, by the Victoria Government, to report on the welfare of Victorian women and children
  • 1926 - 1946 Director of Infant Welfare Victoria at Department of Public Health

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Vera Scantlebury Brown, the wife of Edward Byam Brown, was director of the Victorian Health Department's section of infant welfare 1926-46. She wrote books on the care of infants and young children and her 1937 report for the National Health and Medical Research Council prompted government funding of the Lady Gowrie Child Centres.

  • 1914 Career position - Resident Medical Officer at Melbourne Hospital
  • 1914 Education - Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Bachelor of Surgery (BS) completed at the University of Melbourne
  • 1915 - 1917 Career position - Resident staff at the Children's Hospital
  • 1917 - 1919 Career position - Assistant Surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corps
  • 1919 - 1946 Career position - Many honorary appointments including Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, the Women's and Children's hospitals, the Victorian Baby Health Centres Association, and the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria
  • 1921 - 1946 Career position - Medical Officer in charge of city baby health centres (part-time)
  • 1924 Education - Doctor of Medicine (MD) received from the University of Melbourne
  • 1925 Career position - Survey of the welfare of women and children, comparing Victoria with New Zealand for the Victorian Government
  • 1926 - 1946 Career position - Director of the section of infant welfare for the Health Department (part-time)
  • 1938 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
  • 1946 Career position - Annual travelling scholarship of £750 established by the Vera Scantlebury Brown Child Welfare Memorial Trust

View the full record at Encyclopedia of Australian Science

Related people and organisations

Resources for Vera Scantlebury Brown

Selected resources (22)

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Australian Women's Register

  1. Scantlebury Brown, Vera (1889-1946)Australian Dictionary of Biography Online : Scantlebury Brown, Vera (1889-1946)
    Campbell, Kate
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
    Series: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110543b.htm
  2. Pre-school child : "model exhibit" of sample toys and occupations for children of different ages up to 5 years of age
    Brown, Vera Scantlebury
    [[1943]]
    Published: H.E. Daw, Government Printer
  3. A guide to the care of the young child, infant and pre-school ages: for students of infant welfare
    Brown, Vera Scantlebury
    [1947]
    Published: Dept of Health, Division of Maternal, Infant and Pre-School Welfare
  4. Brown, Vera Scantlebury (1889 - 1946), Biographical EntryBright Sparcs : Brown, Vera Scantlebury (1889 - 1946), Biographical Entry
    [2002]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001348b.htm
  5. Death of Dr Vera Scantlebury BrownThe Argus : Death of Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown
    [1946]
  6. Obituary, Vera Scantlebury BrownThe Medical Journal of Australia September 14 393-395 : Obituary, Vera Scantlebury Brown
    Graham, H Boyd
    [1946]
  7. Biographical cuttings (available reading room NLA)
  8. Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
    Series: http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/honours/honours.html
  9. Where are the Women in Australian science?
    Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html
  10. Australian nurses since Nightingale 1860-1990
    Burchill, Elizabeth
    [1992]
    Published: Spectrum Publications Pty Ltd
  11. Double Time: Women in Victoria - 150 Years
    Lake, Marilyn and Kelly, Farley
    [1985]
    Published: Penguin Books Australia Ltd
  12. This Mad Folly: The History of Australia's Women Doctors
    Hutton Neve, M
    [1980]
    Published: Library of Australian History
  13. Who's who in Australia 1944
    Alexander, Joseph A
    [1944]
    Published: The Herald and Weekly Times
  14. The Royal Children's Hospital: A History of Faith, Science and Love
    Yule, Peter
    Published: Halstead Press
  15. 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology
    Radi, Heather
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press
  16. The University of Melbourne Archives: Scantlebury Brown, Vera (1889-1946) (1917 - 1939)
    Diary letters 1917-1932; Victorian Baby Health Centre Association Book including appointments, balance sheets, notes 1917-1925; Victorian Baby Health Centre Association Report Book of Medical Officer 1920-1925 including letters 1939; photocopied material on Dr Scantlebury Brown and the Baby health Centre Asssociation; biographical notes on Dr Scantlebury Brown prepared by Wendy Kappel 1977; index cards; interview records; "A Guide to the Care of the Young Child" - For students of infant welfare by Dr Scantlebury Brown and Kate Campbell.
    84/82

Encyclopedia of Australian Science

No Comments for this person

 

Add a comment



Possibly related

Digitised newspapers and more

Searching...

Minimise

Diaries, letters, archives

Searching...

Minimise

Archived websites (1996 – now)

Searching...

Minimise

Pictures, photos, objects

Searching...

Minimise

Books

Searching...

Minimise

Music, sound and video

Searching...

Minimise

People and organisations

Searching...

Minimise

Journals, articles and data sets

Searching...

Minimise

Maps

Searching...

Minimise

Lists

Searching...

Minimise
  1. Brown, James and Walter of Portland
    Created by robinwaust, 26 items.

    What relation to Annie South, nee Brown. Were saddlers in Portland 1866.

  2. Walkden BROWN family
    Created by mwillis17, 19 items.

    items relating to Rev. John Walkden BROWN (1849-1887), Wesleyan Methodist Minister, and family incl. descendants.

  3. Julia Pilbeam
    Created by DarrylGale, 3 items.

    Born Julia Pilbeam Brown, the surname Brown was dropped.

  1. Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial Trust Scholarship
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.031)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.031)

  2. Brown, Edward Byam (1880-1966)
    ... -46. He was the husband of Vera Scantlebury Brown. Born Strathdownie, Victoria, 31 July 1880. Died ...
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.002)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.002)

  3. Herring, Mary Ranken (1895-1981)
    ... Council Social Service. For 23 years (1946-1979) Herring was chairman of the Vera Scantlebury Brown Trust ...
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.001)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.001)

  1. Website: Australian Women's Archives Project
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 29 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.168)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.168)

  2. Website: Australian Women in War
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 34 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.147)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.147)

  3. Website: 200 Australian Women
    www.200australianwomen.com
    Matching pages:
    • Vera Scantlebury Brown - 5/11/2007
    • ... Vera Scantlebury Brown 1889 - 1946 doctor Vera Scantlebury Brown (1889-1946), doctor, was born...
    View 6 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.122)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.122)

Maps

No results

Minimise

Music, sound and video

No results

Minimise

Pictures, photos, objects

No results

Minimise
  1. [Biographical cuttings on Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.148)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.148)

  2. Papers
    Scantlebury Brown, Vera (1889-1946)
    [ Unpublished : 1917-1939 ]
    At Baillieu Library
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.334)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.334)

  1. A guide to the care of the young child : infant and pre-school ages, for students of infant welfare / [by Vera Scantlebury Brown and Kate Campbell.]
    Brown, Vera Scantlebury
    [ Book : 1947-1951 ]
    At 10 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.461)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.461)

  2. A guide to the care of the young child / Vera Scantlebury Brown, Kate Campbell ; [for the] Department of Health, Victoria
    Victoria. Dept. of Health
    [ Book : 1963-1966 ]
    At 13 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.436)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.436)

  3. Changing minds, changing lives : the legacy of the Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial Trust 1946-2004 / Joan Waters
    Waters, Joan
    [ Book : 2009-2010 ]
    At 2 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.253)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.253)

  4. Pre-school child : "model exhibit" of sample toys and occupations for children of different ages up to 5 years of age / Vera Scantlebury Brown
    Brown, Vera Scantlebury, d. 1946
    [ Book : 1943 ]
    At 2 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

  1. The work of Dr. Vera Scantlebury-Brown O B E
    Hutton Neve, M
    This Mad Folly: the History of Australia's Pioneer Women Doctors
    [ Article : 1980 ]
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 0.82)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 0.82)

  2. Report to the Minister of Public Health on the welfare of women and children / by Drs. Main and Scantlebury
    Main, Henrietta
    [ Article : 1926 ]
    At 4 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.151)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.151)

  3. The development of the Victorian Municipal Preschool Association
    O'Toole, Kevin
    Australian Journal of Early Childhood
    [ Article : 1999 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.056)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.056)

  4. Teacher became beloved children's broadcaster - TIME & TIDE.(Features)(Obituary)
    The Australian (National, Australia)
    [ Article : 2001 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  1. TRIBUTE TO LATE DR VERA SCANTLEBURY BROWN
    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Tuesday 16 July 1946 p 3 Article
    ... TRIBUTE TO LATE DR VERA SCANTLEBURY BROWN "For more than 20 years Dr Scantlebury Brown did not spare herself in her great work for the mothers and children of Victoria," Mr Barry, Health Minister, ... wel- fare organisations attended the funeral service yesterday of Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown, formerly ... 139 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.707)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.707)

  2. Three scholarships for Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial
    The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 19 September 1947 p 8 Article Illustrated
    ... Three scholarships for Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial MONEY has been donated for three memorial scholarships to be used for carrying on the work of the late Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown. This was ... the Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial Appeal meeting in the Town Hall yesterday. Austral Salon party ... 459 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.703)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.703)

  3. KNITTING COMPETITION FOR VERA SCANTLEBURY BROWN MEMORIAL APPEAL
    Standard (Frankston, Vic. : 1939 - 1949) Thursday 21 July 1949 p 2 Article
    ... KNITTING COMPETITION FOR FOR VERA SCANTLEBURY. BROWN MEMORIAL APPEAL To assist 'in the Knitting Com petition Which is being held as orie, of the activities connected with the appeal for the Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial APPEAL To assist in the Knitting Competition which is being held as one of Vera ... 237 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.701)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.701)