Biographical entry Burnell, Mary Taylor (1907 - 1996)

Summary

Mary Burnell became resident medical officer at the Adelaide Children's Hospital in 1931. In 1934 she was appointed assistant honorary anaesthetist at the hospital and a year later she became the first female member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists. Burnell was the only anaesthetist at the hospital during World War Two and was on call day and night. In the 1950s she became the first woman president of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, a member of the board of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Women Dean of the Faculty.

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science Exhibitions

• McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2003, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Books

• Murray, James, Lifework: Heroes of Australian Health, Focus Publishing for [Medical Benefits Fund of Australia Ltd], Edgecliff, NSW, 1997, 160 pp. Details

Online Resources

• 'Burnell Mary Taylor (1907-19961231)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1476498. Details