Jane Stocks "Jean" Greig (12 June 1872 – 16 September 1939) was a Scottish-Australian

medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...

and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

specialist.

Early life and education

Jane Stocks Greig was born in 1872 in

Cupar Cupar ( ; ) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fife, and the ...

, Scotland, the oldest of eight children of

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

merchant and higher education advocate Robert Greig, and his wife Jane Stocks (née Macfarlane) (1848-1902). She had five sisters and three brothers - Janet Lindsay (1874-1950), Clara Puella (1877-1957),

Flos Greig Grata Flos Matilda Greig (7 November 1880 – 31 December 1958), Scottish-born Australian lawyer, was the first woman to be admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor in Australia. Early life and education Grata Flos Matilda Greig ( ...

(1880-1958), James Arthur (1882-1935), Ernest Howard (1884-1972), Hector Maximus (1887-1979) and Stella Fida (1889-1913). She was educated at the

High School of Dundee The High School of Dundee is a private, co-educational, day school in Dundee, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils. Its foundation has been dated to 1239, and it is the only private sc ...

and while she was in Dundee her father wrote to his brother to check that women would be allowed to study medicine in Melbourne. He was told that it was possible and the family migrated to

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in 1889 where she then attended Brunswick Ladies College. With her father's support and encouragement both she and her sister

Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psychologist and psychotherapist * Maur ...

enrolled at the medical school of the University of Melbourne in 1891. She graduated with a

Bachelor of Medicine A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1895, and completed her

Bachelor of Surgery A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

with honours in 1896.

Career

After leaving university, she worked in

general practice General practice is personal, family, and community-orientated comprehensive primary care that includes diagnosis, continues over time and is anticipatory as well as responsive. Definitions A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a consu ...

in the Melbourne suburbs of

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

and Fitzroy, and in 1896 founded the

Victorian Medical Women's Society The Victorian Medical Women's Society (VMWS) is the longest-running association of women medical practitioners and medical students. It was established in Melbourne, Australia in 1896 and is one of the oldest active medical organisations in the ...

. She was a founding member of the

Queen Victoria Hospital The Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH), located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world-famo ...

in 1896 and was an honorary medical staff member at the hospital until 1910. Greig returned to the University of Melbourne to study for a Diploma of Public Health; when she completed the degree in 1910 she became the first woman at the university to do so. She went on to work for the Victorian Department of Education as a medical officer, providing healthcare services for schoolchildren. She was promoted to the department's Chief Medical Officer in 1929. From 1924 to 1925, she was a commissioner on the Royal Commission on Health. She visited a number of countries to give talks on types medical and dental inspection, and published numerous articles and reports in the ''

Medical Journal of Australia The ''Medical Journal of Australia'' (MJA) is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 22 times a year. It is the official journal of the Australian Medical Association, published by Wiley (publisher), Wiley on behalf of the Australasian Medical ...

''. She was a lecturer in hygiene at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

and at the Teachers' Training College from 1916 to 1939.

Death and legacy

Greig died from cancer in 1939 in

Richmond, Victoria Richmond is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of the Melbourne central business district, located within the City of Yarra Local government areas of Victoria, local government area. Richmond recorded a population of 2 ...

. She was inducted into the

Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. It was launched by The Hon. Joan Kirner AC as a joint initiative of the Centenary of Federation Victoria Comm ...

in 2007, and in 2012 she was featured in an Australian postage stamp series titled "Medical Doctors".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greig, Jane Stocks 1872 births 1939 deaths Medical doctors from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni People educated at the High School of Dundee People from Cupar Australian public health doctors Scottish emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian medical doctors 20th-century Australian women medical doctors 20th-century Australian medical doctors 19th-century Australian women 20th-century Scottish women Australian women public health doctors