Listen now | Kit Kowalski and Edie Wyatt talk about the world of sex and gender from a gender-critical perspective, not just the culture war, but law, policy, activism, feminism and all the nonsense.
Australia's first women's-only hospital was opened in Victoria in 1896. First wave feminists, including Vida Goldstein (the first woman to stand for parliament in Australia) campaigned and fundraised for this Women's Hospital that was For Women, By Women.
The Queen Victoria Hospital ushered in a revolution in women’s medical care.
"As the first women's hospital in Victoria, it was also one of only three in the world operated for women, by women. Founded by two sisters Dr Constance and Clara Stone and their cousin Mary Page Stone, the hospital opened in new premises on William Street by appealing to the women of Victoria to support its ‘Shilling Fund’ – just one shilling each would provide enough money to fund their new hospital.
"The Queen Vic also served another purpose – to provide training and employment for a small but increasing number of women doctors. These doctors were mostly unwelcome in the Victorian medical establishment, and the new hospital was a radical recognition that they were a necessity to the women of Victoria.
I gave birth to my son there in 1980, in the Birth Centre. The midwives were rightly proud of the history of the hospital as being By Women, For Women and I think most of them were feminist in their outlook. Unfortunately the hospital began employing male doctors in the 1950s and opened to male patients in the 1970s. It became the teaching hospital for Monash University and eventually the old city site was sold and a replacement hospital built in Clayton - renamed the Monash Medical Centre. I think there was a birth centre for a few years after the move but I don't think there is now.
A Women's Centre was maintained in a section of the old buildings for a while, but no doubt these days it is open to anyone who identifies as a woman. Most of the site is now occupied by the Melbourne Central shopping complex and railway station.
Australia's first women's-only hospital was opened in Victoria in 1896. First wave feminists, including Vida Goldstein (the first woman to stand for parliament in Australia) campaigned and fundraised for this Women's Hospital that was For Women, By Women.
The Queen Victoria Hospital ushered in a revolution in women’s medical care.
"As the first women's hospital in Victoria, it was also one of only three in the world operated for women, by women. Founded by two sisters Dr Constance and Clara Stone and their cousin Mary Page Stone, the hospital opened in new premises on William Street by appealing to the women of Victoria to support its ‘Shilling Fund’ – just one shilling each would provide enough money to fund their new hospital.
"The Queen Vic also served another purpose – to provide training and employment for a small but increasing number of women doctors. These doctors were mostly unwelcome in the Victorian medical establishment, and the new hospital was a radical recognition that they were a necessity to the women of Victoria.
I gave birth to my son there in 1980, in the Birth Centre. The midwives were rightly proud of the history of the hospital as being By Women, For Women and I think most of them were feminist in their outlook. Unfortunately the hospital began employing male doctors in the 1950s and opened to male patients in the 1970s. It became the teaching hospital for Monash University and eventually the old city site was sold and a replacement hospital built in Clayton - renamed the Monash Medical Centre. I think there was a birth centre for a few years after the move but I don't think there is now.
A Women's Centre was maintained in a section of the old buildings for a while, but no doubt these days it is open to anyone who identifies as a woman. Most of the site is now occupied by the Melbourne Central shopping complex and railway station.
In so many areas we seem to have gone backwards.
It's a familiar slow erosion of our rights.