Three of the earlier Women Who Inspired us from the International Women's Day Library Display were Loo Loo Ruth Amesbury, Jessie Miriam Berman and Brigid Ogilvie.
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Loo Loo Ruth Amesbury was born in 1885. The daughter of local dentist Edward Percy Amesbury, she married St George Richard Gore, and later lived in Goondiwindi.
A sister Eva, and two brothers, Hugh, and Edward jnr. also became dentists.
Glen Innes Examiner, July 11, 1905, reported: "We have pleasure in congratulating Miss L R Amesbury upon the recent successful pass in connection with the examination held under the auspices of the Dental Board of NSW. Miss Amesbury is now one of six lady dentists practicing in this state, a distinction in connection with which she may justly feed proud."
Jessie Miriam Berman was the Matron of Halcyon Maternity Hospital.
Midwife Jessie initially travelled by horse and sulky to cases at Woolbrook and lived with the families as the mother's time drew near.
She turned her home at 202 Meade Street (opposite the site of Roseneath, formerly Dalhousie) into Halcyon Private Obstetric hospital with two wards and a labour room.
In lieu of payment she would often accept the baby bonus of £5 or 'in kind' - perhaps farm produce.
At times she would sleep on a couch in the kitchen when the wards became overcrowded. She closed the hospital after World War II to work at Dalhousie.
Brigid Ogilvie, AC DBE FRS, was a Parasitologist and Immunologist.
Born in 1938 Brigid went to the single teacher Furracabad school and she has always been high in her praise of her early country schooling.
After gaining a Bachelor of Rural Science with First Class Honours and the University medal at UNE she earned a PhD at Girton College, Cambridge for her work in Parasitology. She was a director of the Wellcome Trust from 1991-1998.
In 1996 she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2003.
2007 saw her awarded Australia's highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia.
The Citation read: "For service to science in the field of biomedical research particularly related to veterinary and medical parasitology, and through support for research funding to improve global health."
Other inspiring women included Elizabeth Blessing, Matron Crommelin, Margaret Fulton, Denise Hutton, Rita O'Keefe, Alice Matilda Robinson, Isabel Robinson, and Debbie Wells. And there are many more!
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