Constance Stone

The QV precinct is built on the old Queen Victoria Hospital site, in Melbourne, Australia. The lanes within the site bear the names Jane Bell, Constance Stone, Red Cape, and Shilling. Jane Bell featured in Bonzer 84 now it is Constance Stone's turn.

Her full name was Emma Constance but she went by Constance. Born in Hobart on 4 December 1856 Constance was the oldest of three children. With a mother who was a governess she received a sound education.

The family moved to Melbourne when Constance was sixteen. When old enough she ran a small school from home but what she really wanted was to be a doctor. But this was impossible in Australia as women were thought inadequate to study and practice medicine. Constance applied to Melbourne University but was rejected.

Not to be deterred she left Australia in 1884 and went to the USA. Constance had the full support of her parents who believed both their daughters should have the same opportunities as their son.

Constance was accepted at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. After three years Constance graduated, however this qualification was not recognised in Australia. She then spent another year in Canada under the British system graduating in 1888 with first class honours.

From there she went to London for a further year at the New Hospital for Women. This women only hospital was also run and staffed by women. Here Constance gained invaluable knowledge and experience working alongside the world's leading female surgeon Doctor Mary Scharlieb. After a year she gained her Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries, a qualification required to practice in Australia.

It was while in London Constance saw what could be achieved by women in medicine. She became a firm believer in hospitals for women and her dream was formed.

Back in Melbourne Constance registered to practice as a doctor, the first female to do so in Australia. It did not take long for others to follow; while Constance was overseas gaining her credentials women were finally admitted into Melbourne University to study medicine. Her sister Grace and cousin Emily Stone were among the first to graduate.

Constance set up practice in Melbourne as one of the most qualified doctors in Australia. However male colleagues did not treat her as an equal, instead virtually ostracised her. Where they would normally help each other out with patient overload and at all hours Constance was left to work alone.

On call 24 hours a day she drove her buggy into the dark alleys and lanes of Melbourne to tend women and children. These were so poor that they could rarely afford to pay any fees. Most male doctors just refused to attend them or demanded payment before treatment. But Constance and her female colleagues had a vision and they did not discriminate.

Despite the draining demands on Constance's time Rev David Egryn Jones found his way into her life. They were married at St David's Welsh Church of which he was the Reverend. It was through him that she gained premises to run her practice for the poor women of Melbourne.

Conditions were desperate at this time; the underprivileged did not have access to necessary medical treatment with tuberculoses, small pox and sexually transmitted diseases were rampant. There was a genuine need for a hospital like that in London. And now there were enough women doctors in Melbourne to think about opening one.

Led by Constance eleven women doctors met on 5 September 1896 to set in motion the process for a women's hospital. It was to be staffed entirely by women and would treat only women.

Suffragette Annette Bear Crawford was put in charge of obtaining resources and the Shilling Fund Appeal was launched. Women of Victoria were encouraged to donate a shilling towards the purchase of a hospital building. It raised over 3100 pounds.

A building was purchased in the city and the Queen Victoria hospital was established in 1899. It went on to become one of the largest hospitals in Australia moving to the QV site in 1946.

Constance saw her dream come to fruition but was never to know of its amazing success. She contracted tuberculosis and died on 29 December 1902. She was only forty-six. Constance's only child, Bronwyn followed in her mother's footsteps to become a doctor and work at the Queen Victoria Hospital.