BiographyDr Mary Clementina De Garis was a pioneering Australian medical practitioner and one of the most distinguished early alumnae of MLC. Born in Victoria in 1881, she was educated at MLC, where she excelled academically and became dux of her year in 1898.
In 1900, De Garis entered the University of Melbourne to study medicine and was awarded a residential scholarship to Queen’s College. Although women were not yet permitted to reside fully within the College, she was closely associated with it during her studies, attending tutorials and participating in college life.
An exceptionally able student, she graduated with medical degrees in 1904–1905 and, in 1907, became only the second woman in Victoria to be awarded the Doctor of Medicine. Her early career took her to remote parts of Australia, where she worked in hospitals in Queensland and New South Wales, demonstrating both independence and commitment in challenging conditions.
During the First World War, De Garis served with the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in Macedonia, where she became Chief Medical Officer of her unit. Working under extremely difficult wartime conditions, she performed surgery and led a large medical staff, earning international recognition and decorations for her service.
After the war, she settled in Geelong, where she became a respected obstetrician and a pioneer in maternal and infant health. Her advocacy for improved antenatal and postnatal care and her research into maternal nutrition significantly advanced medical practice in regional Victoria.
Dr De Garis died in 1963, leaving a legacy as a trailblazer for women in medicine and a prominent example of the achievements of early MLC and Queen’s College students.Date of Birth16 December 1881Date of Death18 November 1963MLC ConnectionOld Collegian 1898
