Ground-breaker in the medical world
It was a time when it was rare for an obstetrician and gynaecologist to be a woman, but that was the ground-breaking area Constance Elizabeth D'Arcy found herself in.
Born in 1879 at Rylstone, New South Wales, Constance was the fifth daughter of Murty D'Arcy, a police sergeant and his wife Bridget nee Synnott. She completed her Bachelor of Medicine in 1904, however she immediately came across some hurdles when neither of the teaching hospitals in Sydney would take on a woman.
Constance Elizabeth D'Arcy. Courtesy: Wikipedia
This did not deter her and she moved to South Australia to take up her residency at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Her focus was on working with women to reduce the incidences of maternal death. By 1908 she had opened a practice in Macquarie Street, Sydney and appointed honorary surgeon at the Royal Hospital for Women.
To achieve her goals Constance worked to raise the standards in nursing and underlined the importance of regular antenatal examinations. Her concerns were controlling the cases of septicaemia and the rise in deaths from illegal operations. She condemned moves to legalise abortion.
She was a member of many medical associations including the Australian Trained Nurses' Association, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, a foundation member of the College of Surgeons of Australasia (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons), and an active member of the Catholic Medical Guild of St Luke. She helped reform the Medical Women's Society of New South Wales, serving as its president from 1933-34.
She was the first woman to be elected on the senate of the University of Sydney. Constance responded quickly to her patients and would be chauffeur driven on her rounds. She was a large build with an infectious laugh but always full of grace. She had a tendency to wear her jewellery and on emergency calls, the sister on duty had to lock it away.
She was appointed as Dame of the Order of the British Empire on 3 June 1935 for Services to the welfare of children. In 1940 the Pope honoured her with the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, for distinguished service to the Catholic church.
The final resting place in Waverley cemetery of a true heroine in the medical world.
On 25th April, 1950 Constance breathed her last at the Sacred Heart Hospice for the Dying in Darlinghurst. She was suffering a cerebro-vascular disease. A requiem mass was held at St Mary's Cathedral and she was buried in Waverley cemetery. A ward is named after her at the Royal Hospital for Women.
References
Heather Radi, 'D'Arcy, Dame Constance Elizabeth (1879–1950)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/darcy-dame-constance-elizabeth-5880/text10005, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 19 August 2022.
'Bachelor of Medicine', Wikipedia, accessed 27th August, 2022, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery - Wikipedia
'Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice', Wikipedia, accessed 29th August, 2022, https://www.google.com/search?q=pro+ecclesia+et+pontifice+meaning&source=hp&ei=KlUMY-KSGKK02roP4K6asAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYwxjOpaz0spApjA5fsoeoY2WivHCdz9-&oq=Pro+Ecclesia+et+Pontifice&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAzIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyCAgAEIAEEMkDMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgARQAFgAYJgqaABwAHgAgAGrA4gBqwOSAQM0LTGYAQCgAQKgAQG4AQE&sclient=gws-wiz
'D'Arcy Constance Elizabeth (1879-1950), The Australian Women's Register, accessed 29th August, 2022, https://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0025b.htm
I can only reiterate what others have already said. What a trail blazer and how come I've never heard of her? Thanks you Samantha for another brilliant post.
What a remarkable woman, and look at her ravaged Grave site! It's disgusting how we allow these remarkable people who have given so much for the benefit of their fellow humans, end up with no or very little respect in death. Her final resting place should be upgraded to one befitting her work in life. Also why isn't her face on an Australian Currency Note instead of the other sad faces.
What an achievement for Dame Constance Darcy and why had I not heard of her. She was not deterred when she couldn't get a foot in the door in NSW. Thank you Samantha for the story. I think you are also a remarkable person to go through such an ordeal and not throw the towel in