Born: 20 September 1880, Australia
Died: 30 November 1952
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA
This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Elizabeth Kenny developed a new treatment for poliomyelitis during the 1930s and established clinics in Brisbane with the backing of the State government but opposition from the medical profession. In 1940 she moved to the USA where her methods were widely acclaimed.
Chronology
1910 – 1915: Career position – Self-appointed Nurse working from the family home in the Darling Downs area of Queensland
1915 – 1917: Military service – Staff Nurse with the Australian Army Nursing Service, serving on troopships bringing wounded home to Australia
1917 – 1919: Career position – Sister in the Australian Army Nursing Service
1919 – 1932: Career position – Returned to her home nursing practice
1932: Career position – Established a backyard clinic in Townsville to treat long-term poliomyelitis victims and cerebral palsy patients
1940: Career position – Travelled to the USA with an introduction to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
1942: Career position – The Sister Kenny Institute was established in Minneapolis, USA
1951: Life event – Retired to Toowoomba, Queensland