Resilience, Reflection and Renewal
Since our last newsletter in February 2025, the QMWS100 team has remained quietly but diligently active behind the scenes. Our monthly meetings have continued with great momentum, and we look forward to our upcoming 12th meeting on Tuesday, 5 August 2025.
Here is a short series of our updates:
Cyclone Alfred & the Enduring Role of Medical Women
In March 2025, Cyclone Alfred swept through Queensland, a timely reminder of the fragility and resilience of our communities. Such events highlight the continuing relevance of QMWS as a society rooted in service, leadership, and solidarity, particularly in times of challenge. Our foremothers faced many such moments, and we continue to carry that torch forward.
Celebrating International Women’s Day
We proudly celebrated International Women’s Day 2025 with a renewed appreciation for the women who shaped QMWS and those continuing their legacy. This occasion offered space to reflect on our collective identity, honouring the resilience and achievements of women in medicine across generations.
Meeting Fiona Malikoff: QMWS100 Quilt Project
We were thrilled to meet Fiona Malikoff, a dedicated patchworker, IT professional, and lifelong organiser with a deep interest in the role of arts and crafts in women’s lives, from the early 1800s to today. Fiona’s passions span artistic expression, social commentary, and historical preservation, making her an invaluable collaborator on the QMWS100 Commemorative Quilt Project. Her thoughtful curation will ensure the finished work meaningfully represents the Society’s diverse history and enduring impact.
Meeting Professor Thelma Parker: Elder and Advocate
We also had the privilege of speaking with Professor Thelma Parker, a proud Bidjara woman and renowned advocate for Indigenous health. Professor Parker has dedicated her career to improving equity, cultural safety, and medical education for First Nations communities. Her calm strength and wisdom were deeply grounding, reminding us that the QMWS100 story must include and uplift the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in medicine.
Second Working Bee: Archival Discoveries at Wickham Terrace
Our second working bee was held on the 3rd May 2025 at Dr Barbara Woodhouse’s clinic at the Wickham Terrace Surgical Centre, where we uncovered a compelling letter dated 16 April 1985, written by Dr Janet Irwin, then Director of the University of Queensland Health Service. Addressed to Dr Mary Ellwood, the letter was intended for inclusion at the QMWS Annual General Meeting and served as both a congratulatory note and a powerful reflection.
Dr Irwin commended the Society’s impactful seminars in 1984–1985, which broke new ground by bringing together healthcare professionals and the public to discuss pressing issues relating to women’s health. She acknowledged the Society’s leadership in embracing a more multidisciplinary and consumer-focused approach to healthcare, a contrast to the traditionally distant medical profession of the time.
She highlighted the importance of ongoing discussions around medical ethics, fertility, reproductive rights, pelvic inflammatory disease, STIs, and domestic violence, topics that remain relevant to this day. Dr Irwin’s words underscored the vital role of QMWS in fostering community dialogue, advocacy, and leadership, leaving us inspired to continue this work with purpose.
A Tribute to Dr Lydia Pitcher
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr Lydia Pitcher, whose leadership and generosity continue to anchor this project. Lydia has recently endured the profound loss of both her mother and mother-in-law. Despite these personal challenges, she has remained a steady and compassionate presence, reminding us that the maternal spirit, so central to QMWS, is expressed not only in family but in mentorship, care, and community. We honour Lydia’s strength and send our deepest support.
Photo Gallery: Highlights from the February meeting
Save the Date: Upcoming Meetings
Our next QMWS100 meeting will take place on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, at 1:00 pm in the Emeritus Professor Mary Mahoney Boardroom, Herston Mayne Medical School.
We recently hosted our Third Working Bee at Dr Barbara Woodhouse’s clinic at Wickham Terrace Surgical Centre on the 3 August 2025, and will be hosting more Working Bees in the future as we continue to unpack the QMWS documents. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in participating in this event. On-site parking is available for both our QMWS100 meeting and Working Bee events with prior arrangement.