Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown OBEPrint Page

The statue commemorates Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown (1889-1946), pioneering doctor in infant and maternal welfare who worked as a surgeon in England during World War One. 

Vera Scantlebury Brown is a woman who will not be lost to history. A pioneer in medicine, surgery, and paediatrics, Dr Scantlebury Brown was commemorated today with a statue in her home town of Linton. 

Crowds gathered along the Linton Avenue of Honour this morning for the unveiling of the bronze statue, created by Golden Plains Shire local Lucy McEachern. A cast of the formidable and powerful-looking surgeon depicts tiny details of buttons, a WWI-era uniform, the eyelets of her shoes, and even the shape of an object in her pocket.

But Dr Vera Scantlebury Brown is much more than just a statue.  Recognised as a trailblazer in the field of early 20th-century medicine, Dr Scantlebury Brown was one of the first women to study medicine at the University of Melbourne. As a young doctor, she completed a medical residency at the children's hospital before attempting to join the war effort in England. During WWI, the Australian Army did not allow female doctors to enlist. But that didn't stop the determined doctor who paid her way overseas herself. Dr Scantlebury Brown worked during the war at Endell St Military Hospital in central London — a military facility known as the "suffragette hospital", as it was operated entirely by women.

The Victorian doctor became the inaugural Director of the Infant Welfare Scheme, and the first woman to lead a Victorian health department.  In this role, the doctor transformed maternal and child health into what it is today. 

Linton resident and historical society president Jill Wheeler advocated for the government to erect the statue in Dr Scantlebury Brown's honour. "It's so important to Victoria, but to this little town it's extremely important," Dr Wheeler said. "It's wonderful because she will be a tourist attraction, and Linton needs tourists." Dr Wheeler said Dr Scantlebury Brown was a remarkable woman who later went on to be awarded an Order of the British Empire. "Even the little girls and women in this town — to look at [the statue], to know what she did, is inspiring," she said.

Dr Scantlebury Brown's memorial is more than just a commemoration of one woman's achievements, but a rousing attempt to bring equity to monuments across the state. Dr Scantlebury Brown's is the 11th statue erected of a woman in Victoria, while there are nearly 600 statues of men, horses, and dogs in the state. Across Australia, just 4 per cent of all statues are of women. 

Minister for Women, Natalie Hutchins, said the statue was an "important step" in recognising more women in public artwork. "We know there are more than 500 statues of men, horses, and dogs. It's time to get the balance right," Ms Hutchins said. Ms Hutchins said there were more statues of women being planned under the state government's Victorian Women's Public Art program."There is a statue that is coming of a woman advocate who fought for equal pay and conditions here in Victoria," she said."We have Aboriginal women who are being celebrated, both in the Gippsland region and in central Melbourne. There are so many wonderful women across this state who deserve to be seen."
ABC Ballarat, 18 April 2023. 

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