Away From the Mainstream: Medical Women in One Region of Rural New South Wales

Abstract:Despite recent research on the difficulties associated with attracting women to the rural medical workforce, and the perception that the image of the rural doctor is male, women have had a history in rural medicine in southwest New South Wales that spans a century. This paper explores the contribution to medicine of women medical practitioners working within one geographical area of rural New South Wales. It traces these women, documenting the diversity of women’s medical work and some of the challenges faced. Based largely on data from contemporary reports in two local newspapers, the Daily Express and The Daily Advertiser, this paper shows that some of the silence associated with the role of women in rural medicine could be attributed to them holding positions at the margins of what is depicted as ‘real’ medicine, in fields that include public health and education.