Osborne, Ethel Elizabeth (1882 - 1968)

Born: 30 January 1882
Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Died: 3 December 1968
East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Medical practitioner
Summary: Ethel Osborne was a foundation member of the council of the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy. She later served as treasurer, vice-president and president. The College's hall was named after her when it was opened in 1927 (Langmore, 2006). Osborne was influential in the development of the profession of dietetics in Australia and internationally. In 2008 Osborne was inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a 'leader in industrial hygiene, particularly in health of female workers and in women's education on health issues' (State Government of Victoria, 2022).

Related Organisations

Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy (1927 - 1979)

Related Themes

Women's Stories from the RMIT University Archives (1880s - 2020s)

Published Resources

Journal Articles

Osborne, Ethel E., 'Industrial Hygiene as Applied to Munition Workers', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, no. 22, 26 November 1921, pp. 473-481. Also available at https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1921.tb60787.x. Details

Webpages

Dr Ethel Osborne, State Government of Victoria, 25 May 2022. Also available at https://www.vic.gov.au/dr-ethel-osborne. Details
Langmore, Diane, Ethel Elizabeth Osborne (1882-1968), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2006. Also available at https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/osborne-ethel-elizabeth-7925. Details

Images

Title: Dr Ethel Osborne and children, c.1903 - c.1910
Type: Image
Date: c. 1903 - c. 1910
Control: EMcP_photo_000192; EMC-192
Source: RMIT University Library

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Dr Ethel Osborne, State Government of Victoria, 25 May 2022. Also available at https://www.vic.gov.au/dr-ethel-osborne; Langmore, Diane, Ethel Elizabeth Osborne (1882-1968), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2006. Also available at https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/osborne-ethel-elizabeth-7925.

Created: 9 November 2021, Last modified: 26 August 2026