The Australian Women's Register

The daughter of Donald and Janet (née Duncan) Campbell, Kate Campbell was awarded scholarships to attend both the Methodist Ladies College and the University of Melbourne, where she obtained her Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Bachelor of Surgery (BS) in 1922 and Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 1924. Dr Campbell became resident medical officer at the Melbourne Children’s and later the Royal Women’s Hospitals. In 1927 she established a general medical practice and ten years later became a consultant paediatrician.

Dr Campbell was appointed medical officer to the Victorian Baby Health Centre’s association, a position she held for over 40 years. She was also honorary paediatrician at the Queen Victoria Hospital (Melbourne) (1926-1965), consultant from 1965 and honorary paediatrician at the Royal Women’s Hospital (Melbourne) from 1965. From 1929-1965 Dr Campbell lectured in neonatal paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. Together with Vera Scantlebury Brown and A Elizabeth Wilmot she wrote the Department of Health’s Guide to the Care of the Young Child. In 1951, she wrote a paper on the cause of blindness in premature babies, for which she received worldwide recognition. A member of the Lyceum Club, Kate Campbell was also awarded an honorary LLD (Melbourne) in 1966.