Historical information

This book has been written by Dr Isabella Younger Ross. She was born in Warrnambool to John and Henrietta Younger. The Younger family business was a large department store in Liebig Street and it operated for over 60 years. Isabella (Isie)Younger was educated at Hohenlohe College, Warrnambool, studied medicine at Melbourne University and graduated from the University of Glasgow. She worked for some time in Britain, married John Ross in 1916 and returned to Melbourne in 1917. Here she embarked on a medical career, focusing on child health and mothercraft, an area in which she specialized for 40 years. She was the catalyst for the formation of Baby Health Centres in Victoria and was awarded an O.B.E. for her work in infant welfare. She died in 1956.

Significance

This is a most important book as it is a key early text on infant welfare and it has been written by Dr Isabella Ross who was born in Warrnambool and received her primary and secondary education in that city. She is very important in the history of infant welfare education in Victoria. The book also contains the signature of the author.

Physical description

This is a hard cover book of 184 pages. The cover is light brown/orange with dark brown print on the front cover and on the spine. The book has an Introduction, eleven chapters of text and an Index. There are several black and white sketches scattered throughout the text. The signature of the author in pencil is on the first page. The cover is slightly scuffed.

Inscriptions & markings

‘Isie Younger Ross’