Kathleen Todd

Kathleen Mary Gertrude Todd (19 November 1898 – 21 March 1968) was the first New Zealand woman to specialist in child psychiatry.

Early life Kathleen Todd was born in 1898 in Heriot, Otago. She was one of the seven children of Charles Todd, an auctioneer and stock and station agent who founded the firm that became the Todd Corporation, and his wife Mary Hegarty. Todd was educated at St Dominic's College, Dunedin, and was dux in 1915. In 1917 she proceeded to the University of Otago to study medicine, graduating (M.B.Ch.B) in 1923.

Career Todd spent 1925 as a locum in Rāwene working for George McCall Smith. so she carried out further studies in Vienna and London hospitals and did further courses and worked in Boston and Oakland, California in psychological medicine and maternal and child health.

Todd returned to New Zealand in 1929 becoming the first woman child psychiatrist in the country.

Personal life Todd shared in the considerable wealth of the Todd family as her father made a point of spreading shareholdings amongst his children and to his wife (although the males got bigger parcels than the females). When Todd and her sister Moyra Todd were living in Hampstead their well-ordered household included servants and "Brett the butler".

Death and legacy Todd died in Lower Hutt on 21 March 1968. Brian Barraclough MD FRACP was the first Fellow 1962-64.