Margaret Hilda Harper

Margaret Hilda Harper (4 April 1879 – 2 January 1964) was an Australian pediatrician, medical writer, and radio commentator. Harper was one of the two physicians who described that coeliac disease in the pancreas and cystic fibrosis were "distinct entities" in the 1930s. Her mother died in 1885 when Margaret was only six years old. Through most of her life, she was raised by her aunts and housekeepers until her father had another child, Robert Rainy Harper, with his second wife, whom he married in 1892. Her father was then appointed to St. Andrew's College, a co-residential college within the University of Sydney. Margaret Harper transferred over to continue her study. She graduated in 1906 with two degrees, Bachelor of Medicine (M.B) and Master of Surgery (Ch.M). She was also a medical officer at the first baby clinic that was built in the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, located in Camperdown, New South Wales. In 1922, Margaret became a cofounder and an Honorary Medical Officer at Rachel Forster Hospital for Women. In 1938, she was one of the four Founding Fellows for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. In 1949, she was appointed as a member of the Child Welfare Advisory Council of New South Wales, improving the healthcare and safety of the children. However, not every baby can be breastfed, so Harper experimented with infant diets and nutrition to find simpler formulas for newborn babies. Her research and experimentation led to her discovery of differentiating between coeliac disease and cystic fibrosis. She presented a daily fifteen minute program called The Lady Doctor on ABC Radio.

Harper died 2 January 1964.

Selected works 1926, The Parent's Book