MLC School is very proud to announce that two of our Old Girls, Annabelle Farnsworth AM (1971) and Jane Latimer AO (Broderick, 1978), were honoured this week for their respective contributions to health and to women.

Adjunct Professor Dr Annabelle Farnsworth AM (1971) MBBS (Hons), FRCPA, FIAC, Dip Cytopath (RCPA), RANZCOG (Hon), who was awarded an AM for significant service to medicine and to women’s health, is the Medical Director and Director of Cytology at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology and a leading expert in cervical cancer screening.

After completing the HSC at MLC School, where she was an all-rounder with a talent for singing and drama as well as science, Annabelle graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Sydney and trained as an anatomical pathologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

For a number of years, she was Director of Anatomical Pathology at the Royal Hospital for Women, Paddington, before joining the Douglass Practice in 1995.

Prof. Farnsworth is a specialist gynaecological histopathologist and cytopathologist and is Director of GynaePath at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology. She is well known throughout Australia and internationally for her contributions to cytology and gynaecological pathology.

Emeritus Professor Dr Jane Latimer AO (Broderick, 1978) BAppSc (Phty), GradDipAppSc (Manip Phty), PhD, MAPA was awarded an AO for distinguished service to tertiary education and research, particularly public health, and to women.

Jane was our 1978 School Captain and the winner of the Old Girls’ Union Prize in 1978. At School she was a talented debater and played high-level tennis, netball and softball.

After School, Jane completed two degrees in Applied Science and later a PhD in Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at the University of Sydney.

Jane is Emeritus Professor in the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and is recognized internationally for her research in back pain and Indigenous health.

She was previously Deputy Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, an academic health partnership between the University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District (from 2017 to 2022) and was visiting Professor of Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Oxford (from 2016 to 2022). 

Jane also works as Director of Strategy for Elizabeth Broderick & Co., an organisation focused on gender equality and cultural change. In this role she works closely with the STEM Champions of Change coalition and supports Elizabeth Broderick (Jane’s twin) in her role as UN Chair-Rapporteur for Discrimination against women and girls.

Jane has been an invited mentor for both University and Industry programs and recognises the responsibility a good mentor has to move beyond advice and coaching and to use their positional power to advance the careers of mentees.