[7] During World War II, Elizabeth Molphy trained as a signals and cipher officer with the WAAAF[8] and later in rehabilitation services.
[11] Usher travelled to Brisbane weekly to take on patients at the Psychiatric Clinic[10] and the nearby Spastic Centre (now Cerebral Palsy Alliance).
[12] Elizabeth travelled to England in 1952 to undertake continuing education,[10] working as a supply teacher to support this training.
[15] After undertaking further training at Syracuse University in New York during 1953-1954,[16] for patients with hearing impairment and other conditions of the larynx, she returned to Oxford, England and married Ken Usher on 31 July 1954.
[17] Now taking her married name, Elizabeth Usher worked as a speech therapist with the London Education Authority.
Ken and Elizabeth Usher moved back to Australia in 1956[18] and she became the first speech therapist to work full-time at the Queensland Spastic Centre (Cerebral Palsy Alliance).
The workload was considerable and Usher and three other therapists continued to take on new patients including those at the Subnormal Children’s Centre (now Endeavour Foundation).
After a number of years of negotiation, and with the support of the Vice Chancellor, Sir Fred Schonell, a university course was established in 1962.