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Archives

RACS Archives Collection

The major repository for the Archives of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is within the College headquarters in Melbourne.There are also localised collections of archival material in the State and NZ offices of the College. The Archives are the corporate memory of the College, from its origins in 1927 to the present day. The archive collection comprises the official records of the College, records of the various College committees and associated bodies, and personal papers of some of the Fellows of the College. In addition to historical material, the Archive also manages some semi-current and current records of the College. The primary activity of the Archive is to manage the College records and to provide access to the records by College staff and all people interested in the history of the College. Archive staff are able to answer reference queries and conduct research for queries made by College staff, Fellows of the College, and members of the public. Reference and research services are able to be conducted on the history of the College, surgeons and surgery in Australia and New Zealand, and genealogical research. Records more than 30 years old are generally available for viewing for reference and research purposes. Access to more recent records may be considered upon application to the College. A general description of the College Archive and collection can be found in the Directory of Archives in Australia, a publication compiled by Australian Society of Archivists.
Some highlights of the collection are described in detail on the Register of Australian Archives and Manuscripts (RAAM), hosted by the National Library of Australia.		Minutes of the first Council Meeting, Dunedin, 5 February 1927
FRACS certificate for W.C. Mansfield, one of the first intake of Fellows, 1927	Fellowship certificate from the Royal College of Surgeons for F.A. Hadley, WA Founder

Contact Details
Mr Geoff Down
Curator
Hours: 9am–5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Telephone: +61 3 9249 1270
Email: geoff.down@surgeons.org

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Collection

The origins and early development of the progressive area plastic and reconstructive surgery are illustrated in the College collections from Queen Mary's Sidcup Hospital, and from Sir Benjamin Rank, a past President of the College.

The collection of material from the Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup, dates from 1917 to 1921. During World War I there were thousands of cases of facial and jaw injuries. In 1917, a new hospital was established on the grounds of Frognal estate, Sidcup, in Kent, specifically for the treatment of facial and jaw injuries. Soldiers from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States were treated at the hospital, and each of these countries offered its own surgical team. Between 1917 and 1921, around 8,000 soldiers received treatment. The Australian Section was headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Newland, who was later to become a President of this College. An Honorary Fellow of RACS, Sir Harold Gillies, was the head of the New Zealand Section.

The collection contains patient records, watercolour illustrations made by Sir Daryl Lindsay, photographs, facial plaster casts, and also X-ray prints and operative sketches. The Sidcup display is significant as it provides examples of plastic surgery procedures dating from the time the specialty was in its infancy.

The Sidcup Collection is complemented by the collection of material illustrating the work of Sir Benjamin Rank during and after the Second World War. The display of Sir Benjamin's work illustrates the use of prosthetic devices for the face and limbs. This work was begun during the Second World War in the Middle East, and later, at the Heidelberg Military Hospital. Following his time at the Heidelberg Hospital, Sir Benjamin worked mainly at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and was President of the College between 1966 and 1968. The display of artefacts includes illustrations of Sir Benjamin's work in the treatment of gunshot wounds, soft tissue scarring, and the use of prosthetic limbs. The collection also includes plaster casts of skull defects.

Both of the collections provide examples of the continuing development of specialty of plastic and reconstructive surgery from its origins in wartime, to its application in everyday practice.

Contact Details

Archivist: Elizabeth Milford
Hours: 9am-5pm Tuesday-Thursday; 8am-4pm Monday & Friday
Telephone=+61 3 9249 1270
Email: elizabeth.milford@surgeons.org