ANZSHM History

A Potted History of ANZSHM
1953 OctThe British Medical Association’s Victorian Branch (VBMA) had a Section of Medical History, with membership restricted to VBMA members.

The Medical History Section aimed to 1) further the study of medical history, 2) support the collection of historical material, and 3) establish a museum.
1960sAn ‘Associate’ membership category, capped at 10 per cent of the total membership of the Medical History Section, enabled people without medical qualifications to join.
1962The Australian Medical Association (AMA) replaced the BMA and the Medical History Section continued within the AMA’s Victorian Branch.
1982The Medical History Section was renamed the Medical History Society, AMA (Victoria).
1980 Feb1st National Symposium on the History of Medicine and Health in Australia, Sydney
Selected papers were published under the title
Australia’s Quest for Colonial Health.

Dr Frank Forster (MHS AMA Vic President 1980-1982) felt that a national organisation of medical history was warranted.
1981 AugThe Medical History Society initiated a regular bulletin, Medical History Australia (MHA).
1984 Nov2nd National Conference on the History of Medicine and Health in Australia, Melbourne
Conference proceedings were published as
Occasional Papers on Medical History Australia.

This conference resolved to form a national society of the history of medicine, appointing Professor Harold Attwood to chair a planning committee.
1986 Nov3rd National Conference on the History of Medicine and Health in Australia, Adelaide

This meeting established the Australian Society of the History of Medicine (ASHM),incorporated in Victoria.
1989NSW Society of the History of Medicine established
1st Biennial Conference of the ASHM, Sydney
1994 JulThe AMA’s Victorian Branch restructured, with a prerequisite that any academic affiliated organisation required an AMA membership of 40. Unable to meet this requirement, the Section of Medical History explored options.
1997Medical Society of Victoria (MHSV) was established as an incorporated body, with no restrictions on eligibility for membership.
2005At the ASHM's AGM in Auckland, a unanimous vote supported the inclusion of New Zealand and approved the Society’s new name - the Australian and New Zealand Society of the History of Medicine (ANZSHM).
2009ANZSHM federated, creating two branches from what were standalone organisations - MHSV and the ANZSHM NSW Branch.
The branches transferred responsibility for membership, including member fees, to the parent body. By way of compensation, each branch qualifies for capitation payments annually. Otherwise, the branches retain internal autonomy.

ANZSHM/ASHM has held biennial conferences since 1989. A list of the conferences is available here.

HONORY MEMBERS TABLE INSERT HERE

Prof. Harold Attwood, Dr Geoffrey Kenny    Early presidents of the ASHM/ANZSHM

PAST PRESIDENTS

2025-2027 Neville Yeomans
2023-2025 Linda Bryder
2021-2023James Dunk
2019-2021 Catharine Coleborne
2017-2019Madonna Grehan
2015-2017 Charles George
2013-2015 Brian Reid
2011-2013 Louella McCarthy
2009-2011Linda Bryder
2007-2009 Anthea Hyslop
2005-2007 Judith Godden
2002-2005 Di Tibbits
2001-2002 Ben Haneman
1997-2001 Peter Winterton
1995-1997 John Pearn
1993-1995 Geoff Kenny
1991-1993 Randall Albury
1989-1991 Harold Attwood
1986-1989 Bryan Gandevia

A POTTED HISTORY OF ANZSHM

1st National Symposium: the History of Medicine and Health in Australia, Sydney, 1980

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