Doctors and Surgeons

Historically the term “medical practitioners” include doctors, physicians, apothecaries and surgeons. In more recent times it includes medical specialists and psychiatrists.

Medical practitioners may have trained at a university. See Universities.

Medical practitioners are employed in hospitals and asylums. See Hospitals. Also see Mental Asylums.

Medical practitioners are employed by local councils as health officers. See Municipal Officers.

Medical practitioners are employed as public vaccinators. See Vaccinations.

Medical practitioners are employed in the public service as medical officers. See Public Servants.

Medical practitioners are employed as surgeons on ships. Surgeons were compulsory on British emigrant ships from the 1840s. See Passenger Arrivals and Passenger Departures.

Medical practitioners serve in the defence forces. See Military Service.

Also see Business Records.

Medical practitioners may be listed on birth certificates. See Birth Registration Records.

Medical practitioners are usually listed on death certificates certifying the cause of death. See Death Registration Records.

A medical practitioner usually gives evidence as to the cause of death at inquests and coronial inquiries. See Inquests and Coronial Inquiries.

REGISTRATION

Medical practitioners need to be registered if they were to give evidence at inquests from 1838 in the colony of New South Wales. Victoria was the Port Phillip District of the colony of New South Wales in 1838. Lists of registered medical practitioners appeared annually in the New South Wales Government Gazette from 1839. A list of registered medical practitioners in the Port Phillip District appeared in the Port Phillip Government Gazette in January 1845, January 1846 and February 1848. After this changes to the medical register appear at times in Port Phillip Government Gazette and the Victorian Government Gazette. In Victoria in 1862 it became compulsory for medical practitioners to register in order to practise. Lists of registered medical practitioners appeared annually in January in the Victorian Government Gazette from 1865. See Victorian Government Gazettes.

Public Record Office Victoria has the following:

medical practitioner registers 1852-1998
temporary medical practitioner registers 1952-1999
application registers 1994-1996
foreign medical practitioner register 1957-1981
specialist medical practitioner register 1971-1979

These are not online.

Public Record Office Victoria has records relating to the Medical Board of Victoria 1852-1994 and Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria 1994-1999. These are not online.

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES (GIN)

The following records have been indexed into the Genealogical Society of Victoria's Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) Database.

Medical practitioners taken from Port Phillip Government Gazettes 1844-1851

https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection

AUSTRALIAN HEALTH PRACTITIONER REGULATION AGENCY - REGISTER OF HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

At present in order to practise medical practitioners need to be registered.

www.ahpra.gov.au/registration/registers-of-practitioners.aspx

AUSTRALASIAN LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE - MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BOARD OF VICTORIA FORMAL HEARINGS 2001-PRESENT

https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/vic/

AUSTRALASIAN LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE - MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BOARD OF VICTORIA PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS PANEL HEARINGS 2009-PRESENT

https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/vic/

ASSOCIATIONS

Doctors in Australia may have been members of British institutions:

FINDMYPAST - BRITAIN, PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS 1830-1923

This includes the Calendar of the Royal College of Surgeons in England 1865-1923 and members of the Royal College of Physicians 1830-1918. The publications may provide you with an ancestor's residence and years of appointments. Also included is the roll of the Royal College of Physicians 1518-1825 and members of the Royal College of Surgeons in England 1845. These are searchable.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/britain-physicians-and-surgeons-1830-1923

FINDMYPAST - SCOTLAND, FELLOWS OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH 1581-1873

These are searchable.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/scotland-fellows-of-the-royal-college-of-surgeons-of-edinburgh-1581-1873

ANCESTRY - IRELAND, ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF IRELAND REGISTERS, 1667-1920

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is an educational institution and a professional society dedicated to the improvement of medical care and the licensing of physicians. The registers include names of the society's members and dates related to their licensing and membership. The registers also may include a physician's place of residence and date of death however they don't include information about the member's birth or family. These are searchable and may be browsed.

https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/62261/

DIRECTORIES

ANCESTRY - UK AND IRELAND, MEDICAL DIRECTORIES 1845-1902

Medical Directories list most practising and retired doctors in Britain and its colonies, although it was not compulsory for a doctor to be included. Entries provide details of addresses, qualifications, places of training, places of work and any publications. These are searchable and may be browsed.

https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/61053/

ANCESTRY - AUSTRALASIA, MEDICAL DIRECTORIES 1883-1915

The types of information contained in each volume varies some but can include directories of medical professionals, statistics, fees, gazetteers, medical associations, and laws. Details on medical professionals might include name, place, age, specialty, and an educational summary.The years covered include 1883, 1886, 1892, 1896, 1900, 1911 and 1915. These are searchable and may be browsed.

https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/ausmedicaldir/

FINDMYPAST - AUSTRALASIAN MEDICAL DIRECTORY AND HANDBOOK

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australasian-medical-directory-and-handbook

FINDMYPAST - AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL DIRECTORIES

These are searchable.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australian-medical-directories

FINDMYPAST - LOXTONS MEDICAL DIRECTORY

These are searchable.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/loxtons-medical-directory

MYHERITAGE - LOXTONS MEDICAL DIRECTORY 1911

This directory is a listing of all registered doctors, together with their current placement, in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands in 1911. These are searchable.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-50393/?utm_source=partner_victoriangenealogy&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=victoriangenealogy_July21_textlink&tr_ad_group=textlinks&tr_funnel=supersearch

MYHERITAGE - MEDICAL DIRECTORY 1915

This is a complete directory of registered doctors, surgeons etc. listing their qualifications and past experience for Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands, South East Asia, China and Japan. These are searchable.

https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-50394/?utm_source=partner_victoriangenealogy&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=victoriangenealogy_July21_textlink&tr_ad_group=textlinks&tr_funnel=supersearch