The history of medical associations in Victoria
Nine years after settlement, in 1846, the first professional medical organisation in Australia was formed – the Port Phillip Medical Association. It antedated the American and British Medical Associations and, through a line of name changes and amalgamations, continues to this day.
In July 1851 the Port Phillip District became the independent Colony of Victoria, and in 1852 some members of the original Association formed the Victorian Medical Association.
In 1855 this, in turn, amalgamated with the Medico Chirurgical Society, largely made up of clinicians at the recently opened Melbourne Hospital, and became the Medical Society of Victoria.
The history of AMA Victoria
- 1846-1851 Port Phillip Medical Association
- 1852-1855 Victoria Medical Association < > 1854-1855 Medico-Chirurgical Society of Victoria
- 1855-1907 Medical Society of Victoria < > 1879-1907 British Medical Association (Victorian Branch)
- 1907-1962 British Medical Association (Victorian Branch) and the Medical Society of Victoria
- 1962-present Australian Medical Association (Victorian Branch) and the Medical Society of Victoria, with a change of name to AMA Victoria Ltd (AMAV) in 1997
Archival collections
The archival collections of AMA Victoria go back to the 1846 beginnings of the Port Phillip Medical Association. The early records are primarily in the form of handwritten Minute Books. Much work has been done by the Heritage Committee to report what is contained in these early archives. Work is ongoing to report more recent important historical material.
In the mid-1990s much of the early archival material was placed in the Medical History Library of the University of Melbourne. Researchers can read a microfiche index and view microfilm of the archived material in the Baillieu Library of the University and obtain photocopies if required. Alternatively, through the Medical Museum website.
More recent and ongoing records of AMA work are held at the AMAV Head Office. Records after 2015 are in digital form. The Heritage Committee is engaged in detailed indexing of the contents that are held in sets of archival boxes covering: AMA National; AMAV Services; AMA Operations and Training; AMAV and Medical Society of Victoria; Reference Library.
Researchers wishing to view archival material can apply to the Heritage Committee.
The work also includes identification of issues of sociological significance, such as managed care, medical indemnity, impaired practitioners, overseas medical graduates and many others. Some examples can be seen in Historical highlights (below).
