RACGP

The Foundation of the RACGP

The British College of General Practitioners was founded on 19 November 1952 and on 1 January 1953 general practitioners were invited to apply for membership. As a result several Australian general practitioners were admitted as Foundation members.

During the ensuing year Faculties of the College were established in New South Wales and Queensland. Subsequently (in 1955) it was decided to form an Australian Council of the College of General Practitioners. At the Annual General Meeting of the College in London on 19 November 1953 the formation of the Australian Council was approved. In the next three years the formation of Faculties followed in Western Australia (1956), Victoria (1956), Tasmania (1957) and South Australia (1958).

Over five year period a link was forged between general practitioners in all parts of Australia who wished to see the established standard of general practice in this country maintained and improved under the umbrella of the College of General Practitioners in Britain. The Australian general practitioners inevitably came to the point at which they wished to go their own way.

Consideration had been given to the formation of an Australian College of General Practitioners even in the early days of 1953, and by 1958 it was felt that the time was approaching to bring this to fruition. A questionnaire sent to members of the British College in Australia elicited the view, with few exceptions, that there should be an Australian College which they could join and which should function as from 1 July 1958. The Australian College decided to go ahead and form an Australian College.

The British College gave its consent and blessing to the Australian venture and on 4 February 1958 the Australian College of General Practitioners was incorporated under the provisions of the NSW Companies Act to allow any necessary property deals to be made. Dr H M Saxby, the first Honorary Secretary of the Australian College was primarily responsible for the details of the Articles necessary for the incorporation. In March 1958 the Australian Council of the College of General Practitioners met in Hobart at the time of the British Medical Association Congress with representatives of all six Faculties present. It was then decided that the present Council should be dissolved from 30 June 1958 and that the necessary action should be taken to allow the Australian College of General Practitioners to function from 1 July 1958.

Meeting again on the next day, but now as the Interim Council of the Australian College, the Council elected the following office bearers: Chairman - W A Conolly, Deputy Chairman - David Zacharin, Honorary Treasurer - J G Radford, Honorary Secretary - H M Saxby. The Interim Council of the new College recorded its deep appreciation of the generosity of the Council of the College of General Practitioners, recognising in its first annual report that it "commenced its independent life with the kowledge that it could always rely on the guidance and goodwill of a wise and a generous parent". The British College in turn congratulated the Australian College on its progress in such a short time and expressed its confidence in its position of the medical life of the Commonwealth in the future.

The inaugural meeting of the Australian College was held in Sydney at the Great Hall of the University of Sydney on the evening of 21 March 1959 in the presence of the Chancellor of the University of Sydney. Dr W A Conolly of Sydney was elected and installed as the first President of the College, and in virtue of his assumption of this office, the conferring upon him of the first Fellowship of the Australian College.
Her Majesty the Queen granted to the College the right to use the prefix Royal on 24 March 1969. This followed some time after the granting of the same right to the College in Britain. It meant the attainment of a position of rapport with the other Royal Colleges, a position which was to prove of value in years to come.
To visit the RACGP website please click here.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)

The Foundation of the RACGP The British College of General Practitioners was founded on 19 November 1952 and on 1 January 1953 general practitioners were invited to apply for membership. As a result several Australian general practitioners were admitted as Foundation members. During the ensuing year Faculties of the College were established in New South Wales and Queensland. Subsequently (in 1955) it was decided to form an Australian Council of the College of General Practitioners. At the Annual General Meeting of the College in London on 19 November 1953 the formation of the Australian Council was approved. In the next three years the formation of Faculties followed in Western Australia (1956), Victoria (1956), Tasmania (1957) and South Australia (1958). Over five year period a link was forged between general practitioners in all parts of Australia who wished to see the established standard of general practice in this country maintained and improved under the umbrella of the College of General Practitioners in Britain. The Australian general practitioners inevitably came to the point at which they wished to go their own way. Consideration had been given to the formation of an Australian College of General Practitioners even in the early days of 1953, and by 1958 it was felt that the time was approaching to bring this to fruition. A questionnaire sent to members of the British College in Australia elicited the view, with few exceptions, that there should be an Australian College which they could join and which should function as from 1 July 1958. The Australian College decided to go ahead and form an Australian College. The British College gave its consent and blessing to the Australian venture and on 4 February 1958 the Australian College of General Practitioners was incorporated under the provisions of the NSW Companies Act to allow any necessary property deals to be made. Dr H M Saxby, the first Honorary Secretary of the Australian College was primarily responsible for the details of the Articles necessary for the incorporation. In March 1958 the Australian Council of the College of General Practitioners met in Hobart at the time of the British Medical Association Congress with representatives of all six Faculties present. It was then decided that the present Council should be dissolved from 30 June 1958 and that the necessary action should be taken to allow the Australian College of General Practitioners to function from 1 July 1958. Meeting again on the next day, but now as the Interim Council of the Australian College, the Council elected the following office bearers: Chairman - W A Conolly, Deputy Chairman - David Zacharin, Honorary Treasurer - J G Radford, Honorary Secretary - H M Saxby. The Interim Council of the new College recorded its deep appreciation of the generosity of the Council of the College of General Practitioners, recognising in its first annual report that it "commenced its independent life with the kowledge that it could always rely on the guidance and goodwill of a wise and a generous parent". The British College in turn congratulated the Australian College on its progress in such a short time and expressed its confidence in its position of the medical life of the Commonwealth in the future. The inaugural meeting of the Australian College was held in Sydney at the Great Hall of the University of Sydney on the evening of 21 March 1959 in the presence of the Chancellor of the University of Sydney. Dr W A Conolly of Sydney was elected and installed as the first President of the College, and in virtue of his assumption of this office, the conferring upon him of the first Fellowship of the Australian College. Her Majesty the Queen granted to the College the right to use the prefix Royal on 24 March 1969. This followed some time after the granting of the same right to the College in Britain. It meant the attainment of a position of rapport with the other Royal Colleges, a position which was to prove of value in years to come. To visit the RACGP website please click here.