The mallet was given to the College by the staff of St Mark’s Hospital, London to celebrate the inauguration of the Proctological (later Colonic and Rectal) Section, on 28 May 1963. It was presented by J.C. Stewart to Alan Lendon, then Vice-President and Chairman of the Court of Examiners. Although it is usually described as a gavel, the form of the piece is in fact that of an ancient stonemason’s mallet. The action required to use it is a straight up-and-down motion, unlike that of a normal gavel, which is handled like a hammer. Made of black bean, 22.5cm high and 12cm in diameter, the mallet rests in a wooden stand made of Queensland walnut, with a square base of English oak. The mallet and stand are housed in a travelling case covered in red leather and lined in red velvet and white satin. On the front of the stand are four crests, those of St Mark’s Hospital, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. St Mark’s was founded in 1835 as a specialist hospital for the treatment of fistula in ano, a common condition in the days of travelling on horseback, and other anorectal disorders. Over the years the hospital developed into a centre for gastroenterology, colonic and rectal surgery, and many Australians went to further their training there. Some noted Fellows of the College, including Robert Officer, James Guest, Reg Magee, Brian Collopy and Adrian Polglase, and three Presidents, Mervyn Smith, Sir Edward Hughes and Russell Stitz, are alumni of St Mark’s. This mallet is a reminder of the establishment of a significant surgical section within the College, and is a fitting gift from an institution with which so many eminent Australian surgeons formed close ties.GAVEL ON STAND WITH PAINTED COATS-OF-ARMS IN RED LEATHER PRESENTATION BOXPLAQUE ON GAVEL: "PRESENTED BY THE STAFF OF ST. MARK'S HOSPITAL TO COMMEMORATE THE FOUNDING OF THE PATHOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE RACS 28TH MAY 1963"

Hakata doll was given to RACS as a gift from the Japanese College of Surgeons. Made by Tomi Kono for Kyugetsu,Toyko. Kyugetsu is a famous doll store in the Asakusabashi district of Tokyo. This was founded in the Edo period and has been making dolls for 150 years.This elaborately costumed ceramic doll has its origins in simple clay figurines first produced in the Hakata district of the Japanese city of Fukuoka in the 17th century. They made their appearance in the West at the Exposition Universelie in Paris in 1900 by which time they had been transformed from toys into an artform. Most dolls are inspired by figures from the theatre: Noh, Kabuki and Ukiyo-e. These figures are sometimes connected with Geisha dolls although this is not necessarily a correct description. The robes and hairstyle are traditional but not confined to geisha.Hakata Doll dressed in elaborate kimono, in glass display case. Wooden plaque in cabinet with Japanese characters/script - presumably describes the doll. Doll has porcelain face, hands and feet, and a cloth body. This doll depicts a young unmarried woman dancing and holding an elaborate drum (tsuzumi).On plaque in cabinet: "Japanese College of Surgeons. Founded in 1974"hakata, diplomatic gift, japanese college of surgeons