Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists

Photograph. sepia, of Olga Bolitho as a baby, lying on a blanket in a garden, 1926.

Gold coloured Royal Flying Corps Medical Badge

Historical information

This badge belonged to F.J. Browne

Forceps, Milne-Murray with axis traction with detachable traction rods1886. Forceps stamped on handle "Young Edinburgh".

Historical information

These forceps tagged by Cyrus Jones or Frank Forster: "Purchased in the United Kingodm by Dr Martyn Gibb at the sale of Dr Milne Murrays instruments. Presented by Dr Murray Buntine."

Decapitating hook, Braun's with one detachable handle (to interchange with crochet?) . Stamped near handle, "Lusztig Jeno Budapest" and "1" Also stamped with Aesculapius symbol of serpent, dagger and crown, the Jetter & Scheerer Co, Tuttlinen, South Germany.

Historical information

Most likely collected and donated by Dr Frank Forster.

Glass vial, containing silk umbilical tape [193.2] in sterile solution.

Historical information

Dr Henry Mitchell O'Sullivan worked in the Victorian country town as a general practitioner in Casterton from 1919 until his death in 1977. He also practiced obstetrics. The gladstone bag and contents are a unique time capsule of the type of instruments and pharmaceuticals used in the inter-war period. His son, Dr David More O'Sullivan donated the obstetric bag and its contents to the College in 1999.

Bronze medallion with portrait of Professor Alfred Kotasek inscribed 19.12.1911. Verso, image woman and child in utero, inscribed "Omnia Sponte Fluan tAbsit Violentia Rebus".

Historical information

From Dr Frank Forster's collection

Model of female uterus with partial cross-section, vagina, fillopian tubes and ovaries. Painted plaster with label "AV618.1 / 01 Female".

Historical information

Originally this teaching model belonged to Prince Henry's hospitla library and was transferred to the Monash Medical Centre, Clayton in the 1970s by Sister Gertrude Berger, a famous nurse-educator, who is best known for her work leading up to the transfer of nursing education in Victoria from hospitals to universities in 1986.Gerty (as she was known in the School of Nursing) bought them in Europe in the late 1940s and early 1950s . Has labels on base of stand. "Model 6A Female Pelvis on Stnd". AU 618.1/ 01 Female

Container, base, for bath thermometer, cyclindrical, tin with copper lining, 31cm in length.[bath thermometer missing].

Historical information

Mary Howlett (1840-1922) began practising as a country midwife in 1866 in the western district of Victoria. She qualified as a 'ladies monthly nurse' in 1887 and continued to practise as a nurse and midwife until 1920. Mrs Howlett's midwifery box and contents were given to Dr Frank Forster and he donated to the museum collection in the 1993. A related item held in the collection is Mrs Howlett's linen apron donated by Patricia Thompson in 1993.

Forceps, straight, dissecting, contained in chamois pocket dressing case [185.1]and other instruments. Marking, "1".

Doctor's medical bag, leather with leather handle. Lining torn

Historical information

Item belonging to Dr Mitchell Henry O"Sullivan donated by his son David More O'Sullivan

Clamp, Bonney's myomectomy, stainless steel clamp with two sets of finger grips and a locking rachet mechanism. The blades close to form two apertures which can be selectively decreased in size.

Historical information

This instrument was given to the Museum collection by Julie Collette, Biralee Maternity Service, c/o St Georges Hospital, 283 Cotham Road, Kew in 1998 when the hospital's obstetric services were transferred to Box Hill hospital. Victor Bonney (1872- 1953) developed techniques for myomectomy and ovarian section that sought to retain healthy tissue. At the time, standard treatment for removal of uterine fibroids and benign ovarian cysts often involved removal of whole uterus or ovary. Reference: Thomas Baskett "On the Shoulders of Giants, Eponyms and Names in Obstetrics & Gynaecology".

Pessary, wishbone, intracervical device, copper metal compound with a round head and two wings.

Historical information

Acquired 27/11/1997. The wishbone pessary had flexible wings that were compressed to facilitate insertion into the cervical canal.

Thomas pessary, black vulcanite. Inscribed with number "60". Illustrated Allen & Hanbury's catalogue page 708 no. 5460

Teaching model, uterus in cross-section revealing 4 week embryo.Plastic, painted with numbered sections, model on a green plastc stand with "SOMSO stamped on base, "MADE IN W- GERMANY'stamped underneath base . One of four models in the series, this is the first of the four.

Instruction leaflet, for cervical cap, black latex rubber with rolled rim, trade name "PRO RACE".

Historical information

The Pro Race cervical cap was used in the early 1960s. This pessary can from Professor Geoff Bishop's rooms, Mollison House, 386 Albert Street, East Melbourne.

Nipple shield, Woolwich, plastic, one of two [1920.2]

Forceps, craniotomy, Braun's, stainless steel, upper blade with oval open section and serated grip section on the handle. Forceps similar to Willett's placenta praevia forceps Inscribed "B.H.H.L Ward" inner handle.

Historical information

This was included with other obstetric instruments, mostly destructive instruments, from Box Hill Hospital labour ward given to RANZCOG in February- March 1998. The maternity service at Box Hill hospital combined with St George's hospital in Kew to be known as Birralee Maternity Service. These instruments were collected by Julie Collette, Unit Manager, St George's Kew and given to RANZCOG Musuem Curator, Susan Barnett.

Pharmacopedoeia; The Alfred Hospital, 1931. Hard cover, student manual with blank pages for notes.

Historical information

Belonged to and used by Dr Ronald McKenzie Rome

Syringe, douche, two lengths of rubber tubing with a central bulb, a nozzle and valve at each end. Inscribed on attached label, "...used to procure abortion. Using a Lifeboy soap solution. Filled the septic wards of the Royal Women's Hospital in the 1940s."

Vaginal syringe barrel with glass and cork plunger. Fluid capacity of syringe 60-90 mls.

Historical information

Part contents of Mrs Howlett's midwifery box.

Set of four graduated bakelite vaginal speculum.

Uterine dilator, Gardner's, stamped on blade "HIGHEST STAND...(ard). Worn away- This item must have had great usage.

Historical information

Most likely donated by Dr Frank Forster, possibly collected by him from colleagues initially.

Perforator, Denman's, small, with screw joint. Manufacturer unknown.

Historical information

Most likely donated by the late Dr Frank Forster

Cast iron Hospital Gates from the first Lying-In hospital, a leased two storey terrace building at 41 Albert Street Eastern Hill (East Melbourne) which operated from 1856-8 before relocating to Carlton.

Historical information

Salvaged during the building's demolition by Dr Frank Forster.

Operating table, portable, comprised of a laminated plywood rectangular panel, with two laminated plywood extensions; a head board and a foot board. Two detachable stirrup poles each with a canvas stirrup attached fit into two holes at the lower end of the centre panel. The table is supported by two timber trellises cross braced with metal bars and supported at the centre by two metal arcs that allow the table to be tilted and locked into the desired position, allowing a Trendelenburg tilt ( a 45 degree tilt, with the patient's head downwards.) The operating table is demountable for transportation and re-assembly.

Historical information

This portable operating table was owned and used by a famous Gynaecological Surgeon Sir Victor Bonney in London, U.K. c 1900. This highly successful surgeon employed two theatre sisters and had two sets of instruments and portable operating tables. This made it possible for Dr Bonney to 'complete three or more operations a day by rotating staff and equipment with a chauffeur driven Lanchester or Rolls Royce', delivering them from one house to the next. The donor of the operating table, the late Dr Frank Forster, was a distant relative of Sir Victor Bonney's widow, Annie Appleyard formerly of Tasmania. When he visited her in the UK after Bonney death, she offered the operating table to Dr Forster for the RANZCOG Museum. It was still in a canvas bag in the boot of one of Bonney's cars.

Significance

Sir Victor Bonney was the pioneer of myomectomy; the surgical procedure for removing uterine fybroids. In collaboration with Berkeley, he extended and perfected Wertheim's operation for carcinoma of the cervix. Bonney was an influential teacher, developing and promoting conservatism of surgical technique (minimal intervention) that has had a lasting influence in modern surgical practice. To theatre-sisters, labour-ward sisters and young house-surgeons he will always be remembered as the discoverer of Bonney's Blue an antiseptic that was characteristically blue.

Inscriptions & Markings

Traces of staining by antiseptic solution Bonney's Blue centre of the main panel.

Printer's block, metal plate attached to wooden block, The image is the official verso medal image of the Blair Bell medal. The image is of a mother and child, in Greco-Roman dress

Historical information

Used in an article, "The Blair Bell Award" in the Australian & New Zealand Journal O + G [1961]1:77 featuring Prof. F.J. Browne, winner of the Blair Bell Medal, 28/10/60. Also used in obituary of Professor Browne, 1963.

Dukes stem pessary, metal, hollow stem with a rounded phlange at one end.

Historical information

Dr Frank Forster collection

Teaching model, uterus in cross-section revealing 8 week embryo.Plastic, painted with numbered sections, model on a green plastc stand with "SOMSO stamped on base, "MADE IN W- GERMANY'stamped underneath base . One of four models in the series, this is the first of the four.

Thomas pessary, black vulcanite. Inscribed with number "60" Illustrated Allen & Hanbury's catalogue page 708 no. 5460. Tag attached inscribed "Thomas' pessary".

Ophthalmoscope, Mayer type, with three speculum, and with maginifying lens cap [ handle missing]. Manufacturer on ophtalmoscope illegible from photograph, catalogued from hard record, [items location not recorded]