So they developed the concept of the Witness seminar which is essentially a sort of "group oral history" where people are brought together who have been significant in major areas of medical research, policy or practice. The exercise of reflecting on their experiences as a group was the way in which one person's memories stimulated the memories of others and the experiences of one qualified those of others. The seminars also provided an opportunity to reflect in hindsight about what was truly significant, and what had really been going on. And these are the stories that are not there in the articles in medical journals, the stories behind research and behind practice.

In the Australian context, as many of you will know, a huge amount of very significant work happened here [in Melbourne], only some of which has been published. An awful lot of medical advance happens as you know by accident, in clinical settings or by serendipity. And if we don't get that history, it’s lost. So again these are stories that need to be recorded properly, and dispersed to the public realm by means of a web-site which can reach an extremely large audience.

Like Glenn, my introduction to the history of paediatrics came from Howard Williams and what little I know began with a sense of the significance of people like James Spence, his formation, and obviously the formation of this specialty.[15] I'm sorry I can’t be here for all of today. But I wish you well.

In a way, you're making history by doing this. Because this is really the first clinical Witness that we’ve done and I look forward to a really interesting day.

Ann Westmore: Now the device in the middle of the room is recording the whole seminar. We'll be trying to have a discussion, a conversation, and not a lecture. You should feel free to interrupt and make comments if you have something relevant to say. What we’re trying to achieve is to gain a sense of the University Department of Paediatrics that may never have been enunciated before.

When people talk to each other and reminisce, they may take for granted what is special about an organisation, what issues have been of on-going concern or have bubbled up at times. We want to get a feel for those things today.

Let me first remind you of the pre-history of the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics at the Royal Children's Hospital. I’ve summarised some important events using information gleaned from Peter Yule’s recent history of the hospital[16] and from Minute Books of the Faculty of Medicine.[17]

Witness to the History of Australian Medicine