Medical Board of Victoria

Full description

Establishment

The establishment of the Medical Board of Victoria is still subject to further research. References are made to a board and register of practitioners in two Acts (2 Victoria No. 22 (1838) and 8 Victoria No. 8 (1844). An issue of the Government Gazette from 1844 contains a notice appointing four individuals to form the Medical Board for the District of Port Phillip under the amending act 8 Victoria No. 8.

A Port Phillip Government Gazette from January 1850 lists new registrations under the Port Phillip Medical Board. An edition of the Government Gazette from January 1853 lists new registrations under the Medical Board for the Colony of Victoria. There are no further references to a board in the Government Gazette until 1863, by which time it is known as the Medical Board of Victoria. The Medical Practitioners Statute 1865 (28 Victoria No. 262) formally established the Medical Board of Victoria on 1 June 1865, although the name may have already been in use prior.

Functions

The Medical Practitioners Statute 1865 defined the functions of the Board as follows:

* To appoint a board of at least 3 members

* To register legally-qualified medical practitioners

* The examination of candidates and witnesses

* To erase names from the register when necessary

* To accept notifications of death or change of residence of legally qualified medical practitioners


Abolition

With the passing of the Medical Practice Act 1994, the old board was abolished and replaced with a new Board consisting of 12 members - 9 registered medical practitioners, 1 lawyer and 2 members who were not medical practitioners (See VA 4869 Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria).