Australian Orthopaedic Association

History of the AOA

1. The Establishment and Growth of the Association

How the AOA Started: In 1936, Edmund Vance and Alexander Hamilton shared consulting rooms on the fourth floor of the British Medical Association Building at 135 Macquarie Street, Sydney and, between them, these two orthopaedic surgeons conceived the idea of a specialty group for Australian members of their profession.

On the 6th of October that year, they met with eight others in their rooms in Macquarie Street, with Edmund Vance in the Chair. A series of meetings followed over the next six months and at a meeting on the 27th of April, 1937, fifteen orthopaedic surgeons were declared Foundation Members.

The First President: The Australian Orthopaedic Association formally commenced on the 27th April 1937, when office-bearers for the association were elected. Edmund Vance was elected as President unopposed and Alexander Hamilton was elected unopposed to the position of Secretary of the fledgling association. At the same meeting the Constitution was adopted.

Edmund Vance

Alexander Hamilton

Membership: Membership of the new association was restricted to the very few who practised orthopaedic surgery exclusively. This caused some controversy in the early years of the association "as it meant that some surgeons, whose private practice was confined to orthopaedic surgery were debarred from full membership because of the terms of their appointments to public hospitals, where they were constrained to do some general surgery."¹

The First Annual Scientific Meeting: On 21st March, 1938 the Association held its first Annual General Meeting in Sydney at BMA House in Macquarie Street. After the AGM, papers were presented to the group. Thus began the tradition of the annual scientific meeting held at the time of the AGM.

The Establishment of Regional Committees and Specialty Groups: In 1946, steps were taken to establish regional committees and in 1964, discussion groups and specialist bodies began to form within the umbrella of the AOA. The first of these groups was The Sesamoids, a discussion group formed to follow up in more detail issues raised at the Annual Scientific Meeting.

The Granting of Arms: In 1971 the Association was granted arms by the Earl Marshall under the authority of the Kings of Arms. The official arms and the Royal Charter for the AOA have been framed and now hang in the AOA Head Office in Sydney.

The Purchase of Headquarters: With the growth of the Association, space was purchased in the Bland Centre in Macquarie Street in 1977 (with the purchase of an additional lot on the same floor in 1981), to house the AOA Secretariat. In December 2003, these rooms were refurbished and Head Office returned here from the premises in Culwalla Chambers where it had been since 1992.

1. A detailed history of the Australian Orthopaedic Association and of orthopaedics in Australia can be found in Orthopaedics in Australia by H M Barry (published by the Australian orthopaedic Association in 1983). Copies of this volume may be obtained from the Head Office.

2. The role of the AOA

The objectives of the Association are set out in its Objects of Association and in its Strategic Plan. The primary function of the Association is to maintain standards of orthopaedic surgery within Australia. The Association conducts a quality assurance programme, offers regular continuing orthopaedic education meetings for its members and provides a training programme for orthopaedic trainees to become specialists in orthopaedics on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

The Association also accredits and supervises postgraduate Fellowships and assists with orthopaedic programmes overseas. For example, it supports the Outreach orthopedic training programme in the Asia/Pacific area and has established programmes in New Guinea and Fiji. There has also been close liaison with orthopaedic programmes in Indonesia and Thailand and young medical graduates from the Solomon Islands wishing to obtain advanced training in orthopaedics have been assisted by the Association. Australian orthopaedic surgeons have been involved in projects in China and are committed to providing assistance and advice whenever it is required. In 1999 and 2000 several orthopaedic surgeons served with the Australian Medical Forces in East Timor.

Service in East Timor

The Association also encourages scientific research in orthopaedics and holds a scientific meeting in each year. At this meeting, respected international researchers are invited to present papers. The week-long meeting normally rotates around the states of Australia, although in 2001 the Australian Orthopaedic Association will be joining with the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association to present a Combined Meeting in Queenstown, New Zealand.

3. The AOA today

The Association is now over 60 years old and boasts over 1000 members. It retains the headquarters in Sydney and has a secretariat of seven: a Chief Executive Officer, CPD and Fellowship Officer, Education Officer,Training Officer, Information Officer, an Accounts Manager and a receptionist.

In 2000, the Association adopted its first Strategic Plan, in which it establishes goals of exploiting the advances of information technology in providing services to its members, expanding its role in community education in orthopaedics and ensuring the highest level of service in orthopaedics from its members.