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Previous Control Number: UA289 In 1884 a group of dentists formed the Odontological Society of Victoria with the aims of the regulation and education of dentists in the state of Victoria. Mr John Illife (1847-1914), a member and later President of the Odontological Society of Victoria, was the driving force in negotiations for the regulation of dentistry in Victoria and the establishment of a hospital and college in Melbourne. Thanks largely to his efforts, the Melbourne Dental Hospital opened its doors in 1890 and was followed in 1897 by the Australian College of Dentistry devoted solely to the education of dentists. The School of Dental Science was accorded faculty status under foundation professor Frank Clare Wilkinson in 1904 and the College was affiliated with The University of Melbourne (although a Chair was not established until 1924). The first Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree was conferred in 1906. The name of the degree was changed in 1911 to Bachelor of Dental Science and in this year the Degree of Doctor of Dental Science was also established and first conferred in 1913. The Faculty of Dentistry consisted of the members of the Dental Board of Victoria. There were four members appointed on an annual basis by the Council of the Australian College of Dentistry, and one member appointed annually by the teaching staff of the Melbourne Dental Hospital. Statute required all proceedings of the Faculty to be recorded, and that the Faculty report to the University Council and Professorial Board on any questions submitted to it by those bodies. The role of the Faculty was to consider all questions relating to the educational and administrative business of the Faculty, including: applications for positions of lecturer, demonstrator examiner and other teaching staff; details for subjects for lecturers and examinations; admission. The first Chair of Dentistry was established in 1924 when Frank C. Wilkinson was appointed the first Professor of Dental Science. The second Professor was Sir Arthur Amies. The name of the Chair was changed in 1965 to Professor Dental Medicine and Surgery. Two additional chairs were approved in 1948. Administrative separation from the Hospital was delayed until 1928 when a College Council was formed. Arrangements for the provision of services from the University were that the College would pay fees to the University and the University would provide teaching staff to the College. At the same time the College employed its own staff who had to be approved by the University. In terms of student numbers, these remained relatively small, with 52 students enrolled in 1930 and 104 by 1939. In 1962, upon the completion of the Dental School in Grattan Street the College requested that the University take over its teaching role and staff. In 1963 the Faculty and the hospital moved from 193 Spring Street to 711 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne with the new building opened by Premier Bolte. The University Council approved in principle on 7th November 1988 the amalgamation of the Faculties of Dental Science and Medicine. A proposal for the amalgamation was received by the Joint Committee on Policy from the Deans of the two Faculties in June 1989 which recommended that a Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry be established from 1st September 1989. Statute 5.1 The Faculties (and 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.2 and 6.3) was subsequently amended and the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry came into effect on 1st September 1989. To reflect additional responsibilities, the Faculty expanded in 1991 to become the present Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. The growth and development of the Dental School and the need for improved facilities led to the most recent relocation from Elizabeth Street to the current address at 720 Swanston Street. Here the school changed its name from the School of Dental Science to the Melbourne Dental School and with the implementation of the Melbourne Model in 2011, introduced its graduate program leading to the Doctor of Dental Surgery whilst continuing to offer the Bachelor of Oral Health. In 2012 the Melbourne Oral Health and Training and Education Centre (MOHTEC) at 723 Swanston Street commenced operations. The centre includes a Preclinical Simulation Laboratory, the Haptic Virtual Reality Simulation Laboratory and the Melbourne Dental Clinic, all representing an exciting new era in dental education at the Melbourne Dental School. (The above details have been collated from UA24 & UA275; "A Place Apart. The University of Melbourne: Decades of Challenge" (John Poynter and Carolyn Rasmussen, Melbourne University Press, 1996); the UMA webpage; http://www.dent.unimelb.edu.au/dsweb/about_school/history.html). |
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University faculties, University faculties, University Department |
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