About

Vision

The purpose of the Medical History Museum is to encourage appreciation and understanding of the history of medicine and its role in society through direct engagement with the collections. The museum stimulates active learning about the history of medicine through research, teaching, and dialogue among communities of students, faculty, scholars, alumni, and the wider public. The museum organizes exhibitions and educational programs to offer enjoyment and encourage inquiry, while building and maintaining its collections in trust for future generations.

Curator

Dr Jacqueline Healy
Director, Museums, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Dr Jacqueline Healy has extensive experience in the arts and museum sectors. She is Director, Museums, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences  encompassing the Medical History Museum ,  Henry Forman Atkinson Dental Museum and Harry Brookes Allen Anatomy and Pathology Museum at the University of Melbourne.

Dr Jacqueline Healy
Dr Jacqueline Healy,
Director, Museums, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
First women students at the University of Melbourne School of Medicine, 1887, photograph, 28.0 × 33.0 cm. Left to right, with year of graduation: Helen Sexton (1892), Clara Stone (1891), Lilian Alexander (1892), Margaret Whyte (1891), Grace Vale (1894), Annie O’Hara (1894), Elizabeth O’Hara (1893). Medical History Museum, MHM02037

History

Over the years many people have assisted in the establishment and development of the Medical History Museum and its collection. It was Professor Kenneth Russell’s passion for medical history that resulted in the establishment of the Medical History Museum in 1967 with the support of a grant from the Wellcome Institute.

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Professor Mark Cook,
Chair of Medicine and Head of Neurology, St Vincent's Hospital

Chair

Professor Mark Cook
Chair of Medicine and Head of Neurology, St Vincent's Hospital

Committee Members

Dr Mark Garwood
Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Women's Hospital

Associate Professor Richard O'Brien
Clinical Dean, Austin Clinical School

Professor Nicola Lautenschlager
Head, Melbourne Medical School

Liz Brentnall
Executive Officer, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Ann Westmore
Honorary Fellow, Melbourne School of Population Health

Paul Noonan
Director, Marketing, Recruitment and Communications, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Dr Jacqueline Healy
Director, Museums, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Visitors information

The Medical History Museum offers FREE admission and welcomes visitors with disabilities. There is lift access to the second level although there are access limitations. To speak with a member of staff regarding a particular service or activity please contact the museum.
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