1830

The Hobart Town Courier reproduced an article from the Edinburgh Review, reporting on a 'new system of cure, which, under the name of homo-opathic has produced a great sensation in Germany'.

1848

The Homœopathic Establishment was opened by Mr Frederick C. Atkinson at Macquarie Street in Hobart. This was possibly Australia's first homœopathic pharmacy. According to his advertisement, Mr Atkinson also provided consultations; therefore he was possibly Tasmania's first lay homœopath.

1855

1863

George John Crouch advertised the sale of homœopathic medicines and books.  He was based in Hobart, but imported medicines from John Bell of Sydney.

1866

Dr Ebenezer Atherton arrived in Tasmania in 1866. He was the first known qualified homœopath to practise full-time in Tasmania. .

AJB Jenner moved to Hobart from Brisbane.

Edward Ash, a chemist in Hobart, advertised the sale of homœopathic medicines and books.

1867

Reverend Marcus Blake Brownrigg, missionary, minister, and lay homœopathic practitioner. It has been recorded that he studied homœopathy so that he could treat his poorer parishioners.

AJB Jenner moved to Launceston, where he gave a lecture on homœopathy at the Mechanics Institute.  It was reported that nearly three hundred people attended.

1868

Dr Edmund Braithwaite commenced practise in Torquay (now Devonport).  Sadly he died just a few months after his arrival.

1870

Messrs Walch & Sons, stationers, advertised regularly in ‘The Mercury’ newspaper as importers of homœopathic medicines for the public.

“Notes on Homœopathy” was published in Hobart, edited by E.C. Nowell a supporter of homœopathy. It was produced in Hobart in 12 editions from September 1870 to August 1871.

1871

Andrew P. Miller, Hobart chemist, advertised regularly that he had homœopathic medicines for sale.

1873

Dr Atherton moved to NSW.

Dr. Harry Benjafield arrived in Hobart and took over Dr Atherton's popular practice.

1878

Dr. Harry Benjafield established a Homœopathic Pharmacy in Hobart.  This pharmacy eventually became known as Gould's Homœopathic Pharmacy.

"What is Homœopathy ? with simple directions for the treatment of common complaints, by an M.B." was published by the Homœopathic Pharmacy, and provided free-of-charge.

1879

Hatton & Laws, dispensing & family chemists, started advertising the sale of homœopathic medicines.

1880

Henry Thomas Gould arrived in Hobart. Already an acquaintance of Dr Benjafield from England, he arrived in Tasmania under agreement to be his dispensing chemist.

L. Fairthorne & Son commenced advertising the sale of homœopathic medicines.

1882

Mr F. Styant Browne arrived in Hobart and for a short period worked with H.T. Gould at Hobart's Homœopathic Pharmacy.

By 1882, Benjafield, Gould, and others were already agitating for a homœopathic presence in Her Majesty’s General Hospital, Hobart. the issue of a homœopathic ward was raised at the hospital board meeting. A vigorous debate followed, but was defeated.

1883

Dr Benjafield opened the Launceston branch of the Hobart Homœopathic Pharmacy, also calling it the Homœopathic Pharmacy.  Mr F. Styant Browne moved to Launceston to manage the pharmacy. The Pharmacy was owned by Dr Benjafield until Mr Browne purchased it from him in 1885.

Dr Samuel Brown arrived in Launceston and provided consultations from the new Homœopathic Pharmacy.

Dr Benjafield's Hobart Homœopathic Pharmacy published a small volume on self-help medical care with homœopathic medication, titled The Medical Telephone.

Lithgow & Co. of Launceston announced that they had commenced making and dispensing homœopathic medicines.

1886

The surgeon and homœopathic physician, Dr William Matthew Gutteridge arrived in Launceston.

1889

Dr GH Gibson was first registered as a medical practitioner in February 2 1889. 

Henry Thomas Gould went into partnership with Dr Benjafield, Dr Gibson and fellow pharmacist Michael Mason.  From November 1889 the Homœopathic Pharmacy was advertised under the name H.T. Gould & Co.

1892

The 1892 Post Office directory lists just 96 registered medical doctors for the entire State. Four were known to be homœopaths, three in Hobart and one in Launceston.

1895

Dr Ernest William Ireland established a medical practice in Hobart.

1897

In October practitioners, sympathisers, advocates and benefactors of homoeopathy from northern Tasmania formed the Launceston Homœopathic League. The purpose of forming the League was principally to advocate for a homœopathic hospital in the city.

1898

The practitioners, sympathisers, advocates and benefactors of homœopathy in southern Tasmania came together to form the Hobart Homœopathic League.

Later in the same year, in a bid to consolidate the profession in Tasmania, the Launceston and Hobart groups came together to form the Homœopathic Association of Tasmania.

Shortly after the amalgamation of the northern and southern leagues, a journal began publication, The Tasmanian Homœopathic Journal, which ran at 2000 prints for each free edition to 1901.

Dr Philip Douglas Smith joined Dr Gutteridge in Launceston in 1898. He, along with Dr Gutteridge, did much to advance the cause of homœopathy in the north of Tasmania. Gutteridge, Smith and the pharmacist Mr Styant Browne, worked together in the formative years of the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital.

1899

Hobart Homœopathic Hospital was established. Key people involved with its establishment included Dr Benjafield and Dr Gibson.

At the first annual general meeting of The Homœopathic Association of Tasmania on October 27 1899, Dr Benjafield presented a paper entitled “Thirty years a Homœopath”. Dr Gibson also presented a paper.

Dr Bernard Thomas was registered in Tasmania on June 6 1899 and became the first resident medical officer at the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital.

1900

Launceston Homœopathic Hospital was established.  In May 1900, a premises at 172 St John St, Launceston, known as Crosby Lodge, was leased. Just two months later, on the 2^nd July 1900, the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital was officially opened by Premier Braddon.

1903

Dr WGC Clark was listed as being a House Surgeon at the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital.

Dr Gerard Henry Smith arrived in Tasmania and was appointed Health Officer for the City of Hobart.

1904

Dr Benjafield left the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital.

1905

Dr John Maffey moved to Tasmania from Melbourne and joined the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital as a second Honorary Medical Officer.  He left in early 1906.

1907

American graduate Dr Eben Colman Gould was appointed as Resident Medical OFficer at the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital.  As he was refused registration due to his American qualification, he left Tasmania in 1908.

1910

The Hobart Homœopathic Hospital was approved as an official nurse-training school for registration.

1918

The Launceston Homœopathic Hospital purchased a new premises at 24 Lyttleton St in Launceston. This new premises was officially opened on the 8^th August 1918.

1924

Dr Gibson continued as a medical officer and surgeon at the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital until his sudden death in 1924.

1930

The Launceston Homœopathic Hospital was recognised as an officially registered training school for nurses.

1931

18 March 1931 that the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital officially changed hands, to become St Johns Hospital, Hobart. It was agreed that the new hospital would “incorporate”’ the old homoeopathic hospital, and so it was that the new hospital continued to officially document itself as incorporating the Hobart Homœopathic Hospital right up until 1984. It is likely that, with the availability of medically- trained homœopaths worldwide at its lowest ebb during the middle of the 20^th century, and all official training avenues virtually extinguished, the provision of homœopathic services faded away during this period.

1945

In 1945, the government mooted plans to turn the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital into a public institution. This was met with a public outcry by supporters of the hospital and homœopathy, as such a move were sure to strip such a service away. The government responded by ceasing its subsidy to the hospital for the first time since its establishment 45 years previously.

1946

Dr P. D. Smith retired after 53 years’ service to both the homœopathic and broader community in Tasmania. 46 years of these years were served as honorary medical officer at the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital. It was now almost impossible to find medically qualified practitioners with suitable homœopathic training to replace Dr Smith. It had always been extremely difficult to staff medical officers in Australian homœopathic hospitals, as the British Medical Association refused to register such practitioners and Australian doctors required registration with the B.M.A. throughout this period.

1951

The end of the Launceston Homœopathic Hospital came in 1951, when the Anglican Synod of Launceston agreed to take control of the hospital. On 18^th of October 1951, the hospital was officially handed over and renamed St Lukes Hospital.

©   Barbara Armstrong

       www.historyofhomeopathy.au