Professionalisation of veterinary science in Victoria

Deposited with permission of the author. © 1990 Jessica TaylorIntroduction: In the Archives of the University of Melbourne there are two black notebooks containing the handwritten reminiscences of William Tyson Kendall, the “founder of the veterinary profession in Australia”. In fact, Kendall makes very little reference to the veterinary college that he founded, his teaching or the trials that he was to confront, but out of that chance encounter with his notebooks I became interested in the early years of the profession in Victoria; the profession to which Kendall devoted so much of his incredible energy and enthusiasm. Further inquiry only served to enhance this interest, but revealed that there was a paucity not only of primary source material, but also of recorded history. During the course of conversations with both retired and active practitioners, I have frequently been told, and can verify, that veterinarians are great talkers, and many of them are keen to preserve their historical heritage, but are the worst procrastinators when it comes to the written word. (For complete introduction open document)