VPRS 19272 Medical Superintendent Correspondence Files

This series comprises papers and correspondence of the Medical Superintendent of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. From 1881 the senior medical position at the Royal Melbourne Hospital was known as the Medical Superintendent. It was usually a position held by a senior Resident Medical Officer for two or three years. From the mid-1940s, the role became more of an executive position with longer tenure and greater responsibilities including clinical governance and the administration of clinical units. In 1971 the role title was changed to Medical Administrator, then to Director of Medical Services in 1976. This series represents the only extant correspondence files, with the majority having been destroyed sometime in the early to mid-1990s. The Medical Superintendents / Administrators / Directors responsible for these records were: J.L. Frew, 1939-1940 J. Bryant Curtis, 1941-1942 J.H. Lindell, 1943-1953 P.N. O'Donnell, 1954-1964 T.J.K. Jamieson, 1965-1971 J.S. Yeatman, 1971-1978 G.H. Dreher, 1978-1984 D.R. Duncan, 1984-1985 D.G. Campbell, 1985-1996