Agent TypeOrganisationHistoryPrevious Control Number: UA333 The only hospital in the Southern Hemisphere devoted exclusively to the specialities of ophthalmology and otolaryngology, the Eye and Ear Hospital is one of a small number of such hospitals in the world. It is the third oldest public hospital in Melbourne and was established by Irish-born surgeon Andrew Sexton Gray in rented premises at 2 Albert Street, East Melbourne, in 1863. Overwhelmed by the number of poor people seeking eye and ear treatment but unable to pay, Irish doctor Andrew Sexton Gray opened an infirmary for diseases of the eye and ear in East Melbourne in 1863. Dr Gray merged his infirmary with a similar institution, set up by Dr Aubrey Bowen, to form the Melbourne Institution for Diseases of the Eye and Ear. With three surgeons, a new matron, ten inpatient beds and three outpatient clinics, the hospital was in strong demand. As the search for a permanent site intensified it was re-named The Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital to better reflect its service the entire Victorian community. After prolonged negotiations, the Government granted it a site known as Tank Reserve on Eastern Hill, (on Victoria Parade, East Melbourne). The first hospital on this site was completed in 1881 and extended in 1883. In the 1950s the Faculty of Medicine lobbied for the creation of a Chair of Otolaryngology. In 1959 a Board of Trustees headed by distinguished specialist Mr George Swinburne was set up to raise funds for the Chair. The Appeal (also known as the Ear Nose and Throat - or ENT - Appeal) was formally launched at the University on 21 February 1964. The appeal was managed by an Executive Committee (chaired by Swinburne) of the Board of Trustees, with the assistance of the Appeals Committee of Council. By the mid-1960s, inpatient numbers had grown to 4,000 per year and 30,000 outpatients were seen annually. In 1961, a Royal charter was obtained and the hospital’s name was changed to The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and a new coat of arms was granted, inscribed with the motto ‘Teaching Healing Research’. In 1968 sufficient money was in hand from the ENT Appeal to consider an appointment, and the Australian Universities Commission was successfully approached for funds to assist in providing an additional University floor in the new Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital building for the new Department. Graeme Clark became William Gibson Professor of Otolaryngology in 1970. Its research role was cemented on 29 November 1971 with the establishment of the University of Melbourne departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the hospital, in the presence of the Premier, Sir Henry Bolte. The hospital was to provide a focal point for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research. The Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology came to occupy the first and second floors of the new six-storey complex built by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. The building was funded by the State government, the Australian Universities Commission and private donors. The first stage of the multi-storey building saw new operating theatres established in the basement in 1967. Stage 2, comprising an additional 4 floors, was completed in May 1971. It was intended that the building program continue as capital funds became available. The opening of a new, 150 bed wing in 1974 and continuing investment in research set the scene for an amazing invention by Eye and Ear specialist, Professor Graeme Clark. After a decade of work towards the development of an electronic, implantable hearing device that bypassed damaged parts of the ear, Professor Clark carried out the world’s first Cochlear implant at the hospital in 1978.
Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. University of Melbourne Archives, accessed 25/08/2026, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/60199
