| Early history of the Victorian Dental Board |
The Victorian Dental Board was first set up in 1888 and registered members were persons practising dentistry prior to the Dental Act of 1887, medical graduates or
pharmacists. The first Licentiate of Dental Surgery from an Australian college of dentistry was awarded in 1902. The first main practical content to be taught in the dental course was in 1907 with the establishment of a new school in Melbourne. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery became the Bachelor of Dental Science in 1910.
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Some early "Landmark" women in Victorian Dentistry |
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1888 |
Jane Allen Mawson and Eliza Clara Lodge Mawson were the first female dentists to be registered in
Victoria and they were registered as practising dentistry prior to the passing of the Act.
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1896 |
Emily Meredith and Minnie Oldfield who were registered as studying before the passing of
Act
No.960 in compliance with Section 55, Act1118.
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1898 |
Harriet Cooper was similarly registered to those of 1896.
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1899 |
Ethel Godfrey was registered as having passed the examination before the Board in November 1898
which was the year in which examination for candidates was
introduced.
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1902 |
Ada Tovell was the first woman to graduate from the
Victorian Dental College with a Licentiate of Dental Surgery (LDS) Victoria and
Member of the Australian College of Dentistry (MACD) and was to demonstrate in
dental mechanics prior to accepting a senior position in the dental school in
Queensland.
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1907 |
Frances Gray was the first female graduate of the
University of Melbourne with a Degree in Dental Surgery (BDS)
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1911 |
Mary Nicholls was registered as receiving the LDS.
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1912 |
Mary Nicholls was registered as the first
female graduate from the University of Melbourne.with a Degree in
Dental Science (BDSc)
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Early Victorian Dental Board Members |
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1929 |
The first female on the Board but she was a medical graduate, a surgeon, and steered the
Dental Education Committee. |
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1986 |
Eva Norma Berger was the first female dentist on the Board. Eva served on the Board from
September 1986 - October 1989. She graduated in 1966. Eva worked in private practice until her
early death in 1989. |
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First Female to be awarded the Ernest Joske Memorial Prize |
1968 Margaret Preston (This prize is for academic excellence, sporting prowess and leadership over the undergraduate
course) |
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First female Professor at Melbourne University (Childhood Dentistry) |
1990 Louise Brearley Messer |
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First female President of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch |
1996 Anne-Marie Vincent |
| Second female President of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch |
2000 Pamela Dalgliesh |
| Statistics involving
Victorian Women in Dentistry |
From 1888-1988 records of the percentages
of female graduates have been tabulated in 10 year increments.
| Year |
Register
Total |
Females |
Percentage |
Percentage of
Increase/Decrease |
| 1888 |
486 |
2 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
| 1898 |
572 |
5
|
0.9 |
3.5 |
| 1908 |
618 |
14 |
2.3 |
19.6 |
| 1918 |
692 |
19 |
2.7 |
6.7 |
| 1928 |
795 |
21 |
2.6 |
1.9 |
| 1938 |
723 |
14 |
1.9 |
-9.1 |
| 1948 |
760 |
26 |
3.4 |
32.4 |
| 1958 |
1002 |
57 |
5.7 |
12.8 |
| 1968 |
1069 |
80 |
7.5 |
34.3 |
| 1978 |
1737 |
169 |
10.3 |
15.7 |
| 1988 |
2157 |
333 |
15.4 |
31.5 |
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