710 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION K. 



During the next few years the profession in Melbourne received 

 some additions, viz., Messrs. Goule, Cohen, Wragge, and Sharp, 

 all of whom settled here. This accession led to the formation of 

 another Veterinary Association, which immediately took up the 

 question of framing a Veterinary Surgeons Bill to enable stock- 

 owners to distinguish between qualified and unqualified men, and 

 to protect the interests of the profession. This Bill was based 

 chiefly on the then existing English Veterinary Surgeons Act, and, 

 as secretary of the association, it fell to the writer's lot to make 

 the rough draft. The Bill was brought before Parliament by the 

 late Mr. Bosisto, M.P., and passed after receiving some additions 

 at his hands from the Pharmacy Act, and further changes in the 

 Upper House, particularly the introduction of a most important 

 clause, at the instance of the late Hon. Dr. Beaney, providing for 

 a four years' course. 



Establishment of the Veterinary College. 



Owing to a promise having been made to Mr. Bosisto that, in 

 the event of the Veterinary Surgeons Bill being passed, an early 

 attempt would be made to establish a Veterinary College, and 

 receiving no help from the Government in regard to providing a 

 suitable site or funds to erect the necessary buildings, as well as 

 lack of interest in the matters displayed by my colleagues, I 

 determined to try what I could do single-handed. 



The first step taken was to obtain the signatures of all the 

 leading horse-owners, stock and station agents, medical men, and 

 others in Melbourne, to a requisition to the City Council praying 

 that a college might be erected on the Market reserve adjoining the 

 Horse Market, Sydney-road, Parkville, being part of the reserve 

 on which the new University Veterinary School now stands. 



The requisition was signed by a large number of people, and 

 duly presented to the City Council, who received it very favorably, 

 and submitted it to the legislative committee to be dealt with. 

 Unfortunately, it was discovered that they held the land in trust 

 for market purposes only, and without special legislation it could 

 not be used for any other purpose. This scheme was, therefore, 

 reluctantly abandoned ; but, having been assured by some of the 

 leading members of the Government that if it could be shown that 

 Buch an institution was a necessity and students forthcoming 

 assistance would be given, I determined to establish a private 

 college. In 1885 I had purchased the site of the old college, 

 and immediately opened a veterinary hospital. Not, however, 

 without considerable difficulty was it established. Owners of sick 

 animals had not been accustomed to send them to a hospital for 

 treatment, and for the first year I found it necessary to buy the 



