Membership certificate of the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of Queensland Inc for Charles Sankey Fraser, optometrist

Historical Significance: The original certificate is held by Optometry Queensland and Northern Territory. The certificate is for Charles Sankey Fraser FSMC, FIOO (Eng). It is dated 27 October 1921 and is certificate No. 1. It shows that the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of Queensland Inc was founded on 1st October 1908 and was incorporated on 26th May 1909. It was the second optometric association to be formed in Australia. Charles Sankey Fraser was the founding president and he served another term as president in 1914. He was one of the people who secured legislation in the State of Queensland in 1917 for the registration of optometrists and the regulation of the practice of optometry the second State in Australia to win such legislation. This certificate refers to the 1917 Opticians Act. Sankey Fraser had studied overseas and on this certificate it is shown that he was a Fellow of Spectacle Makers Company (by examination) (FSMC) and was also a Fellow of the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians London (FIOO). In other documents he is said to have also been a Fellow of the British Optical Association (FBOA) by examination, but that qualification is not claimed on this certificate. Nevertheless very few Australian optometrist had obtained a qualification in optometry from a London institution, so his FSMC diploma gave Sankey Fraser status among his peers of the day. The certificate records that Sankey Fraser had been made a life member of the Institute no doubt in recognition of his role founding it, serving as president and in securing legislation regulating optometry. It is not known why this certificate of membership was issued in 1921 when the Institute was founded in 1908 and Sankey Fraser was a foundation member. This could have been the year he was made a life member.