Collection of letters and attachments about the number of registered optometrists in Australia in the mid 20th century

Description Of Item: Light brown foolscap size manila folder marked STATISTICS, containing letters and attachments detailing the numbers of registered optometrists in the States of Victoria and New South Wales in the periods 1935 to 1955 and 1941 to 1947. Items include (1) a work paper, two foolscap pages of typescript, undated but possibly about 1947 or 1955, and unsigned, beginning 'Dear Gentlemen' discussing the Registration Board's powers and responsibilities dealing with an over- or under-supply of optometrists, (2) Copy of a letter dated February 20 1956 addressed to DM Cockburn from the Registrar (of the Victorian Opticians Registration Board?) to which is attached (i) a page giving the numbers of registered optometrists (in Victoria?) from 1935 to 1955 in 5 year intervals showing a decline from 336 in 1935 to 279 in 1955, and (ii) a page listing the birth years of present practising optometrists, (3) a letter to the NSW Board of Optometrical Registration, dated March 3 1947 from the Registrar of the Victorian Board and a reply dated March 6 1947 giving the numbers of registered optometrists in NSW by year from 1941 to 1947 during which time the number is essentially steady at about 550, (4) a letter to JPF Strachan dated November 10, 1955 from the Registrar of the Victorian Board to which is attached a list of currently registered Victorian optometrists who were registered under Section 8 of the Act (that is those without formal qualification who were registered in 1936 on the grounds of prior experience). There are 61 on the list. (5) Three foolscap pages listing dated 1947, (i) the number of registered optometrists in Melbourne CBD, suburbs and country towns, with 3 located interstate, 2 on (military) service and 26 of unknown location, (ii) the age distribution of the registered optometrists (peaking at 40 to 49), and (iii) notes about the unknown location optometrists