Address of appreciation to Royston Carr Brier
 Catalogue Number: 3251 Address of appreciation to Royston Carr Brier Category: Memorabilia and ephemera Sub-Category: Tributes, citation, laudation Association: Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians Queensland Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1912 Time Period: 1900 to 1939 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Brisbane, Australia Publisher/Manufacturer: Watson Ferguson & Co Ltd Description Of Item: Framed address of appreciation from the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of Queensland for Queensland optometrist, Royston Carr Brier, hand drawn and painted on paper with decorative motifs and cut-out and pasted-on symbols of opticianry, a pince nez and opera glasses. The words 'Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of Queensland' within a cut-out heads the address and a central cut-out in the shape of an eye has the words of the address to Royston Carr Brier. The address is signed by Jas R Sankey, President; R Hulsen, Vice President; and Sydney B J Skertchly, President Ex Bd (= Examination Board). It it not dated. Wooden decoratively carved frame 650 x 540 mm, once glazed. The decorative address 427 x 320 mm, as set within a slip. Historical Significance: The address is not dated. However, it is signed by Professor Sydney Skertchly who died in 1926 and refers only to Brier's service as founder of the Institute in 1908 and as its Secretary for three years and not his later roles in the profession. JR Sankey, also a signatory as President, was the IOOQ president in 1912 and R. Hulsen was immediate past president. (See Comm Optom March 1917 page 422). This dates the address at 1912. It may have been presented to him following his IOOQ lecture on April 11 1912. (See Wright History of Australian Optometry p 19). Royston Brier (1884-1977) was a prominent figure in Queensland optometry. He was the chief optician and director of Flavelle Brothers, the first firm of opticians established in Brisbane and was a founding member of the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of Queensland (IOOQ) in 1908. He was admitted to Fellowship of the Institute by examination in the following year. For 30 years, Royston Brier served the institute diligently as a member of Council (1908-1938), including Secretary (1908-12), Vice-President (1921 and 1927), President 1922 and 1928) and member of the examinations board (1922-23). He also acted as an independent auditor following retirement from council as he was also a qualified accountant. As a founding councillor he was closely linked with the efforts of the institute to secure an 'Opticians Act' (legislation that was passed in Queensland in 1917 and the establishment of the national professional body in 1918, including the drafting of the constitution. His eldest son was Hamlyn T Brier (1911-2001), also a prominent Queensland optometrist. See Vincent SJ, Mountford JA. Hamlyn R Brier (1911-2001) Queensland's optometrist for all seasons. Clin Exp Optom (2016) How Acquired: Donated by Optometry Australia Date Acquired: Jan 2017 Condition: Good Location: Archived journals room Unit 2 |