Attendees of the First Conference of the Australian Optometrical Assocaition 1918

Historical Significance: On 3 December 1918 delegates from four States met in Conference at the Commercial Travellers' Association Club Rooms, Melbourne and agree to form a federated association of the State optometric organisations. The federation has been in continuous existence since its formation. It has gone through a number of name changes and is now known as Optometry Australia.Conference, as it became known, regularly brought representatives of the affiliated State bodies together to formulate high-level policy for the federation. Mr H.C. Fisher assumed the chair and so can be regarded as the first President of what today is known as Optometry Australia. Decisions made at the Conference included writing a constitution for the federated body of optometrists to be known as The Australian Optometrical Association be formed: and a constitution be drawn up; the Standard Notation and Standard Nomenclature of the Optical Society of Great Britain and recommends be adopted by all States; adoption of the syllabus for an optometry course devised by a Sub Committee appointed by the Conference be adopted; and that a national monthly journal known as The Commonwealth Optometrist be published and the Institute of Optometrists of N.S.W. would take responsibility for its production.