The trusty one
 Catalogue Number: 1709 The trusty one Category: Book Sub-Category: Book of historical note Author: EDWARDS, Harold R G Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1985 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Slacks Creek Queensland Publisher/Manufacturer: Assembly Press Description Of Item: Paperback, printed colour illustrated (Otway lighthouse) front cover, 127 pages, colour photo of the author on the outside of the back cover, numerous black and white photographs in text. (two reproduced here). Author's inscription in ink front fly leaf 'With Authors Compliments to my very highly respected AOA Professional Association' and signed Harold Edwards and dated 1991 Historical Significance: Harold Edwards (1896-1998) was an early Australian optometrist. He served in World War 1 after which he became an optometrist. He earned Fellowship of the Victorian Optical Association in 1921. He was President of the Victorian Optical Association 1943-1944, 1950-1951, 1957-1959. He was born in Bendigo, where his father was a watchmaker. He practised optometry in Bendigo and moved to Melbourne in 1936. He is known for being the soldier who pulled the dead 'Red Baron' Baron von Richthofen from his wrecked aircraft on April 21 1918. The family have an association with Talbot, a small gold rush town in western Victoria. It has a museum in which there are items to do with the Edwards family and optometry. The museum's main exhibit is the Edwards collection. It is well worth a visit. See http://www.ballarat/com/talbot/talbot_ museum.htm. This book is his autobiography and parts of it deal with his life as an optometrist and there are several illustrations to do with optometry (See page 101) but it is an idiosyncratic book and is more to do with his religion, lodge, and family than optometry. How Acquired: Donated by Peter Dwyer Date Acquired: Nov 2010 Condition: Fair Location: Archive room. East wall. Books by Australian authors |