Person

Rudall, James Thomas (1828? - 1907)

Born
1828?
Crediton, Devon, England
Died
4 March 1907
Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Ophthalmologist, Surgeon and Pathologist

Summary

James Rudall was one of the earliest ophthalmologists to practice in Australia. Having migrated to Victoria in 1858 he established a general practice but was particularly interested in diseases of the eye, ear and throat. He is credited with performing the first tracheotomy for diphtheria in the colony, and for introducing the ophthalmoscope. Rudall and his colleague Andrew Gray were probably the first in Australia to use local anaesthesia effectively were probably the first in Australia to use local anaesthesia effectively. For ten years from 1865 Rudall was Honorary Surgeon at the Melbourne Hospital . His other honorary position was at the Alfred hospital from 1887 to 1901 when he retired from practice. For over 35 years he was Examiner in Pathology and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. He wrote over 60 papers, most published in Australian medical journals. Rudall was active professional and scientific organisations. He was a member of the Medical Society of Victoria, the Ophthalmological Society of Melbourne, and the Victorian Branch of the British Medical Association, serving as President of the latter two. From 1869 to 1890 he was a Member of the Council of the Royal Society of Victoria.

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Details

Chronology

1854
Education - Member, Royal College of Surgeons, London, at St. Thomas Hospital, London
1857
Education - Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, London
1858
Life event - Migrated to Melbourne as ship's surgeon
1865
Career event - Elected member, Medical Society of Victoria
1865 - 1875
Career position - Honorary Surgeon, Melbourne Hospital
1866 - 1901
Career position - Examiner in Pathology and Physiology, University of Melbourne
1869 - 1890
Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of Victoria
1879
Career position - Founding Member, British Medical Association, Victorian Branch
1879 - 1896
Career position - Vice-President, Victorian Medical Benevolent Association
1881
Career event - Joined Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom
1884 - 1885
Career position - President, Victorian Branch, British Medical Association
1887 - 1901
Career position - Honorary Surgeon, Alfred Hospital
1899
Career position - Founding Member and Vice President, Ophthalmological Society of Melbourne
1900
Career position - President, Ophthalmological Society of Melbourne
1901
Career event - Retired from practice
1901 - 1907
Career position - Consultant, Alfred Hospital
1976
Career position - Pathologist, Melbourne Hospital

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

Australian Medical Association (Victorian Branch)

  • James Thomas Rudall - Records, 1867 - 1907; Australian Medical Association (Victorian Branch). Details

Published resources

Book Sections

Conference Papers

  • Lowe, R.F., 'Founders of Ophthalmology in Victoria, Australia: A.S. Gray, J.T. Rudall and T. A. Bowen', in History, Heritage and Health: Proceedings of the Fourth Biennial Conference of the Australian Society of the History of Medicine, Norfolk Island, 2-9 July, 1995 edited by Covacevich, Jeanette, Pearn, John, Case, Donna, Chapple, Ian and Phillips, Gael (Brisbane: Society of the History of Medicine, 1996), pp. 373-374.. Details

Journal Articles

  • Gandevia, Bryan, 'James Thomas Rudall, F.R.C.S. (1828 - 1907): his life, and journal for the year 1858', Medical journal of Australia, 2 (26) (1954), 989-1008, https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1954.tb37577.x. Details
  • Lowe, Ronald F., 'The Ophthalmological Society of Melbourne (1899 - 1913)', Australian journal of ophthalmology, 8 (1980), 257-70, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9071.1980.tb00350.x. Details
  • Rudall, James T., 'Presidential address, Meeting of Victorian Branch of BMA July 22, 1885. Review of changes and developments in medicine 1884-85', Australian medical journal, ns, 1885 (1885), 354. Details
  • Wilson, Gwenifer C. M., 'The Introduction of Local Anaesthesia in Australia, January 19, 1885', Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 13 (1) (1985), 71-78. Details

Resources

See also

McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 18 November 2025

EOAS ID: biogs/P000145b.htm

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