Lowe, Ronald Francis Hinde (1913 - 1998)

Summary

Ronald Lowe was an ophthalmologist who made significant contributions in the field and to the training of practitioners. For over 40 years he was associated with the (Royal) Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Positions he held included Dean of the Clinical School from 1962-1968 and Director of the Glaucoma Research Unit. He served on the Board of Management for 30 years. Lowe published widely in the field of ophthalmology, particularly glaucoma, with over 60 papers on his research in angle closure glaucoma. More recently he turned his attention to the history of ophthalmalogy, particularly in Victoria, and its pioneers. In 1982 the Hospital's Medical Library was named the Ronald Lowe Library in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1934

Education - Educated at Melbourne College of Pharmacy (PhC)

1939

Education - Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (BS), University of Melbourne

1941 - 1946

Career position - Military service with the Australian Army Medical Corps

1945

Education - Diploma of Ophthalmology (DO), University of Melbourne

1946 - 1947

Career position - Assistant honorary ophthalmic surgeon, Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1947 - 1948

Award - Gordon Craig Travelling Scholarship for study in ophthalmology in the United Kingdom

1947 - 1998

Education - Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, London

1948

Career event - Established consulting practice in Collins St, Melbourne

1948 - 1955

Career position - Honorary Ophthalmic Surgeon, Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1953

Career position - Foundation Member, Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA)

1955 - 1961

Career position - Senior Honorary Ophthalmic Surgeon, Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1955 - 1961

Career position - Member, Board of Management, Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1955 - 1973

Career position - Honorary Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1958

Career position - Foundation Member, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology

1961 - 1984

Career position - Member, Board of Management, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1962 - 1968

Career position - Dean of the Clinical School, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1963 - 1975

Career position - Director, GlaucomaResearch Unit, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1964 - 1998

Award - Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

1966

Education - Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Melbourne

1968 - 1972

Career position - President, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology

1969 - ?

Career position - Member, Australian College of Ophthmalmologists

1970 - 1973

Career position - Chairman of the Honorary Medical Staff, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

1972 - 1973

Career position - President, Australian College of Ophthalmologists

1980 - 1986

Career position - Chairman, Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia

1980 - 1986

Career position - Chairman of the Board, Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA)

1989 - 1998

Career position - Foundation Fellow, Royal College of Ophthalmologists

1991 - 1993

Career position - Foundation Professor and Vice-President of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis

1996

Award - Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists' medal

Related entries

Archival resources

Private hands (Lowe, R.F.)

• Ronald Francis Hinde Lowe - Records, 1913 - 1987; Private hands (Lowe, R.F.). Details

Published resources

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

• Lowe, R. F., 'Aubrey Bowen, oculist, 1837-93', Australian Journal of Ophthalmology, 9 (1981), 155-62, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9071.1981.tb01504.x. Details
• Lowe, R. F., 'John Wilkins, surgeon, 1826 - 1905: experiences in Williamstown (Melbourne) and New Zealand', Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery, 66 (12) (1996), 832-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.1996.tb00761.x. Details
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'Early Melbourne eye and ear hospitals, and Dr Turnbull's house at 101 (157) Spring Street', Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery, 50 (5) (1980), 546-9, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.1980.tb04192.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
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'T. Aubrey Bowen, oculist, 1837-93: his charitable bequests in Victoria', Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery, 53 (2) (1983), 183-7, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.1983.tb02425.x. Details
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'John Box (1863-1934) and William Box (1905-1982)', Australian Journal of Ophthalmology, 11 (February) (1983), 51-53. Details
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'A Tribute: Kenneth George Howsam', Australian Journal of Ophthalmology, 12 (2) (1984), 101-104. Details
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'An Outline History of Ophthalmology in Australia', Australian Journal of Ophthalmology, 12 (1) (1984), 5-14. Details
• Lowe, Ronald F., 'Andrew Sexton Gray (1826 - 1907), a founder of Australian ophthalmology: his life and times', Australian journal of ophthalmology, 13 (1985), 421-31, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9071.1985.tb00458.x. Details
• Rait, Julian, 'Ronald Francis Lowe MB, BS (Melb), MD (Melb), FCS (Eng), FRACS, FRACO, FROph UK), PHC (Melb), 1913-98', British journal of ophthalmology, 83 (1) (1999), 126, https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.83.1.126d. Details

Resources

• 'Lowe, Ronald F (1913-1998)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-473850. Details