Sir Harry Brookes Allen - Education, Career

Pathologist, born in Geelong, Victoria, SE Australia. He studied at Melbourne University, and became its Foundation professor of pathology (1906–24). On a visit to the UK in 1890 he persuaded the General Medical Council in London to recognize medical degrees conferred by Melbourne, pioneering the eventual wider recognition of colonial academic qualifications.

Education

Harry Brookes Allen, son of Thomas Watts Allen, was born at Geelong, Victoria, on 13 June 1854.

Career

In 1876 he was appointed demonstrator in anatomy, in 1882 he became lecturer in anatomy and pathology, and from the beginning of 1883 was professor in these subjects.

As a result of strong representations the government of Victoria had provided the funds for a building for the medical school, and Allen was asked to collaborate with the government architects in preparing the plans. He also succeeded in having the collection of pathological specimens at the Melbourne Hospital transferred to the university, and thus began the pathological museum to which he was henceforth to give much time.

In the same year he was appointed to the central board of health, for which he drew up a set of by-laws for the use of local health authorities, and he did valuable work in connexion with an inquiry into tuberculosis in cattle, and also in connexion with freezing chambers for the frozen meat trade, then in its infancy.

In 1886 Allen became dean of the faculty of medicine and succeeded in bringing in an amended curriculum for the medical course.

Allen was appointed president of the intercolonial rabbit commission in 1889; In the same year he was general secretary of the intercolonial medical congress, held at Melbourne. His next important work was the obtaining of recognition of Melbourne medical degrees in Great Britain. The university petitioned the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and Allen was sent to England in 1890 to support the petition. He succeeded in satisfying the general medical council that the Melbourne curriculum was among the best in existence and the recognition was granted.

Allen was elected to the university council in 1898, the first professor to be a member of that body. Dr Charles James Martin who was subsequently to have a distinguished career in Europe had been appointed lecturer in physiology in 1894 and Allen encouraged him in every way, eventually recommending that he should be given the title of acting-professor. Dr William Alexander Osborne was appointed to take his place in 1904 as professor of physiology and in 1906 Dr Richard James Arthur Berry was appointed to the chair of anatomy, Allen taking the title of professor of pathology. A well-equipped laboratory of bacteriology had been established, and Allen could now feel that he had a medical school in which he could take some pride.

There were two medical societies in Melbourne, the Medical Society of Victoria, and the Victorian branch of the British Medical Association, and in 1906 Allen succeeded in healing the breach between them. A committee was formed with Allen as chairman. Anderson Stuart, a man of much personality, was in favour of Sydney, but Allen succeeded in persuading him to withdraw his opposition.

Allen was elected president of the Australasian medical congress held in Melbourne in 1908, an honour he valued very much. In 1912 he visited Europe and represented his university at the congress of universities of the empire and at the bicentenary of the medical school of Trinity College, Dublin. Allen was given the honorary degree of LL.D.

In 1914 came the jubilee of the medical school at Melbourne and the opportunity was taken of presenting an excellent portrait of Allen by E. A report of the various proceedings was published in 1914, University of Melbourne Medical School Jubilee. To this Allen contributed the opening chapter "A History of the Medical School".

With the coming of World War I he quickly realized that his students would do more valuable work by remaining and completing their courses than by enlisting as combatants. One of his daughters, Mary Allen, became well-known in the United States as a painter and lecturer on art. An elder brother, George Thomas Allen, C.M.G., held a distinguished position in the Commonwealth public service.

Allen lived for his work but was also interested in literature and in art. George Britton Halford had laid the foundations, and considering his manifold duties had done remarkable work, but it fell to Allen to develop a really great medical school at Melbourne. Another of his monuments is the The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research which, the memorial plate to Allen at the Royal Melbourne Hospital states, owed its origin to his inspiration.