Clinic History

Prior to WW1 the hills was serviced by Dr Simpson from Ferntree Gully.  During WW1 the nearest available doctor in an emergency was Dr. Langley in Ringwood.

In 1919 Dr. D.I. Carlile set up practice in Belgrave and was the first to provide medical services to the higher hills.  He received an annual subsidy of 200 pounds from the local council.

Dr H. Bourne took over Dr. Carlile’s practice in 1920 and lived and consulted from Sister Key’s house which she subsequently developed into a hospital.  This was next to the Post Office.

Dr. Shirley Francis bought the practice in 1922 and according to David Francis, who is Dr. Francis’ youngest son, his father consulted from a rented room in Sister Gallagher’s hospital whilst his home and surgery was being built.  Sister Gallagher’s hospital was on the block of land now occupied by Safeways.

There is confusion as to where the practice was housed in the early days; either Sister Keys or Sister Gallagher?  Sister Gallagher house/hospital was still in existence in 1966 and the Belgrave Kindergarten was shifted from Tecoma to the back of the block which fronted onto the carpark.

Dr. Francis moved into his new home/surgery in 1924 and the medical practice remained there until 1968.

Dr Francis enlisted in 1941 and served in the Middle East and New Guinea.  He was discharged in 1945 but did not return to the Belgrave Practice.  Copies of letters sent to Dr. Francis by organisations such as the RSL and Local council indicated that he was held in very high regard as a doctor.

Dr. Francis took advantage of the post-war repatriation scheme which entitled returned service men to undertake further study/training.  He became a specialist dermatologist and consulted in Collins St. until he retired.  He died in 1956.

Dr. A.L.J. Peters acted as a locum during the war years.

In 1946 Dr. Jack Iles took over the practice.  Dr Iles was an ex RAN medical officer and from the stories told was quite a character and remember with great fondness by his patients.

Dr. William McKenzie took over the practice in 1953.

In June 1966 Dr. Peter Campion acquired the practice and the original house which contained the consulting rooms and office (a total of three rooms).  Appropriate staff had to be recruited, weather was very cold and wet and the only heating came from single bar radiators.  The only thing that was not hard to find was patients.  Belgrave was a popular place to retire to as housing was plentiful and relatively inexpensive.  This resulted from the popularity of the Hills as a holiday destination from the 1920’s through to the 1950’s.  Approximately 75% were pensioners and many were house bound. Private cars in this group were uncommon and the result was that there was great need for house visits (on average 8 per day).  Communication at times was difficult as the manual exchange was still in operation.  Ancillary services were limited.  X-rays were done at the William Angliss, then called the Knox & Sherbrooke Community Hospital, on Tuesdays and Thursdays or it was a trip to Box Hill or Dandenong Hospitals.  Both these hospitals were stretched to the limit.  The only pathology service was private and had just started in the 60’s.  Physiotherapy was again only available through private practitioners.  RDNS gave great service.  The Ambulance was stationed in Ferntree gully but after hours was staffed by one man only and so if a patient was a stretcher case the ambulance had to come from further afield or you had to be the other bearer.

In 1967 after a period of being an assistant Dr Gregory Keogh became a partner and in 1968 Dr Campion and Dr Keogh acquired the ESA bank manager’s residence in Main Street (now Burwood Hwy) Tecoma and shifted the practice there where it remains today.  It was extended to the present size in 1976.  Dr. Brian Dunn’s father was the designer and supervised the project.

The practice was shortly after registered as Belgrave Medical Clinic.

During the time that Greg Keogh was a partner they investigated the possibility of building a purpose built clinic.  With this in view they bought the block on the corner of Burwood Highway and Rose Street.  On the front of the block was a relatively large weatherboard building that was divided into two residences which had been rented out.  The building had been originally a ‘private hospital’. They dismantled this building and had preliminary plans drawn up.  The plans were very impressive but too ambitious.  They attempted to get other local practitioners interested but failed and so the project was abandoned.

In the period 1966-2005 there were a number of partners (apart from Dr Campion and Dr Keogh):-
Dr Robert Hinchey
Dr Brian Dunn
Dr David Fox-Smith

And assistants:-
Dr Sue Korosec
Dr Dennis Gration

During 2005 Dr Peter Campion retired and Dr. Dennis Gration bought the practice.