Name: Lennard ‘Len’ Gilmore Travers

Qualifications:
MBBS – University of Melbourne (1930)

Date of Birth: 6 September 1906
Date of Death: 2 March 1968

Lennard Travers, born in Melbourne in 1906, completed his MBBS at the University of Melbourne in 1930. After working for a brief period at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Travers travelled to the United Kingdom achieving his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. He returned to Australia prior to the outbreak of World War II serving as the honorary anaesthetist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. In 1950, Travers joined the Australian Society of Anaesthetists overseeing the development of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was appointed Dean of the Faculty in 1959.

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Lennard Gilmore ‘Len’ Travers was born on September 6, 1906 in Melbourne. He completed his primary and secondary education at Melbourne Grammar School. In his final year, he became school prefect. Travers attended the University of Melbourne for his tertiary study. He completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1930. His first professional appointment was at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

In 1935, Travers travelled to the United Kingdom achieving his FRCS (Fellowship to the Royal College of Surgeons) in Edinburgh. With the impending outbreak of World War II, Travers left the United Kingdom to return to Australia in 1937. On his return, Travers served as a surgeon at Littlejohn Clinic in Heidelberg, Melbourne.

He left the clinic in 1939 to serve in World War II. During his service, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Imperial Force. He was awarded a MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) on March 6, 1947 for his services abroad. Specifically, it was awarded for distinguished service in the South West Pacific theatre of war.

On his return to Australia in 1946, Travers became the senior honorary anaesthetist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He would later serve as the Chairman of Staff at the hospital.

In 1950, Travers became involved with the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, becoming the Victorian State Representative in 1950. During his time with the society, Travers was able to oversee the development of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He played a pivotal role in the society’s early formation. In 1959, Travers was appointed the third Dean of the Faculty serving until 1961. During 1955, Travers also was appointed an assessor for the Diploma of Anaesthetist examination.

Travers was awarded the title of Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College in 1952. This was in recognition of his work in the field of anaesthetics. Travers is also memorialised through the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists through the Lennard Travers Professorship, first awarded in 1968. This award allows a Fellow of the College the ability to work in an area of their choosing to advance knowledge of anaesthesia.

REFERENCES

[i] Births, Deaths, Marriages Victoria, ‘Family History Search: Lenard Travers’, 2015, Online: https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj.[ii] Terry Loughnan, ‘Lenard Gilmore Travers MBE’, ANZCA Bulletin, August 2004, ANZCA Archives, Series 11.[iii] Lennard Travers, ‘Exordium’, Form, 1952, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM 6903.32.[iv] Terry Loughnan, ‘Lenard Gilmore Travers MBE’.[v] Terry Loughnan, ‘Lenard Gilmore Travers MBE’.[vi] Terry Loughnan, ‘Lenard Gilmore Travers MBE’.[vii] Australian Government, ‘It’s An Honour’, 2015, Online: http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/Honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1090579&search_type=simple&showInd=true.[viii] Royal Melbourne Hospital, ‘Silver Try’, 1964, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM: 5071.[ix] Terry Loughnan, ‘Lenard Gilmore Travers MBE’.[x] Lennard Travers, ‘Visit to New Zealand’, Report to Faculty of Anaethetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, June 1960, p. 63, ANZCA Archive, Series 11; Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, ‘ANZCA Timeline’, 2015, Online: http://www.anzca.edu.au/about-anzca/history-and-heritage/a-brief-anzca-timeline.html.[xi] ANZCA, ‘Final Fellowship Examination’, Faculty Board Meeting, 12 November 1955.[xii] Lennard Travers, ‘Exordium’.

IMAGES

  1. ‘Lenard Travers’, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM 6913.
  2. Lenard Gilmore Travers, ‘Exordium’, Application Form, 1952, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VGKM 6903.32.
  3. ‘Laryngoscope, Flagg’, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM 5073.
  4. ‘Clock, Alarm’, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM 5068.
  5. ‘Silver Tray’, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History: VKGM 5071.