The Founding President of the AOSR - Prof William (Bill) S.C. Hare and the 1st AOCR 1971, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Collated by Dr Evelyn Ho and RANZCR, May 2024
Professor William (Bill) S.C Hare is recognised as having provided many great contributions to the field of Radiology and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists of Radiologists (RANZCR). He is considered an early pioneer in the fields of neuroradiology, angiography, mammography and urography. Photo on the left was taken at the AOCR2012 in Sydney. Prof Hare is second from the left.
He was the first Professor of Radiology in Australia and, in 1965, was the first Chair of Radiology at the University of Melbourne. This was the first academic chair for radiology in Australia.
Professor Hare was appointed as President of the College between 1986 -1987 and was awarded the RANZCR Gold Medal in 1988. He is one of the distinguished few who has received both the Thomas Baker Scholarship (1957) and Rouse Travelling Scholarship (1963).
In 2002, as a permanent acknowledgement of his great contributions, RANZCR established the Bill Hare Fellowship. Given annually, this Fellowship award supports a Fellow for a period of intensive and/or overseas study. The purpose of this award is to allow a qualified diagnostic radiologist to further their knowledge of an acknowledged subspecialty, which there is a recognised shortage, whether it be in Australia, New Zealand or somewhere overseas.
He was a world leader in Radiology and was awarded Radiological Society of North America Honorary Member (1984), Officer of the Order of Australia (1990), and International Society of Radiology Honorary Member (1994).
Prof Hare and the AOSR
The International Society of Radiology (ISR) was considered the global authority in Radiology and would hold, every four years, the International Congress of Radiology (ICR) in various cities around the world. In 1969, the ICR was held in Asia (Japan) for the first time. It was during the 1969 ICR that the first AOSR meeting was held.
The Australian delegates, Professor Hare and Dr Martin, extended an invitation to hold the first Asian-Oceanian Congress of Radiology (AOCR) in Melbourne in 1971. In Australasian Radiology (1969, Vol 13, p253) Professor Hare wrote ‘Much of our future depends upon developments in neighbouring nations… as one of the more advanced countries technologically, we are being encouraged to give a lead and to offer help.
The College (RANZCR) Council agreed to expand the college’s 1971 AGM in Melbourne to include the first AOCR to assist the growth and success of the AOSR as well as strengthen ties between radiologists from Australia and New Zealand with radiologists from Asia and the wider Pacific region. Professor Hare and the College encouraged members to take part in the AOCR and ensure its success.
Professor Hare was elected the founding President of the AOSR and Dr Martin the first Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. Professor Hare held the post of AOSR President from 1971-1975.
He attended the 14th AOCR, 2012. This was the second time, since the inception of the AOSR, that an AOCR was held in Australia; this time at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, New South Wales from August 30th to September 2nd, 2012. Professor Hare addressed the delegates at the opening session (named in his honour) of the joint AOCR2012 and RANZCR meeting.
The 1st AOCR, Nov 22-26, 1971, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The 1st AOCR was held from November 22-26, 1971 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The congress was opened by Sir Henry Bolte, then Premier of Victoria. The Australian government also issued a special souvenir first day stamp cover in conjunction with the 1st AOCR.
The figures above of the 1st AOCR final announcement are courtesy of RANCZR.
