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.
