FRED HOLLOWS

By Lily

What are some interesting facts about Fred Hollowss childhood or early life?

Fred Hollows (19291993) Fred Hollows was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. He became a doctor and began to specialise in the treatment of diseases of the eye. He had to travel to England to do this and won a prize as one of the top students.

What contribution did Fred Hollows make to the world?

After he returned to Australia, Hollows spent a lot of his time studying and treating an eye disease called 'trachoma', which causes blindness if it is not treated quickly. Many Aboriginal people suffer from this disease.

Why did Hollows take this path in his life?

FRED HOLLOWS HELPED SET UP THE ABORIGINAL MEDICAL SERVICE IN SYDNEY AND ARRANGED FOR TEAMS OF PEOPLE TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO TREAT TRACHOMA. THIS SAVED MANY PEOPLE FROM BECOMING BLIND. HE ALSO HELPED TO TRAIN DOCTORS FOR WORK IN AFRICA AND SET UP A PROGRAM TO CURE ANOTHER COMMON EYE DISEASE CALLED 'CATARACTS'.

How did Fred Hollows work make a difference in the world?

His work has been recognised in many ways. He was given a Human Rights Medal, an Australian Achiever Award, made Australian of the Year, given an Order of Australia Award and had a medical foundation named after him

Fred Hollows was one of the four children in his family, the others being Colin, John and Maurice. All were born in Dunedin, New Zealand, to Joseph and Clarice (Marshall) Hollows. The family lived in Dunedin for the first seven years of his life.[1] He had one year of informal primary schooling at North East Valley Primary School and began attending Palmerston North Boys' High School when he was 13. Hollows received his BA degree from Victoria University of Wellington. He briefly studied at a seminary, but decided against a life in the clergy. After observing the doctors at a mental hospital during some charity work, he instead enrolled at Otago Medical School.

Early in the 1970s, Hollows worked with the Gurindji people at Wave Hill in the Northern Territory and then with the people around Bourke and other isolated New South Wales towns, stations and Aboriginal communities. He became especially concerned with the high number of Aborigines who had eye disorders, particularly trachoma. In July 1971, with Mum (Shirl) Smith and others, he set up the Aboriginal Medical Service in suburban Redfern in Sydney, and subsequently assisted in the establishment of medical services for Aboriginal People throughout Australia.[4] He is responsible for organising the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists to establish the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program (the "Trachoma Program") 19761978, with funding by the Federal Government.[5] Hollows himself spent three years visiting Aboriginal communities to provide eye care and carry out a survey of eye defects. More than 460 Aboriginal communities were visited, and 62,000 Aboriginal People were examined, leading to 27,000 being treated for trachoma and 1,000 operations being carried out.

REFERENCES
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/fred-hollows