School of Microbiology (1965 - 1996)

The School of Microbiology at the University of Melbourne was established in 1965 when the former Department of Bacteriology moved from the old medical school building (now, the southern part of the Potter Gallery complex) to the new medical complex near the corner of Royal Parade and Grattan St.

The title, "School of Microbiology" was justified on the grounds that it had two sections - the campus department and a sub-department at the Austin Hospital. At the time, the Austin's new Professor of Medicine, Austin Doyle, had argued strongly for a significant expansion of the hospital's Clinical Sciences building.

The Professor of Bacteriology, Syd Rubbo, bitterly opposed the founding of sub-departments (in three subject areas; pathology, microbiology and pharmacology) at the Austin, largely on the grounds of cost. When the three subjects were re-positioned into the third year of the curriculum in 1975, the rationale for the "School of Microbiology" designation was removed.

The title was revised to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the mid-1990s.

(Note: much useful information on this entry was provided by Dr Joc Forsyth.)

Previous and Subsequent Entities

 1929 - 1965 Department of Bacteriology
       1965 - 1996 School of Microbiology
             1996 - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Faculty

• Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne (1991 - )

Professors

• Pittard, Alfred James ('Jim')

  [1970 - 1997]