Henry Forman Atkinson Dental Museum, University of Melbourne
The Henry Forman Atkinson Dental Museum has the most comprehensive and significant dental collection in Australia, and is one of the oldest and most fascinating collections owned by the University of Melbourne. It is an invaluable reference resource for the identification of instruments and the history of dental equipment, and for the study of the social history of dentistry and dental education in Victoria.
The Museum re-opened to the public in 2006, following its relocation with the School of Dental Science and the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, to new premises at 720 Swanston Street.
The collection documents the development of dentistry in Victoria and the history of dental education in this State. It recounts the early pioneers' struggles with successive governments for the means to provide dental care to the poor, school children and the community at large, showing a continuous striving to raise the level of dental education and to meet the increasing demands for treatment.
The collection includes historic records and archival material (much of which is accessible through the University of Melbourne Archives), as well as dental surgery, workroom and laboratory equipment dating from the 18th century to the present day.
The collection catalogue can be accessed online via the Museum's website at http://museum.dent.unimelb.edu.au/