Rare collection of ophthalmic equipment at the Eye and Ear turns 50

17 August 2009

A rare collection that charts the search for a cure for blindness over the last 260 years turns 50 this year.

Housed at the Eye and Ear Hospital, the conjoint Eye and Ear/RANZCO museum has the most comprehensive collection of ophthalmic equipment of historical significance in Australia.

The collection includes spectacles designed by Benjamin Franklin in 1804 right through to the Kelman cryostylet cryoprobe, which was used in cataract surgery in the 1960s.

Established in 1959 with many pieces donated by collectors from all over Australia, the museum tells the story of the passion and resourcefulness of surgeons who have invented new technology to advance the care of eye patients.

The partnership between the Eye and Ear and RANZCO ensures the collection is available for research and continues to inspire new generations of eye surgeons.

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