---
title: "History of Anaesthetic Services"
slug: "history"
description: "Anaesthetic Services traces its history to 1962, when three Melbourne junior doctors combined their administrative requirements to provide anaesthetics to Melbourne patients."
eyebrow: "Our history"
heroH1: "A Melbourne anaesthetic group, since 1962."
heroLede: "Three junior doctors combined their administrative requirements in 1962 to provide anaesthetics to Melbourne patients. Today we are one of Victoria's longest-running anaesthetic groups."
---

## Our history

![Elesmere — 19 Erin Street, Richmond (no longer our address)](/images/Elesmere_old.jpg)

As one of the oldest anaesthetic groups in Victoria, Anaesthetic Services has a history that can be traced back to 1958, when three junior doctors elected to combine their administrative requirements and establish a service for providing anaesthetics to Melbourne patients. The registered business name was originally Epworth Anaesthetic Services. The name was changed in 1980 to Elesmere Anaesthetic Services, which remains the registered name of the company today. For many years we have been known simply as Anaesthetic Services.

In the 1960s, bookings for cases were done by Mrs McArthur, who converted a spare room in Rosanna into an office, where she ran several telephone lines. She answered calls on a 24-hour basis, relaying the messages to the doctors and the hospitals. No booking came directly to the doctors’ homes.

Mrs McArthur retired in 1970, after which Mrs Lyckman was appointed as the booking clerk. She continued to provide a 24-hour service to the (by then, ten) anaesthetists, with the premises located at 224 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne. During this period, most anaesthetic work consisted of individual operations, not lists, and meant travelling between metropolitan hospitals, frequently involving four to six cases in the same day.

The required anaesthetic equipment was not provided in the private hospitals, so consequently this would involve carrying a portable anaesthetic gas machine with reserve nitrous oxide cylinders. Oxygen cylinders (not a piped supply) were available at the operating theatre. A separate bag containing drugs, syringes, face masks, endotracheal tubes, laryngoscopes, and associated connections were taken into each operating session. The bag also had provision for open ether administration, which was still in widespread use. Later, when anaesthetic machines had vaporisers, halothane was also carried.

## Our foundation members

### Dr. Robert W.E. Manser

Dr. Manser spent 1958 and 1959 as a Registrar in the Anaesthetic Department at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. This department was directed by Robert H. Orton. Dr. Manser held a pilot’s licence that he obtained during his time serving in the RAAF, where he also spent time at the Warrnambool Base Hospital. Dr. Manser died in Queensland in 1996.

### Dr. James A. Birrell

![Dr. James A. Birrell](/images/Dr_JABirell.jpg)

Dr. Birrell had been in a group practice in the Kew area, and attended The Alfred Hospital as an Honorary Visiting Anaesthetist to the Urology Unit. In 1958 he decided to become a full-time anaesthetist and joined Dr. Manser. Dr. Birrell continues to reside in Melbourne.

### Dr. M.C. (Chan) Piercy

![Dr. M.C. (Chan) Piercy](/images/Dr_MCPiercy.jpg)

Dr. Piercy spent 1959 and 1960 as an Anaesthetic Registrar at The Alfred Hospital. His first year was with Dr. Manser, and the second year was spent with Dr. J. Lane, who was also an ex-General Practitioner. Dr. Piercy continues to reside in Melbourne.

![Account in Dr. Birrell's hand](/images/BirrellAccount.jpg)