Page 12 - Pharmacy History 29 Nov 2006

Once upon a time ...
By Geoff Miller
One of the outstanding features of his career was WHEN Charles Conway, pharmacist, was appointed Assistant Surgeon to two of Geraldton’s medical practitioners in 1896.
The year was 1884, and a
very young pharmacist, Charles Conway, accepted a Government position at the Victoria District Hospital in Geraldton, the Northern Sea port town, some 420km from Perth.
Conway was born in Chicago, USA, to British parents who migrated to Australia when he was twelve
years old.
He had decided that pharmacy
was to be his calling and when
the opportunity arose he became indentured to Dr Alfred Waylen, the Chief Medical Officer for the colony of Western Australia.
As the hospital pharmacist, he was also the assistant to the only medical practitioner between Geraldton
and Carnarvon, a distance of
nearly 500km, and he gained much experience in medicine and surgery which was put to the benefit of treating patients unable to be attended to by the doctor.
Charles Conway pictured with his son.
ventured to treat the sick in outlying areas. His dedication and willingness to travel became legendary and the name of Conway became a household name throughout the district where he was known as the ‘Little doctor of the north’.
After six years at the hospital he decided to venture into business
on his own, and he opened the first pharmacy north of Perth in Gregory Street Geraldton, in 1891. Later, when town businesses moved closer to the second railway station, the Charles Conway Drug Company’s Medical Hall opened in a row of tin houses in Marine Terrace.
One of the outstanding features of
his career was when Charles Conway, pharmacist, was appointed Assistant Surgeon to two of Geraldton’s medical practitioners in 1896.
Altogether he served the Geraldton community for 46 years before he moved to another country town, Wagin, which is 220km south
of Perth.
A legacy of Charles Conway that is now proudly displayed in the offices of The Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia is his travelling Medicine Chest, pictured on the front cover of this issue, and a collection of Conway memorabilia.
On his trusty pony, Conway willingly
Charles Conway Drug Company’s Medical Hall opened in a row of tin houses in Marine Terrace, West End, Geralton, WA.
12 ■ Pharmacy History Australia volume 3 ■ no 25 ■ March 2005