Page 5 - Pharmacy History 32 July 2007

James born to
dispense good advice
By the tender age of 14, James Jnr. knew he was destined to join the family firm.
He started out modestly by delivering medicines and washing bottles. (Those were the days when medicines were mixed at the pharmacy and decanted into bottles. A dumb waiter pulley system lowered them from
the upstairs dispensary to the ground floor.)
It was an early initiation, but the young James loved it.
In 1969 he completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Queensland. After traineeships at the Mater Public Hospital Pharmacy and Henry Evans Chemist in Roma St and a three-month contract as a locum at Mt. Hagen in Papua New Guinea, his father Jas employed him as a pharmacist.
Jas was a partner in the T&G Day
& Night Pharmacy and it was while working there that James Jnr met
his future wife, pharmacist Carmel,
at a staff Christmas party where, the story goes, he impressed her with his dancing skills.
The couple married in 1978 and
have four children - all of whom are university-educated and have entered the business worlds of commerce, real estate, and pharmacy in Bridget’s case, giving the family three generations
of pharmacists and future succession planning.
James and Carmel are Members
of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Pharmacy Guild, and both are Fellows of the Australian College of Pharmacy Practice and Management. Carmel is presently on the Advisory Board of Pharmacy at Queensland University of Technology and a Member of the Australian College of Natural Medicine Council and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Good service no doubt makes a business, but also contributing to
the success is James’s own glowing reputation.
He is well-known as a professional businessman and community-minded
Following in Mum and Dad’s footsteps. Carmel, James and Bridget Delahunty.
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Pharmacy History Australia ■ 5
resident and has friends from many walks of life.
Family ties:
Bridget Delahunty didn’t need to visit her high school guidance counsellor for help on choosing a career path.
It was written in history that she’d become a pharmacist.
Fifteen years ago, an eight-year-old Bridget was amid the family business’ 60th anniversary celebrations, and
a newspaper reported on it, stating “Future pharmacist” below Ms Delahunty’s photo.
At 22, she completed stage one of
her journey to becoming a third- generation pharmacist, by completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy at University of Queensland.
Ms Delahunty said there was no pressure to pull on a white lab coat.
“I chose pharmacy because I really enjoyed caring for our clients at Mum and Dad’s chemists, as well as keeping people healthy and providing remedies to help them through their illnesses,” she said.
She is now enjoying her pre- registration year outside the family
business, but hasn’t ruled out rejoining the Delahunty fold after traveling the world and working overseas.
James sister Alice-Anne Bagster is a Sydney pharmacist whilst his elder sister Jennifer is married to Terry Parer who spent 41years as the resident pharmacist in St. George South West Queensland.
The Delahunty philosophy of retailing is getting the balance between service and the help yourself super market and discount approach.
The future for James means continuing to fly with new and innovative pharmacies and continuing to think as an entrepreneur.
Here’s to the next 75 years.!.
Acknowledgement
This article was condensed from an advertising feature which appeared in the “Brisbane City News” on August 23rd 2007, to celebrate the Jas J Delahunty’s 75 years of service.