Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History facts for kids

This statue of Hippocrates is inside the Mayne Medical School, where the museum is located.

The Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History is a special place where you can explore the past of medicine! It's located at the University of Queensland Mayne Medical School in Herston, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This museum is run by amazing volunteers and supported by the University of Queensland.

It holds a huge collection of over 7,000 items. These include old medical tools, surgical instruments, and other cool things related to medicine. The museum mostly focuses on medical history in Queensland, but it also has items important to Australia and even the whole world!

The Museum's Story

The museum first opened its doors in 1950. It started with generous gifts from two doctors: Dr. Alexander Hammett Marks and Dr. John Hardie. Dr. John Hardie shared items from his father's collection. His father was Sir David Hardie, who was Queensland's very first medical knight!

In 1980, the museum got a new name: the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History. This new name honored the Marks family, who had given many items to the collection over the years. It also honored Dr. Konrad Hirschfeld. He was the son of Eugen Hirschfeld and worked as the museum's curator for more than 20 years. A curator is someone who takes care of a museum's collection.