John Joseph Holland
From: The Cyclopedia of Western Australia 1912/13
Dr John (Joe) Joseph Holland J.P., M.B. (Syd.)
JOHN JOSEPH HOLLAND, J.P., M.B. (Syd.), medical practitioner, of Katanning, is a son of Mr. Daniel Holland, a merchant of Goulburn, New South Wales, and was born in the there on February 11, 1876. He received his preliminary education at St. Joseph’s College, Hunter’s Hill, Sydney, and upon matriculating at the University of Sydney was awarded the Norbert-Quirk Scholarship at St. John’s College for classics.
He entered upon the study of medicine and surgery, qualifying at that institution in 1904, and upon gaining his diplomas was first identified with St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, where he obtained valuable experience as house surgeon. This position was succeeded by that of resident medical officer at the Coast Hospital, Sydney, and he subsequently entered in the same capacity the Lewisham Hospital for women and children.
In 1907 he came to Western Australia, and after filling a temporary post at Mulwarrie Hospital, Dr. Holland was transferred to the Government hospital at Kanowna, where he continued in charge for three years.
Resigning this appointment, he came to Katanning in 1910 in order to establish himself in private practice and has since become widely and popularly known throughout the district, his connection extending over 50 miles of country. Dr. Holland is a member and committeeman of the Great Southern Pastoral and Agricultural Society, and also serves on the committee of the local Mechanics’ Institute.
He is a practical sympathiser with the various charitable movements inaugurated in the town, and what little leisure he can spare from his professional duties is wholly devoted to the betterment of local conditions. He is prominent in matters of sport and fills the office of lion, secretary of the Great Southern Polo Association, which embraces all the polo clubs on the great southern railway line. He is president of the Katanning Tennis Club, one of the committee of the Katanning Racing Club, and still retains membership in the Sydney University Club.
In 1906 Dr. Holland married Alicia, daughter of the late Mr. James Simmons, of Meniwa, New South Wales, and has a son and two daughters.
From the WA NOW & THEN Website
John Holland married Alicia Simmons in 1906 and the following year, enticed by the better salaries offered in the mining areas of the west, he moved to Mulwarrie, northwest of Coolgardie. After a dispute with the hospital Board, Joe left Mulwarrie and took up a position at the White Feather Hospital at Kanowna.
Vinot Deguin and Dr. Holland outside his Katanning home.
(Courtesy Loreley Morling – WA Now & Then)
Dr. Holland was greatly respected in the goldfields but Kanowna was starting to decline as the population moved to other areas so in 1910 he moved with his family to Katanning. To begin with Joe rode a bicycle on his rounds, as he had always done on the goldfields but eventually he purchased a motor car (a Vinot) which made doing his rounds a little more comfortable.
During World War 1, Dr. Holland moved to Perth to help alleviate the shortage of doctors in the city. It was while he was working in Perth that he was contacted by telegraph by an operator in the very remote town of Halls Creek. The famous ‘operation by telegraph’ then took place and Dr. Holland decided to make the long arduous trip north to check on the patient.
It took him 11 days to reach Halls Creek only to find that the patient had died the day before he arrived, not from the effects of the operation but from a bout of malaria. Joe wrote in his diary: ‘The news upset me more than I can express. I felt that I had lost someone near and dear to me.‘
Dr. Holland realised that a better way of tending to the sick and injured in the outback was needed and when he arrived back in Fremantle (after the 7400 kilometre journey) he met Rev. John Flynn at Perth train station. Dr. Holland told Flynn about the trip and of the requests that he return to the area. He added; ‘but next time I’ll fly.’ The Halls Creek incident sparked the germ of an idea in Rev. Flynn’s mind that would eventually lead to the establishment of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
In 1915 Dr. Holland became honorary gynaecologist at Royal Perth Hospital, an association that lasted until 1939.
In 1929 he became State President of the British Medical Association and was also engaged in work for St. John Ambulance [2] becoming president of the Association in 1924. He was a tireless supporter for the development medical education and was a founder of the WA University’s anatomy school. Before he died he was to see the first batch of students graduate.
Dr John Holland
Insignia of Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem
Also in 1924 Dr. Holland was invested with the Insignia of Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem at Buckingham Palace. In 1934 he was promoted to Knight of Grace and was Medical Attendant to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester during a state visit in 1937. He was invited to attend the coronation of King George VI and accepted, travelling to London where he also represented the Western Australian St. John’s Association at the St. John’s Day celebrations at St. John’s Gate.
After World War Two concluded, Dr. Holland wound down his activities with St. John’s and concentrated on the office of Lt. of the Commandery in Western Australia. In 1946 he retired from private practice but did not remain idle for long. He worked with the Repatriation Department for another five years.
An older John Joseph Holland 1956
Peter Holland photograph
He ‘retired’ again in 1956 but this was a short lived as the first. He became involved the the anti-poliomyelitis campaign and was in charge of No. 1 mobile clinic. Initially he had agreed to perform these duties for a month but in the end he went on for 12 months until all the children in his zone had been vaccinated.
If the forgoing awards and achievements were not enough, Joe was a JP from 1910 and honorary captain in the Army Reserve during and after the World War One. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1952 for his work with St. John Ambulance. He founded the Medical Defence Association of WA, and helped to start the Medical Benevolent Fund. He was honorary surgeon to the WA Turf Club and WA Trotting Association for about 40 years. His leisure activities were almost as numerous and demanding as his working life, spanning horse racing and a love of the arts.
Dr. John Joseph Holland passed away on January 4th 1959 just before his 83rd birthday. Although he is mostly remembered for his involvement in the ‘operation by telegraph’ incident, he was a tireless supporter of medical science and his work benefited many thousands of people in Western Australia.
Peter Holland, remembered by many as the epitome of an ABC news-reader, is the grandson of Dr. J. Holland. Our sincere thanks to Peter Holland for the use of the photographs on this page, also to Loreley Morling for photographs and written information from which we have drawn a great deal of the detail about Dr. Holland’s life.
Please note: John Joseph Holland should not be confused with the John Holland who
pioneered the route to the Goldfields that became known as the Holland Track.
There was also a Victorian politician named John Joseph Holland.
1876 – Born February 11th.
1906 – Married Alicia Simmons and moved to Coolgardie.
1910 – Moved to Katanning.
1910 – Became a justice of the peace.
1914 – (Circa)John and his family move to Perth.
1915 – Made an honorary gynaecologist at Royal Perth Hospital.
1917 – July 28th, the ‘operation by telegraph’ takes place.
1924 – Became president of the St. John Ambulance Association.
1924 – Invested with the Insignia of Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem at Buckingham Palace.
1929 – State President of the British Medical Association.
1934 – Promoted to Knight of Grace.
1937 – Medical Attendant to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester during a state visit
1946 – Retired from private practice.
1947 – Came out of retirement and worked with the Repatriation Department for five years.
1952 – Made a Commander of the British Empire.
1956 – Retired again but soon came out of retirement to help with the roll-out of polio vaccines.
1959 – Died on January 4th.
The above information was sourced from the WA Now & Then website.
You can check out its website HERE.