The History of Homeopathy in South Australia

Homoeopathy arrived on our shores almost with the first settlers. The earliest activity was recorded in the 1850's. Homoeopathy was often more popular than conventional medicine in the 1800's when leaching and bloodletting were common.

Homoeopathic hospitals were opening their doors throughout the country. Melbourne, Sydney, and Tasmania had their own busy hospitals. The two systems of medicine (orthodox medicine and homoeopathy) were often in tight competition with one another.

In SA the Germans in the Barossa Valley had strong ties with homoeopathy. They treated their livestock and themselves successfully with homoeopathic remedies. Evidence can still be found in the German Museum in Tanunda, where books and remedy chests are displayed.

In 1867, during two major epidemics where many lives were lost the first Adelaide Homoeopathic Dispensary was set up to provide medical aid for the poor. The Scot Dr. Allan Campbell, a true health reformer and homoeopath began practicing with others in this dispensary, which was the only place the poor could be treated as out patients.

In 1876 the homoeopath Campbell met up with a group of upper class women to discuss the establishment of a children's hospital in Adelaide. Two years later the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now known as Women's and Children's Hospital) opened it's doors to the youngsters of South Australia.

The hospital was attended by three homoeopathic doctors and three allopathic (orthodox medicine) doctors.

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