From Farriers to Surgeons: Geelong’s Veterinary Story

This episode revisits Bryan Wardle’s detailed account of veterinary practice in Geelong — from its earliest days to the modern profession. At a time when horses powered transport, commerce, and daily life, veterinary surgeons were vital figures. Working alongside farriers and livery-stable keepers, they kept animals healthy and serviceable.

Drawing on early directories, advertisements, and professional records, Wardle traces the evolution of the “horse doctor” into a regulated profession — shaped by pioneers in Victoria and strengthened by institutions like the Melbourne Veterinary College and the Veterinary Board of Victoria.

Republished here, the podcast highlights the contribution of Geelong’s veterinary surgeons across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It’s both a tribute to the practitioners who laid the foundations of modern care — and a reminder of the horse’s central role in our region’s past.

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