HISTORY OF THE ANZJOG

History of the ANZJOG

History

In 1959, the Arthur Wilson Memorial Foundation expressed interest in sponsoring an Australian journal on obstetrics and gynaecology. Both the Australian Regional Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the New Zealand Regional Council of RCOG were receptive to the proposal.

The publication was backed financially by the Arthur Wilson Memorial Foundation and an ANZ Journal Company inaugurated.

First issue

The first issue of the Journal appeared in March 1961. The Journal's circulation in its first year of publication was approximately 500 and increased to 700 in 1962.

Subscriptions and submissions for the Journal increased over time as academic units were developed in Australian and New Zealand hospitals in the 1970s. The circulation of the Journal reached 1000 for the first time in 1978.

Following its formation in 1978, the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RACOG) agreed to provide the Journal to all of its members (as part of their subscriptions). The Journal became the 'official organ' of the RACOG, the Royal New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the RACOG Research Foundation (formerly the Arthur Wilson Memorial Foundation).

A separate company

In 1998, the Australian and New Zealand Colleges merged to become the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). To preserve the educational taxation status of the new College, the RANZCOG dissolved the ANZ Journal Company and the administration of the Journal was brought under the auspices of the RANZCOG Council and the renamed RANZCOG Research Foundation.

The present day

Production of the Journal since November 2001 has been overseen by editor Michael Humphrey.

The current circulation of the Journal in 2004 is 5500. It is received by all Fellows, Members, Trainees and Diplomates of the RANZCOG and by over 400 non-College subscribers, including libraries, international hospitals, medical colleges, educational institutions, overseas-based doctors and pharmaceutical and medico-legal organisations.