Homeopathy has been practiced for many years in WA but its growth is difficult to show on a time line since the New Norcia monks. Barbara Armstrong has written an outstanding History of Homeopathy in Australia which can be found at www.historyofhomeopathy.au in which she cites a chemist having practiced here in 1923 but there is very little content later than this.
During the search for further information into WA’s history of homeopathy many people were spoken to and many trails were followed. The information following is all from personal discussions with them either via phone or emails. The parts of the diaries and letters that contain the word Homeopathy from the New Norcia monks can be found in the menu at the top of the page under WA History.
It is known that three pharmacies were practicing in the mid 1900’s and selling homeopathic remedies. One is a pharmacy in South Fremantle which is still in practice today and has been for some 55 years and still selling homeopathic remedies when requested. Another was in the Perth CBD and called Fitch’s Pharmacy; they were very well known to the local and surrounding community and are remembered to this day. There is also a pharmacy in Subiaco which sells homeopathic remedies when requested. While Fitch’s does not exist as such the store is still there and called by a new name as it has new owners; they also sell homeopathic remedies if requested. Fitch’s now sell their homeopathic remedies on line. The pharmacy has been in business some 70+ years which means they have been around since the mid 1950’s. Quite an achievement and a testament to the continued use of homeopathy and therefore the sale of homeopathic remedies.
Whilst looking at the Goldfields for any historical knowledge of homeopathy, it was discovered that while there are references to herbal and the odd old remedies there seems to be nothing available on homeopathy. In the Coolgardie Heritage Museum, there are many wonderful containers with substances hard to understand their use, but there are some that remind us of homeopathy www.coolgardie.wa.gov.au This is an ongoing work of unveiling all the wonderful archival material held in storage so we wait and see if anything else is unearthed which could relate to homeopathy.
The WA museum has one artifact which it depicts on its web page
(visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip).
This is a Family Medicine Chest for homeopathic remedies and shows how they were stored. It is dated 1970 and the label on the inside says it was E H Ruddick MD who owned it and the label also gives the title of The Homeopathic Society of Australasia.
This seems to be the only thing held at the museum of WA although from previous visits by one of our members some years ago there were other artifacts on display. It seems that these have been put into storage and are no longer mentioned in any communication with the museum.
In 2003 a homeopath by the name of Francis Treuherz visited Perth to attend his daughter’s wedding and took the opportunity to research and write about Bishop Rosendo Salvado who was attributed with treating the indigenous population of New Norcia. The article is titled ‘Strange Rare and Peculiar: Aborigines, Benedictines and Homeopathy’. His preamble in this paper says “Julian Winton, in his erudite and entertaining history of homeopathy, referred to Bishop Rosendo Salvado who reputedly treated Aboriginals with homeopathy in 1857, in Western Australia. This was possibly the earliest use of homeopathy in Australia”.
Francis unfortunately found no case studies to support this statement but the ensuing article is none the less interesting. It can be found in full at the link here.
At the same time that Francis visited Perth, Jan Owen started her business- Jan Owen Homeopathics – and in fact met with Francis. Her company is based in Redcliffe and produces and sells remedies and has been operating since 2003. It currently homes Jan’s private collection of wonderful homeopathic memorabilia. This is also the place that the WA branch of the AHA holds its meetings on a regular 5-6 week basis.
WA formed its own Federation of Homeopaths in early 1990’s and the Oceanic Institute of Classical Homeopathy was founded by Maranatha Emmanuelle and her husband and registered on 8th January 1993 producing graduates some few years after this. In 1995 the Australian Homeopathic Association was formed and joined by most of the states; WA joined in 1997. This has led to each state sending a representative to the National council meetings and the WA branch has been fortunate so far in being able to have someone attend them. Pauline Kalbfell, Catherine Angel and Angela Pierce-Jones have been our representatives to date and they have done a remarkable job.
Since this time there have been a few colleges start up teaching Homeopathy – Perth Academy of Natural Therapies; Paramount College; Endeavour College and The Australian Institute of Holistic Medicine.
In 2010 the UK 2010 Cochrane review into homeopathy concluded that “reviews of studies of homeopathy do not show that homeopathic medicines have effects beyond placebo” (https://pubmed.nebi.nlm.nih.gov/20402610/). There was however a favourable review in a Swiss report of 2011 that revealed homoeopathy was effective and that the public wanted it to be included in their national health service. (https://www.swisshealthweb.ch/fileadmin/assets/SMW/2012/smw.2012.13594/smw-2012-13594.pdf) This report was disregarded and the NHMRC review in 2015 that followed (https.//www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/resources/homeopathy) adversely affected the industry on multiple levels, education, practices, supply of remedies to the public via pharmacies. In Perth and Australia as a whole, investigations into the efficacy of homoeopathic medicines were viewed both narrowly and negatively by unusually restrictive research parameters and bias ensued with the popular media and public opinion (www.homeopathy.oz.org) and (www.nhmrchomeopathy.com). The combination of influences during this time created ideal conditions to remove ‘unproven’ natural therapies from private health insurance fund rebates affecting practitioners’ livelihoods across the industry. Colleges were progressing to provide national accreditation standards around the country to elicit higher standards in professional practice. The long-term view was to become recognised registered allied health practitioners. Colleges teaching homeopathy and natural therapies were forced to close due to the contraction of the industry triggered by these negative reviews and unfavourable press – the 2010 UK Cochrane review and the 2015 NHMRC report. These reports into the efficacy of homoeopathic medicine along with the contraction of the industry that followed was devastating to the industry and students, teachers, support staff and families were left with emotional and financial pain.
The WA branch was able to contribute a sizeable sum to a Fighting Fund set up by the National Office to dispute the NHMRC findings that were conducted on the assessment of the evidence of homoeopathy. The NHMRC concluded that ‘there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homoeopathy is effective.’
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Questions-and-Answers.pdf (accessed 25/06/2024.)
Further information can be found on the National website.
There is in fact a substantial amount of mounting evidence and research that contradicts the NHMRC report. Please go to the link here for organisations involved in research.
This dispute is still not resolved but is being managed by a very strong network of homoeopaths at the AHA national office.
To this day in August 2024 there are still no bricks and mortar colleges that teach homoeopathy in WA. or Australia wide. However, there are now several international e-learning courses which are being very well attended on line plus one based in the eastern states. For a list of ARoH recognised courses please click here.
One of these is the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy run by Emeritus Professor George Vithoulkas. This course is co-ordinated by a Professionally registered homeopath here in WA. Dimple Kirpalani. There are over 70 students Australia wide with 10 of them based here in WA. at present and still growing. Dimple is a mentor and coordinator of the course Australia wide. Her very short bio can be found in the drop-down box under Mentoring.
The online learning has grown from strength to strength and has created a portal for the many families who are delighted to take responsibility for their health. This online homeopathic community is expanding and connecting like-minded individuals through all spectrums of society. Western Australia is a big state, often seemingly remote from the rest of the country and these e-learning courses have helped to bring the homeopathic community closer together in many ways.
The WA branch of the Australian Homeopathic Association has worked hard since its formation in 1997 to maintain its presence and continue to be a force for change. There have been many Initiatives developed and many people who have contributed greatly to the continuation of this branch of our Society. Some of these can be found in the Drop-down box on the home page.
One of the current committee members has gifted the WA branch with an indigenous artifact called a Message stick. Its purpose is to lend strength to the homeopathic community for mindfulness, compassionate speaking and listening during meetings. This was given in the hopes that it would encourage these same values in all our dealings with the NHMRC decisions and outpouring of anger and grief at this time. The Message stick has travelled all over Australia to discussions held at homeopathic meetings. The Artefact originates from one of the most remote Aboriginal communities called Tjuntjuntjara, located in what is called Spinifex country in a remote part of W.A., 750 kms north East of Kalgoorlie near the shell lakes and the S.A border. The language the people speak is called Pitjantjatjara, they are known as ‘Anangu’ meaning The People, located in the Southern Pitjantjatjara lands extending from the West, Tjuntjuntjara, to Oak Valley and Yalata across the South Australian border. The artefact is called Spinifex ‘Punu’ meaning wood carving made by Anangu on Spinifex country. Catherine Angel and John Townley returned to Tjuntjuntjara during 2021 and took the artefact with them to recharge it at its source, where it had been gifted to John many years prior. We feel this has enlivened it for its intended purpose – which was to lend strength to our homoeopathic community in the wake of the flawed NHMRC report. The message stick attends some of our meetings and we fondly refer to it as ‘the talking stick’ which alludes to mindfulness and compassionate speaking and listening during meetings.
The continued search for information on the growth of homeopathy in western Australia has sent us back to the New Norcia monks and the museum there. As we know, from research done by Jan Owen, Dom Salvado and other monks used homeopathy to treat the local population as well as themselves and kept records of letters and discussions but everything was written in Spanish and until recently had not been translated. Bishop Salvado’s diaries, which comprise 18 volumes and nearly a million words, were microfilmed in the early 1970s by the state library and transcription done by 2010. These were not of sufficient quality to translate so another attempt was made with superior transcription methods and translation was finally able to be done which took over 10 years. Now there are several diaries and correspondences which show when homoeopathy was brought here and used by the monks. These missives are dated from 1852 where Dom Salvado wrote about any contact with homoeopathy and his opinion on this method of treatment. There were times when the Dom did not think it was useful and at others, he seemed to have found a way to make it work. In October 1865 ‘he effected cures using homoeopathy and especially in the case of Dropsy’ according to the correspondence. In 1868 there is a comment on a book that Salvado was offered called “Hering’s Homeopathic Domestic Physician”. A copy was to be sent to a Priory in Bath, England for Dom Salvado to pick up. There is also a mention in 1865 of Salvado ordering a ‘homeopathic chest of 100 remedies including 60 polychrests’. Their success rate was not high but as they had no idea how to use the remedies that is not surprising.
This was an exciting find and we thank the archivist, Peter Hocking, at the New Norcia Museum for his work in searching for and finding the relevant documents. Peter has also written an article titled ‘Unlocking the Monks’ Archives’ which gives some valuable insight into the history and scope of the Benedictine community archives including the diaries. For anyone interested just Google his name and the article title.
Further research could be done to determine when the monks became ill and what remedies were used. Mention is made of curing a case of Dropsy with homoeopathics but not which remedy was used. The only remedies mentioned were Aconite, Belladonna, Arsenicum and Bryonia but not when or for what reason.
We can now say to Francis Treuherz that we have indeed found proof that Dom Salvado and the New Norcia monks used homeopathy to treat the local community and themselves. It would be interesting to know how their life progressed in general during the 1800’s but that is for another time.
Many of our members who studied and began their practice in the late 1990’s, have started to retire and we have taken the opportunity to interview them as an acknowledgement of the work done and presence felt of homeopathy in WA and to maintain an historical record for future references. The homeopaths interviewed are Phillip Hendry, Michael Blanche, Sally Moore, Clare Middle and Jan Owen. Kate Diamantopolou, and Maranatha Emmanuelle are recognised here in Memoriam also.
Jan Owen’s interview follows in recognition of her starting this web page which was done for a National Conference held here in Fremantle in 2006.
Jan Owen
an interview with Jill Cubitt
She has worked tirelessly spreading herself over many dimensions.
Her outstanding achievements beyond her homoeopathic ventures are:
- 2014 Received a Paul Harris award from Rotary;
- 2015 Received an Excellence in Volunteer Management Award; and
- 2021 Received an Order of Australia for volunteer work spending over 12 years in the Kimberely region delivering information on dental health and managing a team of dental professionals providing a dental service in remote aboriginal communities.
Where did you study Homoeopathy?
Jan studied Homeopathy by correspondence at the Queensland Institute of Natural Therapy and graduated in 1995.
What brought you to Homoeopathy?
Her husband and Jan acquired a property in the Swan Valley in Western Australia and decided to develop it. They built a nursery and a lovely tearoom and recruited a gardener who suggested they needed a theme to make the venture successful. As herb gardening was very popular at this time, they set about learning everything they could about herbs at a place called Tussy Mussy and herb Circle Kalamunda.
While doing a Herb Circle course the instructor who was teaching cooking with herbs introduced us to Bach flowers and homoeopathy. She was shown a home remedy kit which Jan thought was very weird and made little sense to her.
The homoeopath who had made the kit owned a practice in Attadale and Jan attended home prescribing classes and ended up buying the practice and dispensary, as the homoeopath was moving back to Queensland. This was eventually sold in 1998 and the Guildford practice was established.
What initiatives have you been involved in your time as a homoeopath?
In 2000 Jan opened a store in Mount Lawley to improve the publics access to homoeopathy. Homeopathic kits and educational materials were further developed to be ideal for home use and travel. The idea was that the people had a starting kit with the opportunity to learn as time went on.
The dispensary provided a range of homoeopathic remedies. There are books, tissue salts and kits and information about Bach flowers. The remedies are available to local pharmacies and health food stores with over 400 outlets Australia wide.
In 2003 Jan created and launched the Owen brand and range of remedies. Jan also wrote the book, “Homoeopathy of the Home Prescriber “, to accompany the remedy range. The book has been extremely successful and has been reprinted several times. This helped to introduce the community to the world of homoeopathy. She was also instrumental in donating a fairly large sum of money to the New Norcia Museum to help maintain the homoeopathic section of the museum and also helped them with the signage for various items and remedies as it was very clear by their labelling that they were very confused between what was herbal and what was homoeopathic.
What has been your experience or how do you see your input into the local community as a homoeopath community and society in general.
Being able to spread the information about homeopathy has given Jan a great deal of satisfaction over the years. Jan has a clientele of over 4000 and is known far and wide. Her online newsletter and educational material provide information to her readers on a regular basis.
Where would you like to see homoeopathy go in society in general.
Jan believes at the present time, there is a lack of training available, which needs to be addressed. Presently, she conducts two one day lectures at Redcliffe and two on line lectures to those that can’t attend her clinic. The Redcliffe Centre was built in 2007 and has been invaluable to the Association’s members, where they have been able to use the premises to hold meetings, seminars and workshops over the years. It has an impressive dispensary and a team of people behind the scenes who are there to help if needed.
Jan’s museum of homeopathy and pharmacy
Jan’s museum, is now established in the Redcliffe Centre which has a comprehensive array of historical memorabilia. There are homoeopathic kits and bottles dating back to the 1910 and homoeopathic labelled bottles from British pharmacies which are over 150 years old. There are also preparations from Humphrey’s of New York. There is a prescribing booklet from Hobart dated 1883.
In 1999, Jan’s Homoeopathic Education Centre obtained from the Efford family, saved items from the old pharmacy. The parents had set up a pharmacy in the early ‘30’s which serviced the surrounding the area of Beverely. These items also reside safely in the Redcliffe centre.
Thanks to an amazing homoeopath in sharing her homoeopathic journey.
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As we move towards the end of 2024 it has become evident that homeopathy is once again being discussed and people are looking for a professional homeopath. New students and newly qualified professionals are emerging to start up their own practice and continue the good work started by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. His aphorism that we must ‘First do no Harm’ remains a guiding principle for all practitioners who seek only to help those who prefer to choose a homeopathic approach to health.
The WA branch of the AHA and Homeopathy in general look forward now to a brighter future.