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Australia Fred Hollows

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2010 One Dollar

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Between 2008 and 2013 the Royal Australian Mint produced a series of one dollar coins that commemorated the contributions made by a number of inspirational Australians. This piece celebrates the life of ophthalmologist Fred Hollows. The reverse was designed by Vladimir Gottwald and features his impression of a photograph taken of Hollows holding an intraocular lens. The legend states "INSPIRATIONAL AUSTRALIANS: HEALTH CARE" and "FRED HOLLOWS 1929 - 1993". The obverse houses the standard Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1929 Fred Hollows studied medicine at the University of New Zealand (Otago). Hollows went on to specialise in ophthalmology (specialist in the anatomy, physiology, and disease of the eye). After studying for some time in London Hollows came to Australia where he served as an A/Prof of Medicine. While in Australia Hollows became heavily involved in reducing the rates of curable eye diseases among the aboriginal population and came to recognise that poverty often drove poor eye health. In 1985 he expanded his work to Nepal, Eritrea, and Vietnam and began working to help these countries manufacture intra-ocular lenses to avoid the prohibitory prices charged by western manufacturers. The Fred Hollows foundation was created to allow his work to grow even after his death in 1993. (Peter Baume, 2017)