Doctor's car badges


Item details

Object number M-8023
Date Early to mid 20th century
Category Curiosities and miscellaneous
Material Enamelled metal

Description

A pair of flat enamelled metal disc badges with the Rod of Asclepius at the centre and the wording Western Australian on a banner at the bottom. Such car badges were issued to doctors for vehicle identification to give them speedy and uninterrupted passage, and sometimes an escort, when attending urgent cases. A badge was attached to both front and rear number plates.

This pair of badges was issued by the British Medical Association to which West Australian doctors belonged until the Australian Medical Association was formed in 1962. This badge has the number 173 and belonged to Dr G W Barker (Snr) who practised at 1321 Hay Street, West Perth. During World War II Dr Barker was the Administrator of Royal Perth and Fremantle Hospitals. The badge was attached to his Wolsey car. It was later passed to his son Dr G W Barker (Jnr), who practised at the same address and drove a Jaguar.