Reaching Out

The School of Physiotherapy is immensely proud of the contribution its graduates have made to health in the wider community over the 100 years since the School’s inception in 1913. The formal celebrations for the School's centenary were held in Dunedin in April 2013. Included was the launch of the centennial publication In Our Hands: 100 Years of Physiotherapy at Otago 1913-2013, by historian Louise Shaw. This book details the rich history of physiotherapy education. What the book did not have room to tell were the stories of the many individual graduates from the School who have made significant national and international contributions to the development of physiotherapy and a diverse range of areas in health. Some of these stories are told in this exhibition at the de Beer Gallery in the Special Collections Library.

Apart from receiving their education at the School of Physiotherapy at Otago, the graduates featured in this exhibition are all defined by their passion for physiotherapy in their own unique way. These individuals have pushed 'physiotherapy' to new heights and set new standards. They have been uncompromising in their mission, inspiring their colleagues and the wider health community. They have reached out to demonstrate how things could be done differently and above all, sought ways to enable their patients to lead better and more productive lives.

The School of Physiotherapy is honoured to feature these special people in this exhibition in the de Beer Gallery and to tell the stories of the ways these physiotherapists have responded to the needs of their communities by reaching out.

Exhibition poster (81kb PDF)