Eulogy For Janus James Fawke
A History of Chiropractic
By Mahinda Lall

FRIENDS

I have been given the honor of bidding farewell to JANUS JAMES FAWKE, a friend and colleague for nearly 35 years. He passed away on 24th December last year in Brisbane.

Janus, better known to all of us as Jan, was born on the 18th March, 1934 and had his education at Brighton Grammar School. Jan’s love and passion was to study physical medicine. His father had other ideas and got him a job with Flack and Flack, a company of chartered accountants, where he commenced his studies in accountancy. While still employed with Flack and Flack, Jan had to do compulsory National Service, which he completed in August, 1953. During his stint in National Service he became a 2nd Lieutenant and then remained in the CMF for a further five years.

Whilst at Flack and Flack, he met a client, Alex Tolman, who owned a toy company, BRENTOYS, with royalty agreements with some of the major toy manufacturers, such as Louis Marx, Inc., Walt Disney and Hopalong Cassidy. Alex Tolman decided to start a new company called TOLTOYS, and gave Jan a five-year contract to be Company Secretary, Finance Director and a position on the Board. During this tenure, he established Toltoys in New Zealand and also became Treasurer of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. He continued further training with the CMF, and, as a Field Officer in the 2 Armoured Brigade, he acted as Aide de Camp to an American 3 star General, Ernest O’Donnell.

Three and a half years into his contract with TOLTOYS, Jan was asked to take out a further contact for five years and to set up a new company in the USA. Jan declined and left Toltoys to pursue his first love, which was physical medicine. He enrolled in the Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia in February, 1959, run by its founder, Dr. F.G. Roberts.

This was the turning point not only in Jan’s life but in the life and future of the chiropractic profession. This will unravel as we travel along the rocky road that Jan and chiropractic was destined to traverse.

Jan graduated in December 1963 and commenced practice in 1964 at 84 Collins St., Melbourne, paying the handsome sum of ten pounds per week. Over the years Jan established practices in Mentone, Footscray and Beaumaris in Victoria.

Dr F.G. Roberts was getting on in years and the wise old doyen of chiropractic realised that the future of the profession lay in good education and needed a strong hand at the helm. He appointed Jan as the Administrator in 1968, and he remained the Administrator from 1968 - 1970, and then became the Principal from 1971 to 1977.

But, I am jumping the gun a bit. I think we need to recount those difficult early years. We faced what seemed like insurmountable challenges at every corner. Our senior citizens will recall that we chiropractors were “illegally practising medicine without a licence”; we were labelled as “quacks” and “charlatans” by the AMA; we were “uneducated and a danger to the public, and the list of abuse goes on and on. This was the enemy without. Even worse was the enemy within!

The profession was splintered between the so-called “proper chiropractors”, trained in North America, and the Australian-trained, so-called “pseudo chiropractor”. To make matters worse, the Australian-trained chiropractors were themselves split within themselves, with a motley group calling themselves chiropractors but with education and practice differences as long as your arm. The American and Canadian-trained chiropractors were united under one banner, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA). The Australian-trained chiropractors were divided into several associations, mostly by States. The United Chiropractors Association was the only national organisation at the time and to crown it all, was the urgency for Government recognition and registration.

This then, was the scenario facing Jan when he also became President of the United Chiropractors Association. A formidable array of problems to say the least. This would have daunted most men, but, with his characteristic exuberance, energy and optimism, Jan tackled the hurdles as follows - not necessarily in chronological order.

Let’s start with education. He dropped the “Osteopathy” part of the name and the college became “The Chiropractic College of Australasia”, not because he was disenchanted with Osteopathy, but because he could see that Chiropractic would be the more prominent profession, and his foresight was correct. However, the College still retained many osteopathic techniques. Next he phased out the part-time course. He also realised that eventually the course would have to be integrated into a tertiary University course, with public funding, if possible. With this in mind he started negotiations with Technisearch, the commercial arm of RMIT, and the College moved from East Malvern to Swanston Street in Melbourne. RMIT had not formalised integration of the college and was providing sessional facilities by way of lectures and services.

Negotiations were then started with the Lincoln Institute, which was running a course in physiotherapy. They were very interested but did not want to include the name “chiropractic” in the title. Jan, as President or UCA, found this totally unacceptable and withdrew support for the submission.

In the meantime, the ACA had realised that if they were going to continue relying on an overseas education as a base for recognition, they would fall well behind the UCA, which had an Australian base. With this in mind they had established the International College of Chiropractic at Preston Institute of Technology, with Dr Kleynhans as the Head of School. Both the ACA and UCA had been clearly told by the Victorian Government, under the Premier, Mr. Rupert Hamer, that Registration of the profession would only be possible if the profession was united. Easier said than done, as each organisation not only wanted to protect their own turf, but wanted ascendancy! Fortunately, common sense prevailed and the UCA and ACA united in Victoria. Jan played a key role in these negotiations. However, let it be understood that there were many more ACA and UCA members who made this memorable deal possible, at great sacrifice in time and effort at the negotiating-table. A combined profession now emerged in Victoria under the name of Australian Chiropractors Association. The next step was to transfer the UCA students at RMIT to the International College of Chiropractic at PIT. This was no small mailer as the two courses were different and credits had to be given for studies completed. Preceding the above scenario were countless submissions and appearances by Jan and many other UCA office-bearers, before individual State Enquiries, culminating in the National Enquiry, headed by Professor Webb, in 1977.

Thanks to Jan and his cohorts in the UCA and ACA, we have one of the largest Chiropractic organisations in the world, backed by three University-based courses in Australia. A remarkable achievement!

Jan’s successes continued for many years in a multiplicity of areas. The Victorian Minister for Health appointed him to the first Chiropractic and Osteopathic Registration Board, and he was a member for many years. He was a founding Governor of the Australian Spinal Research Foundation. He was appointed a senior chiropractic consultant to the Motor Accident Board and Transport Accident Commission from 1982 - 1990 and was a member of the Victorian State Working Committee for Work Cover.

The list of his achievements and his contribution to the chiropractic profession goes on and on. I would not be exaggerating when I say that the profession owes a great deal to Jan for the years of dogged and selfless effort in contributing to what we are and where we are, today!

Jan retired from chiropractic in Mornington, Victoria and moved to Noosa in Queensland with his wife, Wynnette, to fight his losing battle with Cancer. He passed away on 24th December last year in Brisbane. With him also was his previous wife and helpmate of many years, Colleen Fawke Griffith. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Wynette, Colleen and his family.

Well, Jan, on behalf of all of us:

“Farewell, my friend and colleague of so many years and our heartfelt thanks for all you have done for us. Now, rest in peace.”