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Berowra's Doctors
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DetailsBerowra’s first medico was Dr Beryl Rich who graduated from Sydney University in March 1944. After marrying she and her husband moved to a partly built house on the corner of Alan and Woodcourt Roads in September 1950. Berowra was desperate for its own doctor at the time and Dr Rich was convinced to open a practice there to cover the area from Berowra to Brooklyn, taking over from Dr Eric Giblin whose practice was based at Asquith.
Dr Rich’s practice opened in 1951 in a small surgery and waiting room to her house. Then in 1953 Dr Rich relocated to the Pacific Highway (just north of the old Total Garage). After a surgery and waiting room were added to the new house the practice also relocated. A big boost to the medical service was when the first pharmacy opened near Dr Rich’s new surgery (the old pharmacy building is part of Berowra Car Care today).
Dr Rich did a lot of house calls during the day and performed evening surgeries. She also performed many “home births” in Berowra, particularly during the post war “baby boom” period when there was an acute shortage of maternity hospital beds.
In December 1959 Dr Rich and her husband relocated to Tennant Creek where she accepted a position of Medical Officer in charge of Tennant Creek Hospital. She sold her practice to Dr Frank Munro.
In 1965 Doctor Joseph Lucas moved to Berowra and purchased Dr Rich’s original practice on the Pacific Highway from Dr Burns, who had taken over from Dr Munro. Just like Dr Rich, Dr Lucas looked after patients from Berowra to Cowan and down to Brooklyn until other doctors came out to the area. During those early years it was not unusual for Dr Lucas to be paid for his services in fish, home grown vegetables and even oysters. He never refused to see a patient.
After a few years, Dr Lucas moved his residence and practice to Alan Road where his red doctor’s surgery light down the side of his house was a constant and often welcome sight. When he retired in March 1992 after 27 years in Berowra he continued to live in his house in Alan Road. He passed away in 2003.
Doctor Lucas fled Czechoslovakia when the communists took over. He spent some time in Papua New Guinea before coming out to Australia and settling in Berowra. He had a great love of history and classical music.
Another much loved local Berowra doctor was Dr. De Ruyter who saw patients at his home at 24 Lonsdale Ave. where he had his surgery from the early 1960s. He also practised homeopathy.
In 1967 the population was quickly growing & there was a significant push for a community hospital in Berowra from a Mrs Olson & the Berowra Progress Association. Hornsby Council were supportive & representatives from Hornsby Hospital even came out to speak with the community & make site inspections. The preferred site was at the end of High Street with the intention of pushing through the dead end road to Gully Road. For whatever reason the Berowra Hospital plans did not proceed any further.
In December 1973 the Baby Health Centre opened on Berowra Waters Road
In July 1975 the Berowra Community Health & Resource Centre first opened in a small shop in the Village Shopping Centre.
In more recent years Dr Brian White set up his practice at 9 Turner Road in January 1979. In those days there were no appointments and home visits were often made at any time of the day or night. He was in Turner Road for twenty years. Dr White suffered a stroke in June 1998 he gradually returned to work but sold his surgery in 1999 which went on to become a vet clinic. He worked part time at Berowra Family Medical Centre until he retired in September 2011, after 32 years caring for the Berowra community.
Dr David Ip retired in June 2014 and closed his practice after treating the community of Berowra for an incredible 39 years. Like many of the Berowra doctors mentioned here, Dr Ip treated several generations of Berowra families in his practice that was located on the Pacific Highway from 1975.
Berowra’s first dentist worked from his house on the corner of Goodwyn Road and the Pacific Highway where he had his clinic attached to his residential premises. Dentist Jeff Hope ran his business there for many years.
Dr Clive Scriven started in Berowra when he took over Dr Gray’s medical practice located in the upstairs rooms at the old Berowra Village Shopping Centre in August 1987. Dr Scriven’s practice worked through a number of expansions and upgrades including building the medical centre onto the old Village Centre in 1995. The final upgrade was part of the major rebuild of the entire Village Shopping Centre, which reopened May 2007, with the Berowra Family Medical Centre in a separate multipurpose building where it is still located today.
For much of his time in Berowra Dr Scriven worked in partnership with Dr Antoon. Dr Clive Scriven passed away in February 2019 and he is greatly missed by the Berowra community.
CreatorNathan TilburyBerowra
Dr Rich’s practice opened in 1951 in a small surgery and waiting room to her house. Then in 1953 Dr Rich relocated to the Pacific Highway (just north of the old Total Garage). After a surgery and waiting room were added to the new house the practice also relocated. A big boost to the medical service was when the first pharmacy opened near Dr Rich’s new surgery (the old pharmacy building is part of Berowra Car Care today).
Dr Rich did a lot of house calls during the day and performed evening surgeries. She also performed many “home births” in Berowra, particularly during the post war “baby boom” period when there was an acute shortage of maternity hospital beds.
In December 1959 Dr Rich and her husband relocated to Tennant Creek where she accepted a position of Medical Officer in charge of Tennant Creek Hospital. She sold her practice to Dr Frank Munro.
In 1965 Doctor Joseph Lucas moved to Berowra and purchased Dr Rich’s original practice on the Pacific Highway from Dr Burns, who had taken over from Dr Munro. Just like Dr Rich, Dr Lucas looked after patients from Berowra to Cowan and down to Brooklyn until other doctors came out to the area. During those early years it was not unusual for Dr Lucas to be paid for his services in fish, home grown vegetables and even oysters. He never refused to see a patient.
After a few years, Dr Lucas moved his residence and practice to Alan Road where his red doctor’s surgery light down the side of his house was a constant and often welcome sight. When he retired in March 1992 after 27 years in Berowra he continued to live in his house in Alan Road. He passed away in 2003.
Doctor Lucas fled Czechoslovakia when the communists took over. He spent some time in Papua New Guinea before coming out to Australia and settling in Berowra. He had a great love of history and classical music.
Another much loved local Berowra doctor was Dr. De Ruyter who saw patients at his home at 24 Lonsdale Ave. where he had his surgery from the early 1960s. He also practised homeopathy.
In 1967 the population was quickly growing & there was a significant push for a community hospital in Berowra from a Mrs Olson & the Berowra Progress Association. Hornsby Council were supportive & representatives from Hornsby Hospital even came out to speak with the community & make site inspections. The preferred site was at the end of High Street with the intention of pushing through the dead end road to Gully Road. For whatever reason the Berowra Hospital plans did not proceed any further.
In December 1973 the Baby Health Centre opened on Berowra Waters Road
In July 1975 the Berowra Community Health & Resource Centre first opened in a small shop in the Village Shopping Centre.
In more recent years Dr Brian White set up his practice at 9 Turner Road in January 1979. In those days there were no appointments and home visits were often made at any time of the day or night. He was in Turner Road for twenty years. Dr White suffered a stroke in June 1998 he gradually returned to work but sold his surgery in 1999 which went on to become a vet clinic. He worked part time at Berowra Family Medical Centre until he retired in September 2011, after 32 years caring for the Berowra community.
Dr David Ip retired in June 2014 and closed his practice after treating the community of Berowra for an incredible 39 years. Like many of the Berowra doctors mentioned here, Dr Ip treated several generations of Berowra families in his practice that was located on the Pacific Highway from 1975.
Berowra’s first dentist worked from his house on the corner of Goodwyn Road and the Pacific Highway where he had his clinic attached to his residential premises. Dentist Jeff Hope ran his business there for many years.
Dr Clive Scriven started in Berowra when he took over Dr Gray’s medical practice located in the upstairs rooms at the old Berowra Village Shopping Centre in August 1987. Dr Scriven’s practice worked through a number of expansions and upgrades including building the medical centre onto the old Village Centre in 1995. The final upgrade was part of the major rebuild of the entire Village Shopping Centre, which reopened May 2007, with the Berowra Family Medical Centre in a separate multipurpose building where it is still located today.
For much of his time in Berowra Dr Scriven worked in partnership with Dr Antoon. Dr Clive Scriven passed away in February 2019 and he is greatly missed by the Berowra community.
CreatorNathan TilburyBerowraRelated
CollectionNathan Tilbury
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Nathan Tilbury, Berowra's Doctors . Hornsby Shire, accessed 25/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/5090