any of the Royal Colleges. This article includes excerpts from the Dean's address at the Ceremony of Presentation of Diplomats held on 3rd March 2001 (see page 75). It unveils the accidents of history which formulated a Royal College, the perseverance of committed dentists which took them into the fold of The College. It describes the beginning of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and unravels the story of the Advisory Board in General Dental Practice which later became the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK). The next article 'Looking Forwards' will describe a way forward for this Faculty, which has grown up all too quickly in a rapidly changing world.Now, at that time in Melbourne there was a sixth form which was the top two years, it was called Pass Sixth and then Honours Sixth. And because of our financial situation I had to leave at the end of Pass Sixth, whereas those students who were thinking of going to university normally went on to do Honours Sixth, and I got a cadetship, as it was called, in the University of Melbourne. Now, that was a real stroke of luck, it meant that I could go to the university, attend the chemistry classes as what they call day release, but I was a technician in the Chemistry Department so I didn't have to walk far, and then in the evening I would study the other subjects one