125 stories for 125 years

C.L. Butchers

Charles Leslie (Les) Butchers was a pioneer of pharmacy for over 40 years. From his first role as a correspondence clerk in the office of the Pharmacy Board of Victoria and the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria in 1897, he went on to become a major supporter and driving force for pharmacy in Australia.

He held significant positions within the society, the board, Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd and the Federated Pharmaceutical Services Guild of Australia. He was the editor of the Australasian Journal of Pharmacy from its inception, through to its relaunch as a federal journal in 1920, until his death in 1941. In 1941 Les was awarded an honorary membership of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

Due to the remarkable nature of his commitment to pharmacy, a memorial fund was established in 1942 by representatives from all the pharmaceutical organisations he had served. As he had been a generous donor to the library and an enormous support to both the students and staff of the college, it was decided that these memorial funds would be directed to the establishment and continuation of the C.L. Butchers Memorial Library, which was established in 1873 for use by local members of the society and is still used by staff and students today.

Dean of the college at the time, A.T.S. Sissons, made the following comment about Les. ‘No one was a warmer supporter of the student’s library, or donated books more freely to it, than he did.’

The C.L. Butchers Memorial Library is located in the Manning Building at the college.