Frequently asked questions about Fred Hollows

Fred Hollows considered himself to be an ordinary person who had the training and tools to restore sight, and therefore did just that. But many Australians know that Fred was extraordinary. He was an excellent eye doctor, and pair that with his staunch social conscience and ingrained belief in equity for all the world over, then you get a remarkable human being who made a life-changing difference to the most vulnerable people around the world.

Fred passed away on 10 February in 1993 but his legacy continues through The Fred Hollows Foundation. Fred’s vision of a world where no one is needlessly blind is our vision, and Fred lives on in the memory of those who knew him personally or have learned about him from family, friends or via their school or work.

15 Frequently asked questions about Fred

Below is a list of questions that we are often asked about Fred:

1. Who was Fred Hollows?

Frederick Cossom Hollows, AC was an Australian ophthalmologist who was well-known for restoring eyesight to people who didn’t have the means to afford eyecare in Australia as well as many other countries. He was revered for significantly reducing the cost of producing intraocular lenses (IOL) and for leading the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program in remote and rural communities Australia-wide, in the 1970s.
2. What did Fred Hollows do?

Fred Hollows was an ophthalmologist. This means that he was a specialist doctor who diagnosed and managed or treated eye conditions and disorders of the visual system. He was an expert in the medical treatment, surgery and microsurgery for eye conditions and diseases such as cataract and trachoma. Fred also started The Fred Hollows Foundation together with Gabi Hollows and a group of close friends and associates.
3. What countries did Fred Hollows work in?

Fred Hollows worked in Australia, Vietnam, Nepal, Eritrea, and Ethiopia as well as providing expert advice in a number of other countries as a consultant for the World Health Organization. Now, The Fred Hollows Foundation has expanded to work in more than 25 countries around the world.
4. How many people did Fred Hollows help?

Fred helped, both directly and indirectly, millions of people in Australia and around the world. His legacy is The Fred Hollows Foundation, which has seen millions of people receive quality eye care and hundreds of thousands of people trained as eye health professionals.
5. Why is Fred Hollows considered a hero?

Fred Hollows was a humanitarian who is quoted as saying “...having a care and concern for others is the highest of human qualities”.

Fred lived his life by this creed and dedicated his time to restoring sight to those who needed it the most in remote and under-resourced parts of Australia and the world.
6. Was Fred Hollows religious?

Fred Hollows was born into a religious family and spent his early years as a dutiful member of the Church of Christ in Dunedin, New Zealand. He even completed one year’s tertiary education in Divinity (religious studies) at the University of New Zealand in Otago.

Fred was a humanist and he was quoted as saying: “I believe in God, but my definition of God is that within mankind that causes mankind to socially strive for liberation. I think God is wherever human goodness is.”
7. Did Fred Hollows get any awards?
Fred refused many awards (such as the Advance Australia Award for Aboriginal eye care in 1981 and the Order of Australia in 1985) due to his frustration with what he called “blatant government disinterest” in eye care for Aboriginal people.

Later on, he recognised the platform these awards afforded him, and he accepted them in order to raise public awareness on issues surrounding eye health and equity.

In 1990 Fred accepted the following awards:
- Australian of the Year
- Human Rights Medal
- Advance Australia Award for Medicine and Overseas Aid
In 1991 Fred accepted the following awards:
- Humanist of the Year
- Companion General Division of the Order of Australia (AC)
8. Why did Fred Hollows win Australian of the Year?

Fred Hollows was announced the Australian of the Year for 1990 for his extensive humanitarian work providing eye care to people who needed it the most.

He had a hand in setting up the first Aboriginal Medical Centre in Redfern in 1971. Then in the mid 1970s, he was instrumental in the success of the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program.

He pioneered a low cost method of manufacturing intraocular lenses (IOL), which reduced the overall cost of cataract surgery, making it accessible in countries like Eritrea, Vietnam and Nepal.

He also trained eye care practitioners in developing countries so that they could help treat patients, and were equipped to train other eye care medicos.
9. When was Fred Hollows born?

Fred was born on 9 April 1929 to Joseph Alfred Hollows and Clarice Sylvia (nee Marshall) Hollows. He was the second of four sons to the couple.
10. Where was Fred Hollows born?

Professor Fred Hollows was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and lived there for the first seven years of his life until his family relocated to Palmerston North.
11. Where did Fred go to school?

Fred Hollows completed his secondary education at Palmerston North Boys’ High School between 1943 and 1947. He received his BA degree from the University of New Zealand (Victoria University), and completed his medical degree at the University of New Zealand (University of Otago). He then studied ophthalmology at University College London of Ophthalmology (Moorfields Eye Hospital) in England.

Later, he completed post graduate work at the Medical Research Council Epidemiological Unit in Cardiff and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1964.
12. When did Fred Hollows migrate to Australia?

Fred Hollows moved to Australia in 1965 when he was appointed the Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of New South Wales. He also became the Chairman of Ophthalmology at the Prince of Wales Hospital, where he treated patients that set the trajectory towards his humanitarian work. Fred became an Australian citizen in 1989.
13. When did Fred Hollows die?

Professor Fred Hollows passed away on 10 February 1993 at the age of 63. He died at home surrounded by his wife, children and close friends.
14. Why did Fred Hollows die?

Professor Fred Hollows was diagnosed with metastatic renal cancer in 1987, with it affecting his lungs and brain.

Fred had this to say about his diagnosis: “The gift of life has been given to me with an abundance known to very few. So I can have no complaints about the hand that I’ve been dealt.”
15. Where is Fred Hollows burried?

Fred Hollows was given a state funeral service at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. As per Fred’s wishes, he was buried in Bourke. Bourke held a special place in his heart, where he had worked in the early 1970s in the Indigenous communities. If you’re ever in the outback NSW town you can visit Fred’s resting place.

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