(Material researched & presented by Barbara Armstrong)

According to his obituary, Thomas Osmond first opened his homœopathic pharmacy in High Street, St Kilda in 1874. (Since the reconfiguration of St Kilda Junction, High Street is now St Kilda Road.) However, he actually appeared as a chemist in St Kilda's Rate Records for December 1873, renting a shop and residence with 4 rooms, made of stone. Initially he was located between on the east side of High street, between Octavia Street and Alma Road.

St Kilda Junction 1873 facing South  Thomas Osmond's pharmacy on left of photo

In 1876 the block of shops and dwellings at that location were put up for sale.

By June 1873 his son, John Thomas, had established his own homœopathic pharmacy in Kew. It appears that for a short period during 1876 John may have worked with his father, as an advertisement which announced John's insolvency stated that he was a 'druggist, now of St Kilda'. However, this arrangement did not last long as in early 1877 Thomas issued a public notice stating that 'he has NO CONNEXION [sic] whatever with the homœopathic dispensary lately opened in Prahran by J.T. Osmond'.

In 1877 the pharmacy and the family's residence was located on the corner of Wellington Street and High Street, at the very busy St Kilda Junction.

The Post Office directories for 1878 and 1879 contained advertisements for 'Osmond's Eye Lotion'.

The business remained at the St Kilda Junction until Thomas' death in 22 October 1883. After his death it was announced that Thomas Osmond's name had been removed from the Pharmaceutical Register of Victoria. Therefore it appears that Thomas' background and credentials were sufficient for registration by the Pharmaceutical Society.

In December 1883 it was announced that the business had been sold to William Henry Ford, a Melbourne homœopathic chemist.

©   Barbara Armstrong

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