followed later in 1939 by the publication of Volume 1 of Transactions of the Ophthalmological Society of Australia, the precursor to the College's current scientific journal. In the post war years there was growing dissatisfaction about the standard of ophthalmological training in Australia. Qualifications were fragmented and there was no national agreement about the basic determination of competence to practice ophthalmology. Many felt that the setting of national standards and training was a matter for organised ophthalmology, and that this should be carried out by a college rather than a society. In 1968, these views carried the day, and led to the formation of the Australian College of Ophthalmologists in May 1969. Australian College of Ophthalmologists The new College absorbed the members, assets, policies and procedures of the Society. In addition, the new Articles of Association provided for the College to supervise the training of aspiring ophthalmologists and conduct examinations to test and recognise their competence. The new arrangements were a considerable success, recognised by the grant of the Royal prefix in 1977. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Close links had always existed between Australian and New Zealand ophthalmologists. Reflecting this, there were moves in 1939 to include New Zealand ophthalmologists in the Australian Society. The British Medical Association rules precluded this, however, and the Ophthalmological Society of New Zealand was formed as a separate body. Despite this setback, the relationship continued between Australian and New Zealand ophthalmologists, culminating in 1997 with the joint decision to form a New Zealand Branch of the College. The final change occurred in November 2000, with the change of name to The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. Training The RANZCO trains ophthalmologists through the Vocational Training Program, which typically takes 5 years which includes both basic and advanced training. Trainees rotate through different hospitals for clinical development and training. The 7 key roles underpinning selection, training and assessment are: ophthalmic expert and clinical decision maker, communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate, scholar, and professional. In January 2010, the Commonwealth Government's Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) announced that it was to consolidate a range of programs aimed at establishing training places in settings other than the traditional public teaching hospitals into the one Specialist Training Program (STP). The STP is designed to expand the training opportunities for specialist trainees particularly in rural and private practice settings. Publications The college