Halford, George Britton

George Britton Halford was the inaugural head of the first medical school in Australia in 1862. The school was located at the University of Melbourne where Halford was also appointed professor of anatomy, physiology and pathology. Then in 1876 when the Melbourne University Faculty of Medicine was created, Halford was elected dean. He held this position initially until to 1886 and again from 1890 to 1896. Halford officially retired in 1903.

Halford was one of the most controversial figures in venom research. He proposed a germ theory for snakebite envenomation and introduced the use of intravenous ammonia injections as treatment.