Podiatrist Dominic Hogan has more time these days for his guitars and ukuleles. Having retired two years ago, he still helps out when needed at his son Isaac Hogan’s practice, Goulburn Podiatry Service. Photo: John Thistleton.
Fresh out of high school in Goulburn and suddenly finding himself eight weeks behind in a summer school course in chemistry, Dominic Hogan hit the books like never before.
His future career as a podiatrist was riding on this course at Sydney Technical College. Pass and he could begin his podiatry studies, fail and …well the 17-year-old son of Goulburn chemist Max Hogan didn’t have time to ponder that option.
He studied around the clock, keeping himself going with 15 cups of coffee a day. He caught up in the course which had been underway for two months.
“Dad was supportive in a Max Hogan way,” Dominic said. “‘I will support you until you fail something and then my support will stop,’” Max, the father of nine children, told his son. He provided Dominic with $100 a week for rent, food and tuition fees.
“He wrote on my 21st birthday card, ‘I knew if I kept you poor, you would study hard,’” Dominic said.
Max himself had a steeper learning journey after losing his father when he was in primary school. He won a bursary to St Stanislaus College in Bathurst and then a three-year scholarship at university, leading him to pursue studies to become a pharmacist. He topped the class and won the university medal.
Dominic’s four elder brothers, ready for a Lilac Time parade in the 1970s. Tim, Michael, Anthony and Bernard posing as Hogan’s Heroes characters Schultz, Colonel Hogan, a soldier and Colonel Clink. Photo: Hogan family collection.
All six of Max’s sons were delivery boys at Max Hogan Chemist which opened in the Trevitt’s Pharmacy building in 1966. Dominic began when he was 10, riding his bike after school and on Saturdays in all weather, including one day against a stiff winter breeze to the Smith Family homes (now Baptist Care Centre) on the city’s edge. Returning, he thought nothing of a man on a verandah waving at him enthusiastically. Until he was back at the pharmacy.
“As I walked in Dad said, ‘Did you get the script off the man on the verandah?’” No he hadn’t, and consequently made a second journey, shaking his head.
Those pushbike days were long gone as he completed his associate diploma of podiatry at TAFE in 1987. In the late 1990s he completed a two-year part-time course at Western Sydney University, upgrading his qualifications.
Once qualified he approached Goulburn Base Hospital chief executive Ted Kadziela, offering to provide a podiatry clinic. Ted agreed, saying, “Go home and write me a list of essentials and desirables.”
Returning to the hospital with his two lists he saw the desirables one tossed in an office bin without so much as a glance from the cost-conscious chief executive.
Dominic’s dwindling desirables/essentials list was written out three times before the essentials made the cut, enabling him to begin work.
Having graduated in 1988, he made what he regards as the best decision of his life.
Former Goulburn chemist Max Hogan with his wife Maria. Max once made a sought-after dry skin cream, having learned the ingredients at a Sydney burns clinic. Adding rose oil, he called it Maria’s dry skin cream. Photo: Hogan family collection.
“I moved into the Goulburn Base Hospital staff quarters, where I met Elizabeth, a dental therapist from Nowra also living there,” he said. “Last year we celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary.”
On Valentine’s Day 1988 the 21-year-old podiatrist opened his practice in Russell Lane. Later Dr Keith Beck from the nearby McKell Medical Clinic frowned on the new sign announcing ‘Dominic Hogan podiatrist, chiropodist’. “It should be Mr D Hogan,” the old-school doctor said.
In time the practice grew steadily, even though clients were initially taken aback by his youth. He was well across his profession, having lectured at the university in orthotics once a week which he loved, despite the long drive to and from Sydney. He also made his own orthotics (arch supports) for his patients.
He has published four peer-reviewed research papers and two case studies. Practitioners rarely publish their findings, mostly it is the published research of academics that practitioners are reading.
‘‘I enjoyed it, because you have to be at the top of your game to publish,” he said.
Taking in and helping train students has given him the most satisfaction.
“Goulburn people have been extremely accepting of this,” he said. “Because you are getting a patient coming in, paying to be seen by a qualified professional but allowing treatment from a student.”
Dominic making an orthotics mould for one of his patients. This setting contrasts with his earlier days at Goulburn Base Hospital which provided him with an old dental chair instead of a proper podiatry chair. He was continually moving to the head end of his patients to adjust the feet end. Photo: Hogan family collection.
One day a young woman brought her small child to Dominic, puzzling him with her familiar friendliness.
“I searched the database for her name, and she wasn’t a patient,” he said. “It wasn’t until halfway through the appointment she told me I treated her as a child, and that I had made her feel safe. That was why she brought her child to me. I don’t think you can top that as a clinician,” he said.
