Australian Hearing
Encyclopedia
Australian Hearing is the largest Australian hearing aid dispensing company. They provide hearing care and technologies. One of their areas of interest is hearing testing and rehabilitation of children before they turn 21.
Their research division, the National Acoustic Laboratories, takes part in collaborative research for the Cooperative Research Centre
for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation (CRC HEAR). Their research can be broadly divided into the areas of hearing assessment, hearing loss prevention, hearing rehabilitation devices and hearing rehabilitation procedures.
on behalf of the Australian Military during World War II
. After the war it helped those children whose hearing was affected by earlier rubella
outbreaks.
The Commonwealth Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Ageing
) took over the Laboratory and renamed it the Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories, with the aim of providing hearing services for children and veterans. It was eventually renamed the National Acoustic Laboratories in 1973.
The Australian Hearing Services Act 1991 established it as Australian Hearing Services, a Commonwealth Government Statutory Authority. The name National Acoustics Laboratories was retained for its research division. When the Department of Human Services
was formed in 2004, the agency now known as Australian Hearing was moved into its portfolio.
n resident or permanent resident, and meet one of the following categories:
Their research division, the National Acoustic Laboratories, takes part in collaborative research for the Cooperative Research Centre
Cooperative Research Centre
Cooperative Research Centres are key bodies for Australian scientific research. The Cooperative Research Centres Program was established in 1990 to enhance Australia's industrial, commercial and economic growth through the development of sustained, user-driven, cooperative public-private research...
for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation (CRC HEAR). Their research can be broadly divided into the areas of hearing assessment, hearing loss prevention, hearing rehabilitation devices and hearing rehabilitation procedures.
History
Australian Hearing is the current incarnation of the Acoustic Research Laboratory that was set up in 1942. Its initial purpose was the investigation of noiseNoise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
on behalf of the Australian Military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war it helped those children whose hearing was affected by earlier rubella
Rubella
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. The name "rubella" is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is...
outbreaks.
The Commonwealth Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Ageing
Department of Health and Ageing (Australia)
The Department of Health and Ageing is an Australian Government department. Its role is to oversee the running of Australia including supporting universal and affordable access to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital services, while helping people to stay healthy through health promotion and...
) took over the Laboratory and renamed it the Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories, with the aim of providing hearing services for children and veterans. It was eventually renamed the National Acoustic Laboratories in 1973.
The Australian Hearing Services Act 1991 established it as Australian Hearing Services, a Commonwealth Government Statutory Authority. The name National Acoustics Laboratories was retained for its research division. When the Department of Human Services
Department of Human Services (Australia)
The Department of Human Services is an Australian Government agency which is responsible for delivering a range of welfare, social services, health services and other services for the Australian Government....
was formed in 2004, the agency now known as Australian Hearing was moved into its portfolio.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for hearing services from Australian Hearing, one must be an AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n resident or permanent resident, and meet one of the following categories:
- Anyone under the age of 21
- Holders of Pensioner concession cards, or dependants of
- Recipients of a sickness allowance from CentrelinkCentrelinkCentrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency , a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments...
, or dependants of - Department of Veterans' AffairsDepartment of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)The Department of Veterans' Affairs is an Australian Government department. Within its portfolio is:*Australian War Memorial*Military Rehabilitation & Compensation Commission*Office of Australian War Graves*Repatriation Commission...
Gold Repatriation Health Card holders, or dependants of - Department of Veterans' AffairsDepartment of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)The Department of Veterans' Affairs is an Australian Government department. Within its portfolio is:*Australian War Memorial*Military Rehabilitation & Compensation Commission*Office of Australian War Graves*Repatriation Commission...
White Repatriation Health Card holders where hearing loss is specified, or dependants of - Australian Defence ForceAustralian Defence ForceThe Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
personnel - AboriginalIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
and Torres Strait IslanderTorres Strait IslandersTorres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
peoples aged 50 and over - AboriginalIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
and Torres Strait IslanderTorres Strait IslandersTorres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
peoples participating in a Community Development Employment Project (CDEP).